7 January—Love a Mensch Week begins today. Mensch is the German word for man. More to the point, though, it’s the Yiddish word for a good person, a person of integrity and honor.That’s the mensch celebrated this week.

By any and every stretch of the imagination, Donald Trump is not a mensch. Never was, is not now, never will be. Were he a mensch, even if he really had been unaware of the video of the Obamas as apes (which, given his inveterate, well-documented mendacity is highly unlikely), he’d have apologized for it—if only because the buck stops with him. Then again, Donald Trump never apologizes. Bullies never do.

The simian depiction of the Obamas may have been offensive—and, given the unquestionably offensive nature of Trump’s horde of flunkies, it likely was intended to be offensive—even in the context of a jungle. But the depiction of Trump as king of the jungle is even more offensive—if entirely appropriate, considering his bullying, tyrannical behavior.

Moreover, editorial—a euphemism for political—cartoonists of all persuasions depict their targets every bit as offensively as the Obamas as apes every day. In fact, the cleverest, most popular political cartoonists are the most offensive—and, truth be told, the most disgusting—ones. They’re just plain nasty, but they get their points across very effectively. And that’s what they’re all about.

Back to Donald Trump, then, he’s not a mensch, but neither is he a racist. At least he’s no more a racist or bigot than anybody else. On the other hand, who among us—even the most liberal, unbigoted, broadminded, idealistic altruist—hasn’t at one time or another communicated, joked, or at least thought what would normally be considered at least by some to be offensive and bigoted?

Shame on us . . .