By Nick Rosato
In response to Gaylord Livingston’s 6/20/25 letter “Hatred in the mouth of babes.”
I understand Mr. Livingston’s sentiments, but do not relate to them. I write this in an effort to help him and others understand why a parent might allow a child to hold a sign that says F— Trump. Please understand that I am not making a comment on Mr. Livingston’s politics, although this will get political in an effort for us to understand why the No Kings protesters were protesting.
My republican leanings are the Phil Scott, John Rogers type, instead of Trump. I agree with Livingston that using children as mouth pieces for political hit points is bad parenting. Unless, that is, the circumstances warrant it. And in this case I sympathise more with the protesters than Mr. Livingston.
One needs to consider what the parent was protesting when considering the ‘indoctrination effect’ of the F— Trump sign. When considering the entirety of Trump’s actions and words, as the protesters did, it is easy to identify the vitriol that he drivels as reliably as Old Faithful blows its steam. To quote Mr. Livingston, “Anyone with a shred of decency should be appalled.”
The protesters were appalled by Trump and Mr. Livingston was appalled by the sign. However, Mr. Livingston was not considering the entirety of the parent’s education for the child: just the sign. How narrow minded. I’m guessing this was the first interaction he had with the parent based on his article. His article is a poor attempt at hyperbole to extrapolate a grand scheme on why such parents should be ‘barred from organizing or participating in youth-centered events’ and should be ‘publicly shamed’. For most of us, public shaming is something we have matured beyond.
He thinks there should be a child welfare investigation because of the F— Trump sign. Dude, if there was an investigation for every time a parent used the word f— in front of their child this nation would be on fire. And I give props to the parent for teaching the child an appropriate way to use the word. And, no, my moral compass does not need calibrating.
For a moment, consider Trump as the parent and his supporters as the child holding the F— Trump sign, except the sign says F— Everyone. Both parents exploit their youth by taking advantage of their gullibility. Both children follow their parents like a gosling a goose.
The difference is that Trump supporters willingly disrobe their adult dignity and shed their ability to question authority in an effort to support whatever he says. In a disgusting display of affection they splash in his words as giddy toddlers in a pool. They marinate in the vicious attacks on illegal immigrants, citizens, and American institutions alike. Trump supporters chastise Biden for losing his mind, but when Trump says immigrants eat neighbor’s pets they salivate like Pavlov’s dogs. They criticize Hunter Biden for profiting from his father’s political career, but when Trump’s family profits from his presidency they invest in his companies. This, my friends, is exploitation of grown men and women alike, treating them like freaks on a leash.
The No Kings protesters were protesting the Trump administration for harms that are far worse than a F— Trump sign. I would rather my seven-year-old see a F— Trump sign than see the video of Rumeysa Ozturk being snatched by federal agents. That action alone makes everyone feel like a mouse in a cat’s den. I’d rather explain the F— Trump sign to my child than to explain Trump’s disgusting public shaming of Cyril Ramaphosa in the White House.
These are just a couple examples of why the protesters were protesting. They have a genuine fear for the wellbeing of their immigrant friends who are here legally. Genuine fear that Trump is trying to erode the institutions that made America great in the first place. Trump is engaging in fear tactics the likes of which Nobel Prize winner Maria Ressa exposed in the Philippines under Rodrigo Duterte, a man Trump praised. It’s fine to disagree with others, but Trump is playing judge and executioner. These reasons and many more are the reasons why the F— Trump sign became a learning experience for the child.
In conclusion, Mr. Livingston is offering a knee-jerk reaction to a sign that has a defendable purpose. Republicans should reclaim their ability to question authority and disagree with the disgust that is MAGA. Republicans need to stop salivating over Trump like ravenous animals in search of the next obscenity. Only then will our party take the upper hand and begin healing our society from extreme behavior like the F— Trump sign and foolish articles like Mr. Livingston’s. I encourage all republicans to learn from a governor that can bridge the gap between parties in a state where such extremists like Bernie Sanders and Emma Mulvaney-Stanek have leadership roles. Although, perhaps the real reason Phil Scott is our governor is that he’s won more races than any driver in the late model division at Barre’s Thunder Road.
The author is a Monkton resident