I thought that after I left my neighborhood playground when I was 12 years old, I would see no more bullies. Then when I was a teenager in school and at home, I was constantly reminded to grow up, act my age, and stop picking on somebody just because I don’t like him.

Now there was a time and a place we could act stupid, shout foul language, and make fun of each other, but we knew not to do it in public places and certainly not in front of any adults. We were taught that anyone with a title before the name automatically got our unconditional respect.

I remember we had a mock presidential debate in our high school history class. There were rules to follow. Provide evidence and explanation for every plan you intended to enact if elected. Use proper English. Act presidential. That is to say, address your opponent as Mr. or Miss followed by his or her last name. Never slander, insult, berate or ridicule your opponent. Treat him or her with respect because the public will expect you to show the same to everyone, and that includes those who will oppose your policies.

Perhaps that history class lesson has stayed with me too long because I will not be watching the upcoming presidential debates. I will turn away from all the negative campaigning commercials on the TV and the radio. When I listen to one candidate trash the other for an entire 60-second commercial that ends with the words. “I approve this message,” I say to myself, “Well then, I don’t approve of you!” I’m taking no sides here. They both will do it ad nauseam.

I’m also tired of the stereotypes who run for president. Give me a candidate not attached at the hip to congressional lobbyists. Give me someone who’s not a puppet of big money corporations that pull his or her strings. Let me hear a fresh voice speak from humble roots who understands the challenges of the middle class. Show me a candidate who will reduce the ridiculous cost of college tuitions so our young Americans don’t have to start their careers hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt. Let me vote for somebody who will put an end to horrendous medical bills like the $1,250 I was charged for a five-minute ambulance transport that took my son from his school to a hospital. By the way, there was an additional fuel charge of $53 tacked on!

Now back to the issue of how the public should treat the highest office in the nation, I give you this bad example. Years back, I saw President Bill Clinton in person. He spoke at a high school in New Jersey as an upstart for his national anti-smoking campaign. Now, I was not a fan of his, but during our brief encounter, I addressed him as Mr. President.

When the governor of the state introduced President Clinton to an auditorium filled of students with, “Heeeeeere’s Billy!” like he was Ed McMahon introducing Johnny Carson on the “Tonight Show,” I was appalled. The students’ response was one you’d hear at a football game, not what should have been a polite round of applause.

Political cartoons make fun of presidents. Comedians often make them look like fools. At the end of the day, I wonder whether our commanders in chief and leaders of the free world should reside in the White House or live in tents and moonlight as circus clowns.

In the 1960 presidential race, only 10% of the campaign ads were negative, according to Oxford Research. In 2012, only 12% of the ads were positive, focusing only on the candidate who paid for the ad.

In October 2018, the Washington Times reported that there were 569,000 negative ads delivered to the public in just one month by campaigning politicians seeking local and national offices.

Four years ago, writer Benji Backer said, “People are sick and tired of the constant phone calls and mailers. They’re sick of the negative campaigning, the false attacks and nasty language. …

“The American people are discouraged by decent politicians leaving office, only because they feel they have no voice in a profession full of frauds. Americans are discouraged by the divisiveness between parties and the lack of teamwork in D.C.”

A recent study showed that 78% of Americans are fed up with politics altogether. Backer adds, “Lastly, Americans are scared. They’re scared their values won’t be fought for by their representatives.”

Let me add, we’re scared the country will fall into another Great Depression with promised cuts to Social Security benefits and employment pensions that will put senior citizens out in the street.

In the movie “Network,” TV news anchor Howard Beale shouted out his window the words many of us Americans could very well shout out again to show how we feel about the current state of politics in this country.

“I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore!”

Don’t call me un-American for not watching the conventions or the debates because I do love my country, and don’t lecture me if I make a conscientious decision not to vote for any of the candidates in this election and instead write in the name of my best friend. Mark Twain once said, “If voting made a difference, they wouldn’t let us do it.”

I’m thinking of sending my own mailer to the candidates with a scolding written in black marker.

“Stop picking on somebody just because you don’t like him!”

Then I’d add, “Grow up and act your age!”

Rich Strack can be reached at katehep11@gmail.com.