Something remarkable happened at the White House. President Trump listened.

The White House held what was described as "a listening session."   Invited to participate and tell their stories were students and teachers and parents from the Stoneman Douglas School in Florida, as well as other school shootings.   President Trump, Vice President Pence, and Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos were there to listen.

I must admit that I was very skeptical.   You just can't put "Donald Trump," "somber," "listen," and "empathy" in the same sentence, so I thought.   I wasn't there, but the clips and commentary I've witnessed so far -- from the liberal left tv position -- are astonishingly positive.

It was somber, student survivors who lived through the Florida massacre last week -- and parents who lost their kids there and in previous school shootings -- spoke emotionally about their experience.    They were listened to, really listened to.   No one yelled;  no one tried to jump in with suggestions or rebuttals.   They really listened.   You could see them taking it in.   The body language, even Trump's, was convincing.

Above all there was respect and empathy.   Can you image Donald Trump listening intently, nodding slightly in appropriate places, but keeping his mouth shut?  No inappropriate commandeering the spotlight to himself.

I didn't think it possible.   But I saw brief clips of it.  Of course, it's exactly what we would expect of Obama, of George Bush, of both Clintons.   But not Trump.

I don't know what will come of it;  and that is the long-range test.   But I have to say that, as I am critical of our president 99% of the time, for this brief moment in time when I was surprisingly impressed, I give him credit. 

I also give credit to the unknown people who put this together and who must have briefed the White House people on how to listen.    A tip of the hat to you.

Ralph

PS:  A later news show included other clips from the meeting, one show Trump proposing his solution:   to have certain teachers (maybe 20%) who are highly trained in gun shooting to have concealed weapons, so they can shoot and take out an active shooter before he kills so many kids.    But he proposed it in a most unTrumpian manner -- asking the group what they thought of the idea.   And some of them told him why it is a bad idea.