In today’s political climate, often the news we hear about our government is plagued with juvenile bullying and threats.

Former presidential candidate Marco Rubio was infamous for his attacks on Donald Trump. Rubio mocked Trump’s small hands and tendency to sweat, to which Trump responded with coining the name “little” Rubio in order to deflect criticism. In fact, several comments made by Rubio lost him support and left him undesirable.

This continuous back-and-forth only highlights the pitiful attempts candidates are taking to compose themselves in a world which supposedly condemns such sandbox-level behavior; a world in which Donald Trump felt little to no reservation as he repeated profanity on stage when campaigning and then received barely a day’s critical coverage.

“It is still disheartening that a politician can gain influence simply by making another person look bad, as opposed to improving their own image or policies, especially when the person being attacked is deliberately misquoted,” said Junior Dalai Ward

FOX, NBC, and CBS are all major networks guilty of this practice, hosting or covering condemnable behavior repeatedly whilst giving better coverage to such behavior than to well-behaved candidates, or to the actual issues.

These repeated instances of crude behavior discouraged in school children are vested in the person with whom we are prepared to entrust the administration of the United States government. These actions, when isolated, appear to be gaffes, but collected show a systemic disregard for respect in the political process decades old.

Previous debates have even highlighted this fact in Republican circles, pitting candidates against comments they have made towards each other and towards minority groups in America.
Donald Trump’s Twitter feed seems to thrive on such an ordeal, attacking his political enemies on various things which have no bearing on their abilities or prestige. Trump has attacked persons based on gender, as in the case of Megyn Kelly who questioned his many sexist comments in years prior. He has also criticized others bathroom habits, in the case of Hillary Clinton who was forced to the stage from the restroom following an erroneously short debate commercial break. Trump has even mocked those with physical disabilities, as in the case of Serge Kovaleski who was mocked for showing visible signs of his congenital joint condition.

Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton has implied her opponents’ ineffectiveness several times. Most notably, Clinton has criticized Bernie Sanders’ ineffectiveness and poor choices in healthcare campaign ads.

On Sanders front, this occurs more indirectly, with several of his supporters attacking Hillary Clinton with slurs or sexist comments, often through memes and Reddit posts, which Sanders strongly disapproves of. Simultaneously, however, he demands Senator Clinton’s tax returns and loudly criticizes her as a Wall Street candidate via Twitter.

Beth Seabreeze is a social studies teacher. “I would much rather see them just focus on their own record and what they plan on doing,” Seabreeze said.