People like to talk about the importance of talking and walking particularly when it comes to the lack of coordination between the two. Educators I read online seem fascinated by this expression. Why not say something more direct – your actions need to support your statement of values.
I see again today that Melania Trump has given another speech expressing her concern for inappropriate online behavior
I find this disturbing and not because I don’t think cyberbullying is an important issue. There is just something really wrong with speaking out against cyberbullying and ignoring the online description of a woman as a dog. This is pretty much what one might use as a classic example of cyberbullying. Of course, this is but one example among many. What kind of disconnect from reality does one have to experience to not understand how others would react to this inconsistency? If you feel a need to take on a cause in public at least select something that your behavior indicates you have a serious commitment.
Charles Barkley once famously defended his inappropriate behavior by claiming that he was not a role model. I think he changed his perspective Surely, we expect a President to have a better appreciation for the responsibilities of the office. To ignore the importance of the behavior of likely role models in reducing cyberbullying is to be naive to what we know about reducing this inappropriate behavior.
This type of behavior seems to typify the behavior of Republican politicians today. I assume they are embarrassed by the behavior of the President (or at least I hope so), but they go on acting as if the behavior does not exist and others do not see their apparent cluelessness.