Asher: Was George Washington a good guy or a bad guy?
Deborah: He was the first president of the United States.
A: But was he a good president or a bad president?
D: Good.
A: Who was a bad president?
So tempting. A slide show of evil plays before my very eyes. I used to imagine the unlikely scene in which I am meeting George W. and Dick Cheney. Bush extends his hand to me, and I freeze not knowing whether or not to take it. How disrespectful to refuse to shake hands with the President of the United States-even if he’s a wanker. But then I remind myself about all the ways the two of them have disrespected my people, my nation and the world. I imagine myself talking through my smiling teeth so that the news camera capturing this fictitious meeting doesn’t hear me say, “I’m shaking your hand to be polite, but I’m actually throwing up a little in my mouth right now.”
A: Mom! Who was a bad president?
D: Why do you think there was a bad president?
A: Because there are good guys and bad guys.
D: Some people like what the president does and some people don’t. Remember when we voted for Barack Obama?
A: Yeah!
D: Well, even though he became president, some people like what he’s doing as president and some people don’t. A president can’t make everyone happy, but it doesn’t mean he (or someday she) is bad.
A: Oh. Was there ever a bad president?
D: There was one president who broke the law, and he had to leave before he was finished being president.
A: What was his name?
D: Richard Nixon.
A: Why did he break the law?
D: He thought that he didn’t have to follow the rules just because he was president. But everybody has to follow the rules in the United States; especially the president. (supposedly)
A: What did he do?
D: Well, he didn’t respect people’s privacy, and ...
A: And then after he wasn’t president, could he be president again?
D: Nope. Once you break the law, you can’t be president again.
A: And after he wasn’t president any more, was he good?
D: No, he was a sour old man who was just as misguided as he always was. Hmm, he tried to be good.
Asher leans in and takes in my entire face.
A: Mom?
D: Yes, Asher.
A: I think that ear is bigger than that one.
D: I think you’re right.
7 comments:
1)Miguel was recently reading US News and World Report's special issue on presidents and was particularly interested in the 10 worst presidents list (so we too recently discussed Nixon).
2)Zeca is irrationally convinced that George Bush is inviting her to his birthday party and has been telling people we are going to Texas. I think she might just be effin' with me.
3)Asher and the ear thing - absolutely perfect!
Bad guys are always much more interesting. I'm going to have to do me some learnin to prepare for these conversations-that is unless Asher prefers to focus on my physical irregularities of which they are many.
Have a great time in Texas! Maybe Zeca would like to give him a belt buckle with a rainbow on it. He'd like that.
I love the way kids get out of conversations. We get a lot of that around here, too.
I should have seriously thought about the implications of sending my son to pre-school on Staten Island. When he learned about the presidents he announced that his favorite president was none other than George W. Bush Jr. (Bad President). I screamed, started nervously laughing and my delicate son burst into tears. (Bad Mommy)
Now, at the time W was the standing President and the lovely Staten Islanders teaching him probably voted for him twice. So, the fact that he was my son's favorite is somewhat excusable. Right?
Oh and that ear is larger...
Definitely excusable, Marcy! Plenty of time to recondition him. Best to pretend it never happened.
I wonder if I can hear better out of the bigger ear.
How old is Asher? Our son was seven during the election and we tried to keep our commentary about the election as measured as possible because we want him to respect the office. We did say we didn't think GWB was "doing a very good job." What an understatement! Once we heard him repeating this line to a friend and his friend said in exasperation, "He's a terrible President!"
Asher is 5 and cares only for short answers for any type of question. Always a challenge to break down complicated subjects.
At least our kids are amongst friends when it comes to our sentiments regarding George W.- unlike Marcy in S.I. Good for you for trying to separate the office from the individual!
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