Gary Smit

Blessed to have been a Superintendent of 25 years in 3 great school districts. Now, a trainer, consultant and author for character education.

[Gary Smit @GSmit4Character]

@karlcparrish This is outstanding! We promote CC! as a meaningful, measurable and sustainable initiative. Having been the trainer of CC with support from Laura and Hectalina, I commend the staff of KCP for your commitment to making sure character does count.

[Daniel Davis Deep Dive @DanielLDavis1]

President Trump today convened a “war cabinet” meeting in the White House to consider what happens next week when the current cease-fire expires next Wednesday morning.

What he should conclude is that this “excursion“ was a dramatic mistake, and recognize that the objective of defeating Iran militarily is not possible with the troops we have allocated and the time we have available, and instead of proving that by trying to restart the war, he should admit the plan didn’t work, and seek to extricate the US as quickly as possible at the lowest possible cost.

It is crucial to understand where we are at this point and how we got here:

Prior to choosing to start this war w Iran, there was no threat to the United States, imminent or otherwise.

They were not two weeks from a nuclear bomb, and they had made no move to build one.

The Strait of Hormuz was open and free and unfettered, and about 19 million barrels of oil and all other commodities were flowing freely and without encumbrance, every day.

All American troops in the region were alive and well.

All of our bases were fully operational and unscathed.

24 MQ9 reaper drones were still in our possession, and 13 combat aircraft were still fully functional, and no planes had been shot out of the sky.

The price of oil was a little over $60 a barrel, and every reason to think that it would remain stable at that price.

Our regional allies we’re still whole and protected.

Now none of those things are true now.

The cost has been profound for a war that should never have been started, and it was clear to anyone willing to see the reality that we would end up in a place like this.

And now, it is equally clear that to restart this war by choice, will only deepen all of the costs that we’ve already had imposed upon us, likely more death and destruction for America and its allies, and an even graver interruption of global oil supplies.

And we still will not have control of the Strait, and will be facing a strategic and then military defeat at the hands of someone smaller and much weaker than us.

The only way we could ever lose a war to Iran is if we started one. And now here we are staring defeating the face bc of that bad choice.

The only question now, how much deeper with the cost be to America and our allies if we refuse to learn the previous lessons, and arrogantly go forth, trying to win again with the military.

How many more Americans will have to die to prove what is already self evident?

[PBS News @NewsHour]

"One of the great cons that Donald Trump has pulled off is the idea that he's a man of faith," David Brooks says. "After the last few days, even a lot of Trump supporters are acknowledging he's not a person of faith, he's not a man of God, because nobody acts that way." https://t.co/7y257NXZw4

[Gary Smit @GSmit4Character]

@rshereme Well written & true. All that can be said by defenders of Trump is that he not’s so bad - others are worse. I call this the doctrine of moral relative filth. We are being led by a man who lacks a moral compass and regularly fails to live up to the values of the Christian faith.

[Mike Young @micyoung75]

Paula White stood in the White House and said this to the President of the United States: "You were betrayed and arrested and falsely accused. It's a familiar pattern that our Lord and Savior showed us. Because of His resurrection, you rose up."

The text White is drawing from knew this moment was coming.

Matthew 24:5: "Many will come in my name, claiming 'I am the Messiah,' and will deceive many."

Isaiah 42:8: "I am the Lord; that is my name. I will not yield my glory to another."

These are not obscure passages. They are the scripture's own warning against the exact thing White did at that podium. The tradition she claims to represent forbids giving a mortal the attributes of God. It names the people who do so as deceivers. It says directly that divine glory does not transfer.

White is Trump's "spiritual advisor." She has led this kind of prayer before. What is new is the setting — the White House, surrounded by assembled faith leaders, on camera, 4.1 million views.

The founders watched the Church of England fuse religious authority with the crown. They were not subtle about what they were rejecting when they wrote the Establishment Clause. The idea that no American president could be anointed by God, or have his legal jeopardy compared to the crucifixion, or have his election compared to the resurrection, was the whole point.

The people in that room who clapped along should read their own book more carefully.

[Jorge P. Artiles 🌋🌍🫶🏼 @jpartiles]

@rshereme Let’s compare then….

[Centre for Character and Leadership @Cha_Leadership]

Educators in our schools does a great job! They teach. They transfer knowledge. They control behavior. They manage classrooms. They engineer development of positive school culture. But above all, they educate for good character and human flourishing.

#Values
#Character

[Gary Smit @GSmit4Character]

I use to think that it was not worth it to lie or chest because it hurts your character

[Earth Hippy 🌎🕊️💚 @hippyygoat]

I KNEW HE WAS A LIAR BUT WHEN DOES HE TELL THE TRUTH??

Research by PolitiFact, one of the leading fact-checking sites in the United States affiliated with the Poynter Institute for Journalism, found that only 3 percent of former President Donald Trump's statements are completely true.

According to the analysis, which reviewed more than 1,147 statements by Trump up to the latest available update, only 36
statements were classified as "true," while 78 percent were rated mostly false, false, or completely false.

[Ferre @FerreWeb3]

Look at the generational difference…

1990s:
• Get a university degree
• Get a 9–5 job
• Suit and tie
• Get promoted
• Get married at 21
• Buy a house at 25
• 4 kids, 1 dog
• Retire at 60

2026:
• Survive… Show more

[Gary Smit @GSmit4Character]

Faith isn’t a political weapon & the National Prayer Breakfast isn't a campaign rally. Mocking prayer, gatekeeping who is faithful based on their vote & treating salvation as business deal isn't Christianity . Here's a Republican President on character & faith.

[The Tennessee Holler @TheTNHoller]

WATCH — @rep_jackson at the National Prayer Breakfast: "We pray (Trump) would be mindful of the poor, and that he would be invested in the alleviation of suffering on farms in the Midwest, and in the families preparing to bury their loved ones in Minneapolis."

[Gary Smit @GSmit4Character]

My primary concern isn't just about politics; it’s about the witness of the Church. If we remain silent about conduct that is vengeful, arrogant, or untruthful, we tell the world that our allegiance to a political party is stronger than our allegiance to the character of Jesus.

[Michael Wear @MichaelRWear]

I've attended the National Prayer Breakfast for much of the past two decades. I staffed the President and worked on his speech there for four years. I wrote extensively about the breakfast in my first book. One purpose of the Breakfast in history has been to position presidents and political leaders in such a way that they are humbled--their remarks typically focused on ways they fell short, the nation's reliance on grace that politics and politicians can't provide, etc.

Not until this president has someone gone to the breakfast to make so much of himself, and so little of God. And he does it every year. These aren't policy disagreements. These aren't differences resulting from Church-State separation. This is Donald Trump going to a convening that has a central focus on the power of relationship with Jesus as the transformative force in the world, and he uses that opportunity to make light of prayer and suggest he'll go to heaven because he's earned his way in. He goes to a convening built on the premise that Jesus transcends all divides in society, including partisan ones, and says an entire group of people *who are specifically recruited and asked to be in the room and on the program* actually do not belong there. Like he did at a memorial service for one of his most prominent supporters, in previous years he's gone to the breakfast to directly contradict Jesus' teachings on loving your enemies.

During the Clinton years, the Clintons sat on the dais while Mother Teresa lovingly confronted him on the issue of abortion. Now, people sit at their own breakfast while this president mocks their deepest beliefs to their face. And he tells them they love it. He tells them they're lucky to have him.

[Gary Winslett 🌐🇺🇸 @GaryWinslett]

There’s a lot that David Brooks has written that I don’t agree with. But this is 100% spot-on and powerfully stated.

[Don Winslow @donwinslow]

They tried so hard to suppress this video today.

But because of YOU, it is now TRENDING.

Please RETWEET and QUOTE TWEET this important video reminding us all WHO WE WERE BEFORE TRUMP

[Gary Smit @GSmit4Character]

Research confirms what we already know: relational trust is essential to school success. We work with people of integrity, listen to those we respect, and invest where we feel cared for—so why wouldn’t character matter in our schools and communities? #charactercounts

[Gary Smit @GSmit4Character]

@MatthewBerryTMR @NFL This follows the live thinking of the fans in Section 222 on Saturday night

[Gary Smit @GSmit4Character]

The ethical school leader realizes integrity is paramount. Be trustworthy. Follow through. Say what you mean & don’t make promises you can’t keep. When you make a mistake, honestly admit it knowing that the easiest way to eat crow is while it’s still warm. #charactercounts

[Gary Smit @GSmit4Character]

Investing in the ethical climate of a school or district is not only the right thing to do—it’s the smart thing to do. A school’s culture is built over time through the daily actions, decisions & values modeled by principals, teachers & support staff. #charactercounts #culture

[Gary Smit @GSmit4Character]

As a school administrator, it’s easy to get caught up in the pace of the job, but you can’t afford to let your leadership style outrun your core values. To be a leader who truly matters, you have to stay anchored to your moral compass. #charactercounts

[Gary Smit @GSmit4Character]

Just as importantly, culture is also defined by the poorest behavior a leader is willing to tolerate. When something is allowed to continue, it quietly sends a message. In the end, what you condone, you own. #charactercounts