It can begin with a simple question, asked in little moments of decision: “Given my role here, what should I be doing?” As a parent or a neighbor, a pastor or a congregant, an employer or an employee, a teacher or a student, a legislator or a citizen, how should I act in this situation? We ask that question to recover relational responsibility.

A failure to ask that question — and so to accept the obligations that come with whatever positions and privileges we have in our lives — is behind many of the most significant problems we face. It’s why so many of our fellow Americans have been left feeling that our institutions have failed to treat them like human beings.

Bingo. As a member of congress, is it right for me to tweet this? As a youth sports coach, is it appropriate for me to lose my temper? As the parent of a child, is it right for me to bad talk the teacher? etc. People used to join institutions to be formed by them, now we join them to use them as platforms. I didn't join the Marines to use the Marines to accomplish my goals, I joined the Marines to be a Marine, and they used me to accomplish their goals (which I knew going in). How many members of congress, or state government, or local government, do you feel like ran to serve that institution and care about it?

Trump, of course, is the best worst example here. Has he been shaped at all by the presidency? Or does he only see it as a thing to serve him? I think the answer is obvious, but don't take my word for it - just read his tweets.