By MIKE MAGEE

My father and Arnold Palmer had rather a lot in frequent – and none of it needed to do with golf. They have been each spiritual males and lived into their eighties. My father was Catholic and Arnold Palmer was Presbyterian. However on the day Palmer died (September 25, 2016), Benedictine Archabbot Douglas R. Nowicki of St. Vincent's Archabbey in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, stood at his bedside.

Nowicki and Palmer's friendship dates again half a century. He and his spouse typically attended Sunday Mass at 7:30 am within the abbey.

At Palmer's dying, the Benedictine monk stated, “Arnie spoke to everybody. There have been no obstacles, race, colour, creed – these have been issues that by no means crossed his thoughts. He welcomed everybody and handled everybody with monumental heat and respect.”

However eight years and a month after his dying, Palmer's daughter, Peg Palmer Wears, felt compelled to stand up and defend her father's honor. On the Latrobe airport named after him, Donald Trump (in line with FOX Information) “mentioned the golf legend's masculinity and the way different gamers would react to Palmer within the rain.” In an try and relate to the native crowd, Trump particularly stated, “He was all man. This man was so robust and hard, and I refused to say it, however when he was within the bathe with the opposite execs, they bought out of there; they stated, 'Oh my God, that's unimaginable.'”

The response from his daughter, a registered unbiased from North Carolina, was swift. She branded his phrases “disrespectful” and “inappropriate”… “by appropriating somebody he admires to reinforce his personal picture, folks deserve higher.” Her phrases in protection of her father, who was not there to talk for himself, have been paying homage to my sister Sue's eulogy to our father. It centered on the values ​​and qualities in him that she admired: honesty, arduous work, compassion, integrity, humility, kindness and love for others.

At a memorable occasion in church on the day of our father's funeral, Sue stated:He taught us honesty. I used to be somewhat lady when my father first impressed upon me the significance of honesty. He informed me a narrative about his personal childhood. He had gone to the store and when he paid the shopkeeper there was some doubt concerning the quantity of change he needed to pay. He stated extra. The shopkeeper was uncertain, however took Dad at his phrase, for he stated, “He'd by no means seen Invoice Magee inform a lie.” He ended that story by saying to me, 'There’s nothing extra essential than honesty. Individuals could not at all times like what it’s important to say, but when they will imagine you they are going to at all times belief you.' That was a lesson Dad discovered many times. His private honesty and integrity have been impeccable.”

I imagine my sister Sue and Peg would agree. Sue stated of our father, “He labored arduous. He was a person with coronary heart. He was a gentleman.” In Mr. Palmer's protection, Peg stated a lot the identical factor. When requested what her father would have thought if he have been alive to listen to Trump's feedback, she stated, “He would have thought 'He's not as good as we thought he was' and walked out of the room.” What would my father consider Donald Trump at this time? I feel he's cringing.”

Each my father and Arnold Palmer have been lifelong Republicans, conservatives, served within the navy, have been nice admirers of Ronald Reagan and attended Catholic Sunday Plenty. However I imagine they have been additionally sensible sufficient to know that no coverage acquire—on federal funding of personal colleges, or restrictions on abortion and contraception, or decrease taxes, or conservative Supreme Courtroom justices—would ever be sufficient rationalization to justify a ​sign to an evil and dishonest man like Trump that the qualities he embodies are acceptable to America.

Trump should be surrounded by an unlimited sea of ​​MAGA hats that admirers put on for affirmation. How reverse from the person whose title he took in useless final week. In distinction, Archabbot Nowicki recalled a go to to Mr. Palmer at Bay Hill Golf Membership in Orlando, Florida, as follows: “He had given certainly one of our farewell speeches. He spoke concerning the significance of decorum. He stated, 'Which means while you enter a room, you are taking off your hat.'” On the membership, a person “got here into the eating room and had his hat on. Arnie stated to him very kindly, “Would you please take off your hat?” He had respect for folks.”

If Invoice Magee and Arnold Palmer have been alive at this time, I don't suppose they might ever vote for Trump – By no means, By no means, By no means!

Mike Magee MD is a medical historian and common contributor to THCB. He’s the writer of CODE BLUE: Inside America's Medical Industrial Advanced (Grove/2020).