Mr. Trump’s most potent social injury

Police officers walk in the parking lot of Timberview High School after a shooting inside the school in Arlington, Tex., on Oct. 6. (LM Otero/AP)

Regarding the Oct. 31 front-page article “Return to school brings fights, guns, acting out”:

The upsurge in student violence should not shock or surprise anyone. Students have not forgotten how to behave or lost their interpersonal skills. Children and adolescents learn by observing those in whom they have confidence, typically their parents. 

Our recent president ushered in a new social tolerance and endorsement of aggression under the guise of patriotism. It should be no surprise that young people are embracing the role models whom they observe unfortunately engaging in hostility, confrontation and a belief in the relativity of truth. This can be observed daily on airplanes, in road rage, in our community gatherings and now in our schools. This may well prove to be the most potent injury that former president Donald Trump has inflicted upon the United States.

Cynthia Favret, Williamsburg