When we talk about choosing leaders, it’s easy to get wrapped up in debates over policies. How should resources be allocated? Should we fund this program or that one? Who is at fault or responsible for change or action? These are important discussions, but sometimes we lose sight of a deeper issue. What happens when the choice isn’t just about policy but about the humanity and values of the leader themselves?
Imagine for a second you’re on a committee tasked with hiring a new principal for your child’s school. Two candidates are being considered, and both present very different approaches.
Principal A: The Policy Debate
Principal A faces real challenges. The school’s budget is tight, and hard decisions have to be made. Should the free lunch program be expanded to include more students, or would it be better to offer discounted lunch and spread the savings to fund field trips or new uniforms for the band and football teams?
Later in the year, disaster strikes. A hurricane has displaced hundreds of students from nearby schools. Principal A is tasked with a logistical nightmare. They need to figure out how to accommodate these new students: Can they squeeze some money from the budget to buy new desks? Should they add chairs to the current tables, or should they partner with another school to build a temporary learning space? The decisions are difficult, but the questions remain rooted in trying to do what’s best for the students with the resources available.
These are the types of challenges any leader faces. Compromises, trade-offs, and trying to balance the needs of different groups while keeping things running smoothly.
Principal B: The Moral Failing
But Principal B is different. Instead of grappling with policy, this principal actively works to exclude certain students from the start. Maybe Principal B doesn’t even let the Black kids into the school building. They force them to sit outside, calling them troublemakers, claiming that they fight too much or steal too often to be trusted. This echoes Trump’s own behavior in the Central Park Five case, where he took out full-page ads calling for the death penalty for five Black and Latino teenagers wrongfully accused of a crime. Even after their exoneration, Trump refused to apologize, standing by his inflammatory and racist rhetoric. Source: The Guardian
When the hurricane hits and students from nearby schools are displaced, Principal B doesn’t try to find room for them. Instead, they bar the doors and claim that these displaced students are taking scholarships away from the “deserving” students. This mirrors Trump’s administration’s continued false rhetoric about immigrants taking jobs and, more recently, “Black jobs,” fueling xenophobia and causing Americans to believe that the presence of immigrants harms their economic opportunities. In reality, these claims have been debunked, but the harmful rhetoric persists, sowing division. Source: Newsweek
Oh, and there’s more. Principal B has started using the school’s discount and trademark to mass order chicken nuggets. Telling visiting parents or grandparents they must buy them, but the profits go to repair their personal home, not adding it to the school budget. Similarly, Trump faced accusations of profiting from his office, particularly with foreign governments and U.S. officials staying at his properties while he was in office. Source: Reuters
And just like Trump’s family separation policy, where children were forcibly taken from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border, Principal B separates students from their families, claiming it’s for the “safety” of the school. This policy was condemned worldwide for its cruelty and lasting harm to children. Source: NPR
Eventually, Principal B is convicted of fraud, much like Trump’s charity being shut down for illegal activity, including using funds for personal and business expenses. Despite this, Principal B still wants to be in charge again. Just like Trump, who continues to seek political power even after facing two impeachments and ongoing legal battles. Source: Politico
The Difference Between Policy and Morality
Both principals are in leadership positions, but they are worlds apart. Principal A may face tough choices, but their focus is on managing resources and finding the best solutions for their students. Their policies might not always make everyone happy, but at least they’re trying to serve the whole community. They’re leading with fairness, grappling with the difficulties that come with leadership.
Principal B, on the other hand, isn’t just bad at their job, they’re harmful. Their leadership isn’t about resource management; it’s about actively denying certain students their right to an education and dignity. This isn’t a debate over how to balance a budget, it’s a question of who they see as fully human and deserving of care. And, if they’re willing to exploit their position for personal gain, they’re clearly not in this for the benefit of the students.
The Leadership We Choose Matters
When we choose our leaders, whether it’s a principal for our child’s school or the president of our country, the stakes are not always about which policy gets funded or what program is cut. Sometimes, it’s about something much deeper: the values and moral compass of the person in charge.
Some leaders will make decisions based on what is best for everyone, even if those decisions are tough. Others will choose to exclude and dehumanize entire groups of people, pitting communities against each other instead of finding solutions. And in some cases, they’ll even exploit their position for personal gain, refusing to take responsibility for the harm they’ve done.
So when it comes to choosing a leader, we have to ask ourselves: Do we want someone like Principal A, who faces challenges with fairness and tries to serve the whole community? Or do we want someone like Principal B, who’s not only harming the students but also enriching themselves at the expense of the very people they’re supposed to serve—and yet somehow still believes they deserve to stay in charge?
This isn’t just about policy. It’s about humanity and accountability. It’s about choosing a leader who’s not playing with life, but grappling with how to make change—not if and when. Now more than ever, it’s crucial to take action. Register to vote, check your polling locations, and have those hard conversations with friends and family. Politics aren’t distant, they’re personal. They affect you and everyone you love. Your voice matters, and it’s time to use it to shape the future.
Useful Links
Check your voter registration status
