Never lose sight of the fact principles endure forever; people do not. I made this mistake during my early fatherhood years and regrettably worked hard at inculcating into my three daughters’ brains the precept that family interests should always come first in everything, even—Although I never told them this explicitly!—at the expense of sacred principles. Yes, I actually taught the girls that: Family loyalty should supersede principled behavior if ever the two should compete head-to-head in the arena of life. Well…..I will now freely admit that I was grievously wrong in espousing this ill-advised philosophy and I would like to sincerely apologize to my three daughters for chronically misleading them on a subject so relevant and critical in the Donald Trump and post-Donald Trump years. Principles should UNFAILINGLY take precedence over everything else, including family members’ sometimes mistaken beliefs and the attendant potential for family discord, and this maxim will never change nor should it change; I know that now. I’ll confess that I should have known better “back then” as well, but in my defense I guess I’ll hold up the adage “Better late than never!” as my best, albeit feeble, rejoinder.
Fred's Soapbox 