This is no laugh line

By Don Hiddleson, Middlecreek, Utah

Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2017 | 2 a.m.

When President Donald Trump was called out on the impropriety of his recent comments to a group of police officers, encouraging them to rough people up when arresting them, he said that he was only joking.

There is a line in William Shakespeare’s play “King Lear,” “Jesters do oft prove prophets.” I recall Trump’s “Access Hollywood” spiel being written off as locker room talk.

A man who feels no remorse will not apologize. If you say something hurtful to a family member, the relationship is strained and an apology is required to heal it. If you feel some guilt but cover it up with the “just joking” ploy, you will find that the cover-up is worse than the offense.

It is human nature for people in crowds to take things seriously. Sound judgment may be suspended among a group of like-minded individuals.

As long as enough people can be blinded by flashy theatrics, they can tune out the facts. You can’t change what you refuse to confront. Many of Trump’s apologists think that he doesn’t really mean some of the awful things he says. History has shown that wise men and women must take responsibility for the future.