Object Lesson: Plagiarism is WRONG

 

You’d have to be mole not have heard or read about how Melania Trump plagiarized from Michelle Obama’s speech at the Democratic National Convention in 2008. Melania’s quickly become the butt of many jokes, including, “I want to thank my speech writers, Cut & Paste.”

As a teacher and journalist, I take the issue of plagiarism very seriously. I taught my students how to write in their own words and follow the practice meticulously as a writer. College students must sign ethic statements vowing academic integrity and must use on-line programs to verify that their work is their own. Plagiarism or cheating, can result in expulsion from school.

Academics, including some prominent historians have been accused of plagiarism and have had to apologize, diminishing their  credibility.

Yet, here’s the wife of the presumed Republican nominee, engaging in outright plagiarism in a national forum. She and her writers  should be ashamed.

Let’s take this as another example of how careless and dangerous this potential leader could be. Here’s one of my favorite reminders:

Let’s not be complacent. Get out the Vote.