I have family members interred in Arlington National Cemetery including my father and my mother. My wife and I have visited the cemetery many times, always moved by the solemnity of what is some of the most revered ground in this country.
It is outrageous that Donald Trump decided to violate the norms of a military cemetery and turn a ceremony honoring Americans killed in Afghanistan into a blatant campaign advertisement. After being told that this was hallowed ground and could not be used for personal promotional purposes, he simply ignored that and went ahead with it anyway.
He was reportedly photographed bending over a gravestone, smiling and giving a thumbs-up sign, much like a high school student on a field trip mugging for the camera. Some of Trump’s people even apparently had some sort of physical altercation with a cemetery official who attempted to enforce the rules.
Trump obeys no rules. Nothing that is in his self-interest is going too far.
John Covert
Northeast side
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
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