Originally posted on August 9th, 2016.
m/Oppenheim was founded to support admirable people who strengthen civil society by helping others. Central to both our executive search work and our media coverage for nonprofits, is our singular focus on values and results. We work in the reddest of red states for proudly conservative clients, and we work in the bluest of blue states for proudly liberal clients. As a business serving social-good causes, we care not a whit for political parties. We do care about positive impact. Our clients embrace this – it’s all about values and impact, not partisan politics.
This brings us to Donald Trump’s campaign to become President of the United States.
Trump has attacked and mocked and insulted, sometimes subtly and sometimes explicitly, people who form part of the backbone of American civil society. He has maligned and encouraged his followers to attack: women, the disabled and disadvantaged, people of color, people of Latino/Hispanic heritage, African Americans, those of the Muslim faith, military war heroes and the families of those who serve and have died for America … not to mention that he lionizes tyrants and has said some truly frightening things that display a shocking level of ignorance of American values and our rights, place in the world, civic society and our country’s magnificent diversity.
His words are so antithetical to our own values at m/Oppenheim, that we have decided we must take a stand against election of this man. Engaging as a business collective in electoral politics is unfamiliar territory for us, and we don’t expect to be doing this again.
Regardless of how we classify ourselves individually – as liberal, conservative, independent, progressive, republican, democrat, libertarian, green partier – all Americans must repudiate this man’s words and his shifting, dangerous, ignorant positions. Shame on those public figures or influencers of our political process who fail to stand and unequivocally repudiate what Trump has said against other Americans. No matter our political affiliation or disdain for other candidates and parties, we must not tolerate such behavior… and it certainly does not belong in the White House.
Mark Oppenheim