While we discuss what can we do to stop the carnage known as Donald Trump, I believe it starts with disassociating from friends and family if they continue to support him and his policies. This is not easy and obviously open to debate, but that is what I have done with my parents.
The impact can be two-fold, I acknowledge this, but I will no longer be one of the “good Germans.” My last name is Scholl and that carries with it a very rich history during WWII and the rise of Hitler.
See Sophie Scholl: en.wikipedia.org/…
If it is asking too much for you to no longer communicate with loved ones and friends who continue to support Trump and his policies, then don’t. I will no longer.
I wrote this letter to my parents in August of last year. Since then I have followed up to gauge their support of Trump and they continue on their path of ignorance. This week I informed them they would no longer be able to contact my children. This is the least I can do.
Letter to my parents dated 8/28/2017:
Dear Mom and Dad,
I love you both. I love the United States of America. I understand the privilege I had being raised upper middle class and having two loving parents. I also understand the privilege of having been born a US citizen and having been afforded many opportunities because of the framework established by our country’s founders. We truly do live in a Great Country. It is because of our freedom that was provided by the deaths and burdens shouldered by veterans and that of their loved ones that we all enjoy what this awesome nation embraces and signifies to the world.
There is one day that was memorialized in my brain as a young boy that has definitively shaped me as an adult. Honestly, I have few memories prior to 10 years old that were so striking and vivid, but I remember this day. Our family arrived at the McDonald’s corporate picnic on a summer day. I assume it was near Naperville as that is where we lived, but I imagine it could have been any suburb of Chicago. I remember it being a beautiful day with the bluest of skies. Most importantly I remember what occurred at that summer picnic full of corporate executives from McDonald’s.
When we arrived, I recall being impacted by the number of families in attendance. I’m sure I was also focused on the number of children there as we walked through the dozens of picnic tables. What little boy doesn’t assess the crowd looking to find potential playmates? What I didn’t immediately notice: the dearth of minority families. This isn’t a knock on McDonald’s just a post analysis of what I remember. Then comes the moment that helped shaped this now adult.
After gathering our burgers and related picnic style food, you both directed us to a table that was half-occupied by one family. This family was African American. Children are adept at identifying differences. While there were many long picnic tables full of multiple white families there was one obvious table that was half-occupied. Once again, this isn’t a measure or indictment on the other families in attendance or McDonald’s. This was an observation from a young boy. We sat at that table with that African American family even after passing a few tables where Dad’s colleagues had asked us to join.
It is now as a parent that I understand what you intended to do. You both wished to ensure this family felt comfortable and welcomed at the picnic and surely saw an opportunity to teach your three young boys something important. As a parent, I get it. I also seek out opportunities to teach my children about empathy and to most importantly teach them that they shall embrace all people and especially those of color. You understood then and I understand now, because of your parenting, it is because of our country’s grand diversity that made and makes our nation strong, that makes us continuously Great.
There was a discussion after we left that picnic and it is this post picnic dialogue that made an imprint on me. You didn’t leave it up to us three boys to dissect or to interpret your actions that day. You saw an opportunity as two great parents to edify what you probably recognized correctly as three privileged kids growing up upper middle class in Naperville, IL. You told us that you chose to sit and discourse with that family because it was important to ensure they felt welcomed. You also communicated to us that no matter the color of a person that we should always treat them equally. This memorialization has stuck with me through adulthood because of the manner with which and the seriousness you both took in discussing why it was the right thing to do, not the obligatory thing to do.
I also recall other instances when Dad found the right opportunity to educate us about race. While Dad has rarely spoken about his courageous service in Vietnam with his children, it is interesting that what is most impactful to me is one theme in his recollections: of the greater than 58,000 thousand Americans who died in fighting on behalf of our country, there are people of all colors, there are people of all religions, there are people of all ethnicities. It is because of their sacrifice here and that of their families that we treat everyone equally. If purposeful or not, this is what I remember most about Dad and his service in Vietnam. I also have no doubt that this is what he believes in his heart. His brothers in courage have no color, they simply share a bond in uniform, regardless of the skin color beneath.
It is now that I must say that I am deeply saddened and disappointed. I don’t and won’t assume to understand your feelings or positions as it relates to Donald Trump. I will, however, share with you my opinion of the 45th President of the United States. I will be blunt. He is a racist and an anti-Semite. I will now share with you the basis on which I have formed this opinion. I will use as many quotes as possible to ensure there is no opportunity to mistake fact from belief. Here are some other adjectives and traits that I also believe represent our current President: selfish, apathetic, ignorant, unpatriotic, arrogant, immature, and traitorous.
Mom, in one of your texts you had mentioned that you should not have to debate politics with your children. I am not purporting to debate politics with you. While concerned about the political decisions and strategies of Trump and his administration, I am debating something larger: humanity. I disagreed with President Bush, but I understood him to be a man of integrity and good intentions. I can’t say the same for Trump. He is motivated by all of man’s worst impetuses. He began his Presidency by providing momentum to the idea of birtherism, which is simply racist and dog whistles to all the white supremacists and bigots in the US.
Regardless of your opinion of President Obama, the good people of the US should have embraced the election of Barack Obama (most did). He is our first black President. Republican or Democrat this is bigger than politics. We, as a people, elected a black man with an Arabic middle name. Donald Trump saw an opportunity to wink at all the racists by tweeting and saying things like this, "He doesn't have a birth certificate, or if he does, there's something on that certificate that is very bad for him. Now, somebody told me -- and I have no idea if this is bad for him or not, but perhaps it would be -- that where it says 'religion,' it might have 'Muslim.' And if you're a Muslim, you don't change your religion, by the way."
I see a lot of nods to racists and Islamophobic types in that statement. He also said, “I have people that have been studying [Obama's birth certificate] and they cannot believe what they're finding ... I would like to have him show his birth certificate, and can I be honest with you, I hope he can. Because if he can't, if he can't, if he wasn't born in this country, which is a real possibility ... then he has pulled one of the great cons in the history of politics." He also said this, "An 'extremely credible source' has called my office and told me that @BarackObama's birth certificate is a fraud."
He uses words like a con-artist. In this con, I see his voters as the mark. His own word, “…somebody told me” or “…I have no idea if this is bad for him or not..” and “…if he was wasn’t born in this country…”. He uses qualifiers to ensure he always leaves himself a position to back away from an argument. It wasn’t him who was saying this, but it was someone else and he’s just repeating it. He isn’t sure if it’s bad for him or not, but he’s saying it anyway and winking that is indeed bad for Obama. It’s gross and trademark language for grifters and conmen. If he was strong, he’d stick with his position on Obama, but he hasn’t. He’s conveniently never mentioned the fake birth certificate again. His 70 years of existence don’t show evidence of someone willing to let this go for the good of the nation either.
Donald Trump never, conveniently for him, produced any forged birth certificate. In fact, this is what his team released during the last days of his campaign, “Mr. Trump believes that President Obama was born in the United States," the campaign conceded, a gesture meant to end questions -- which have bubbled up again in the past weeks -- surrounding Republican nominee's role in advancing a fiction meant to delegitimize the first African-American commander in chief.” At worst, he stoked the fire of racism to his advantage in seeking the Republican nomination and at best he’s just another “politician” who lies. He also has tried to have it both ways. While his campaign released the statement, he has never publicly stated the same. He is weak. Be a man and own up to either position publicly. He won’t because he’d rather wink and nod his way to keeping the alt-right base (Nazis).
Trump went further in his bigotry towards Obama. He tweeted 27 times about Barack Obama golfing during his Presidency. Once again, this was another attempt to dog whistle and wink at his racist supporters. It was to define and highlight President Obama as a lazy black man. He tweeted things like, “Can you believe that,with all of the problems and difficulties facing the U.S., President Obama spent the day playing golf.Worse than Carter” and “Obama's mind, IsIs, ebola, etc.... and then thinking, boy I wish I was on the golf coarse. What should I wear on the Links". Since Trump has taken office, a little more than seven months, he has visited a golf club 55 times as of this writing. It is confirmed that he has golfed at least 23 times during those visits. He has cost the taxpayers of the US, not him or course, $62 million in protection expenses during this time. You see to him, and many of his alt-right supporters, it’s bad for a black President to golf, but for him it’s OK – he’s entitled. Some Americans are working two jobs and this guy is barely working 40 hours a week while trying to Make America Great Again. Shit, he had his daughter of all people sit in on a meeting of world leaders because he was too tired. He’s weak and lazy.
"He's not a war hero," Trump said. "He's a war hero because he was captured. I like people that weren't captured." Donald Trump said these words about John McCain. Obviously, I don’t have to tell you or Dad that John McCain is indeed a war hero. This was Trump’s response to McCain ostensibly attacking him. I can’t imagine a world where either of you would be proud of me if I publicly stated the same about any Vietnam war veteran, notwithstanding a veteran who was a POW for 5 years. If Barack Obama said this about Sen. McCain, you would correctly believe that Barack was unfit to serve as commander-in-chief. Recently and after McCain was diagnosed with a brain tumor, his press secretary was asked if the President regrets saying that McCain was not a war hero. Her response, “I’m not sure about that.” You see this President sees admitting fault as a weakness. He can’t even utter the most basic three words, “I am sorry.” So, I again take Trump at his own words. He doesn’t regret and therefore continues to believe that McCain wasn’t a war hero because he got caught. That’s pathetic and weak.
“It’s amazing, I can’t even believe it. I’ve been so lucky in terms of that whole world, it is a dangerous world out there. It’s like Vietnam, sort of. It is my personal Vietnam. I feel like a great and very brave solider,” Trump said in the interview when asked how he handled making sure he wasn’t contracting STDs from the women he was sleeping with. Donald Trump never served in Vietnam. In fact, he received 5 deferments. Attacking a Vietnam war hero like McCain was not enough. This is Donald Trump in his own words about some Iraq veterans. “How about bringing baskets of money, millions and millions of dollars, and handing it out,” Trump yelled. “I want to know who were the soldiers that had that job, ’cause I think they’re living well right now, whoever they may be.” In my opinion, this isn’t a surprising take from Trump considering he has spent years spiking the football on his being “right” about the Iraq war.
"Obviously the war in Iraq was a big, fat mistake," Trump said, launching into a fierce critique of rival Jeb Bush's brother. "George Bush made a mistake," the billionaire continued. "Obviously we can make mistakes, but that one was a beauty. We should have never been in Iraq," Trump added. "They lied, they said there were weapons of mass destruction. There were none and they knew that there were none." I bet there are many Iraq war veterans and widows who take offense to Trump here.
He is stating that President Bush lied to go to a war that has resulted in the deaths of almost 4,500 American servicemen and women. This doesn’t account for all the veterans obviously wounded there and suffering from PTSD at home today. Trump is saying that the commander-in-chief lied to go to war. I don’t even take this position. I don’t see how stating that our government lied to us to go to war is patriotic and how that Makes America Great Again. In my opinion, it does however go to serve Trump and his insatiable need to appear right by his marks – even at the expense of the returned and returning Iraq War veterans. He’s selfish and truly not a patriot.
Please picture me and thousands of liberals waiting for returning Iraq War veterans at their hometown airports with signs saying, “You were lied to. The Iraq war was a mistake and George Bush lied to you.” Would you be proud of your son? What would you say to those participating in such an activity? I’m unsure how Donald Trump high-fiving himself every chance he gets about being right about the Iraq War makes him a suitable commander-in-chief. It does make himself feel better obviously. I’m unsure how it makes the homeless veteran on the corner in Seattle after having returned to Joint Base Lewis McChord feel. Not sure if this helps him recover faster knowing that the current President thinks their service was all for not because Trump says it was a mistake of “beauty.” Trump lacks any sort of empathy.
In response to a Gold Star Family speaking at the DNC, Donald Trump had this say, “"I saw him," Trump said of the speech. "He was very emotional and probably looked like a nice guy to me. His wife … if you look at his wife, she was standing there. She had nothing to say. She probably, maybe she wasn't allowed to have anything to say. You tell me," Trump continued. "But a plenty of people have written that. She was extremely quiet, and it looked like she had nothing to say. A lot of people have said that." See that there again? Grifter language, “…plenty of people have written that.”
He’s not saying it, but other people are and he’ll take the opportunity to repeat not-so-subtle Islamophobic language as it’s obviously a jab at her religion. Donald Trump couldn’t say the words, “I’m sorry for their loss and their son is an indeed a hero and served our country with courage and valor.” Nope, he felt attacked and thus had to attack a Gold Star Family. This doesn’t make him strong. No, it makes him an asshole and lacking in any compassion. If I said anything remotely close to the words that Trump chose to any Gold Star Family, would you be proud of me? His attack on this family was an affront to all families of Iraq War veterans and surely didn’t help troop morale considering all the Muslims currently defending our great nation here and abroad.
"I know more about ISIS [the Islamic State militant group] than the generals do. Believe me." So, Donald Trump knows more about military tactics and strategy than the generals? He said as much. I’m guessing he learned more at military school during adolescence than what the generals learn at the War College considering he also said this, “I always felt like I was in the military. (I got) more training militarily than a lot of the guys that go into the military.” Once again, he’s the smartest, richest, and toughest guy any person will meet. I can’t find one time that Trump has acknowledged he surrounds himself with employees or peers that are smarter than him about any subject. That is not smart nor is it strong. It’s a sign of weakness and astounding arrogance.
“That makes me smart.” Donald Trump said famously in response to not paying federal income taxes. He also has said, “Well, that would make me smart,' because tax is a big payment. But a lot of people say, 'That's the kind of thinking that I want running this nation.” So, the guy who got 5 deferments from Vietnam service and thinks that some Iraq War veterans are living high on the hog because of the cash they stole while serving abroad, thinks not paying any federal income tax makes him smart. Nope, it makes him selfish. The self-aggrandizing billionaire Donald Trump thinks that paying his fair share would make him dumb like the rest of us. I think that makes the guy who has literally sacrificed zero for this nation a self-absorbed prick. He’s so rich, as he likes to tell everybody, that during our country’s longest serving war, the War in Afghanistan, he sees no need to at least pay some money to pay for all the services needed for the returning veterans. Once again, this act isn’t smart, it’s selfish.
O'Reilly pressed on, declaring to the president that “Putin is a killer.” “There are a lot of killers. We have a lot of killers,” Trump said. “Well, you think our country is so innocent?” This is Trump defending Putin – again. Worse, he is attacking our own country. He’s equating our country to that of Russia. Do you think Ronald Reagan would have ever compared our country’s history and position within the world to that of Russia? "How stupid are the people of Iowa?" Donald Trump asked after seeing his polling dip in Iowa during the primaries. "I won New Hampshire because New Hampshire is a drug-infested den," Trump said to the Mexican President. “I just fired the head of the F.B.I. He was crazy, a real nut-job. I faced great pressure because of Russia. Now that’s off.” This is Trump speaking to Russian officials meeting him in the White House. Trump normalizes Putin and at that same time lowers the stature of our country in comparing it to that of Russia. He attacks the people of Iowa as dumb and the people of New Hampshire as drug addicts. He tells the Russians that the American FBI head is crazy and real-nut job. Sorry, what I see is a dude who likes to brag at the expense of Americans and America. I struggle understanding how one can love America when he clearly has such disdain for Americans.
“We are wondering why President Trump has not tweeted about this,” Asad Zaman, director of the Muslim American Society of Minnesota, told BuzzFeed News. “He seems to want to tweet about security and terror issues.” A makeshift bomb tore through a Minnesota mosque on August 5th, 2017. President Trump has still not condemned this act of terrorism on US soil. While it took him hours to denounce the terrorist act committed in Spain, he has still said nothing as it relates to this act of terrorism against a place of worship here in our own country. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that our President is Islamophobic. If one believes he’s trying to heal the nation from the division created by Obama (as his supporters believe), he surely has a funny way of showing it.
After Trump confirmed that he would set up a database for Muslim-Americans, an NBC reporter asked him point blank: "Is there a difference between requiring Muslims to register and Jews in Nazi Germany?" A clearly annoyed Trump at first refused to respond, but then told the reporter, "You tell me," and walked away. Trump’s Muslim ban, conveniently for him, bans Muslims from only six countries: Syria, Iran, Libya, Sudan, Yemen, and Somalia. There were 19 hijackers on 9/11. 15 of the 19 were from Saudi Arabia, 2 were from United Arab Emirates, and one each were from Egypt and Lebanon. None of these countries are on the Muslim ban list. While his list was just more red meat for the Islamophobic types, it clearly is meaningless. Citizens of Saudi Arabia have financed and purchased real estate belonging to the Trump family for decades. This was not a list to keep America safe, but just another attempt to divide the US. What’s this say to Muslim-Americans living in the US and serving our country in the armed forces?
“Jews will not replace us.” These were the chants by the Nazi participants at the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va. These Nazi-Americans like to refer to themselves as the alt-right today. They are Nazis and nothing more. I urge you to watch news from those participating in this rally in Virginia in the year 2017: https://news.vice.com/story/vice-news-tonight-full-episode-charlottesville-race-and-terror. Trump said there had been some “very good people” rallying with “a permit” by a statue of Robert E. Lee in Charlottesville. The President of the United States is normalizing Nazis. I would love to find quotes from Winston Churchill or Gen. Patton that said there were good Nazis. I am sure they don’t exist. Trump went to great lengths to defend the Nazi-American participants within an American city carrying and wearing insignia of the Nazi Party. I can’t imagine that the WWII Veterans today would think Americans carrying and wearing the insignia of an army they battled makes those participants patriotic and surely not “very good people.” President Trump said this about the events in Virginia, “I think there I blame on both sides.” Weak. Who in the hell frames Nazis as partially to blame for anything? I can only think of those in the Nazi Party and Trump. This isn’t an arduous task. Nazis are bad and Americans who come together to resist their bigotry are right.
These asshole Americans are white supremacists and anti-Semites. They are not good people. As Virginia is an open-carry state, these wanna-be military types walked around in desert style BDU’s carrying AR-15’s and various semi-automatic firearms. Those participating in this march were providing Nazi salutes to each other and saying, “Heil Hitler!”. Once again, I’m not sure how Americans carrying the flag of an army that our country defeated doesn’t offend not only veterans from WWII, but any veteran of the armed forces. I would never imagine wearing the insignia of the Viet Cong or to praise their dead leaders. The President has given these alt-right pricks the ascension it has desired. He is making them human. As a Scholl, it’s unconscionable that Trump would equate those protesting Nazi-Americans to the actual Nazis. In the view of similar thinking Germans, Sophie Scholl was also an instigator and was thereto executed for rightfully trying to inform her fellow citizens of the true acts and intentions of their government. History will not be kind to Trump nor should it be. In fact, world leaders were far more reaching in their words in denouncing the actual instigators in Charlottesville – the Nazis and not those protesting them.
Senator Todd Young of Indiana, a freshman Republican wrote, “This is simple: we must condemn and marginalize white supremacist groups, not encourage and embolden them.” Seems this Republican Senator gets it and the President does not. Even members of the military understood the havoc the President was creating by being weak on Nazis and white supremacists. The Marine Corps commandant, General Robert Neller, said this after the President spoke, “no place for racial hatred or extremism in USMC. Our core values of Honor, Courage, and Commitment frame the way Marines live and act.” In fact 5 of the Joint Chiefs of Staff felt the need to make or publish statements after the President showed weakness against Nazis and white supremacists. The Chief of Naval Operations tweeted, “Events in Charlottesville unacceptable & musnt be tolerated US Navy forever stands against intolerance and hatred.” It’s sad that military leaders had to curtail obvious and potential morale issues because the commander-in-chief is unwilling to do the right thing because it might impact his position with his base of alt-right Nazis.
“Thousands of Counter-Protesters March Against White Nationalism in Boston a Week After Charlottesville” This is the title from an article in Time Magazine on August 19th, 2017. Most major newspapers shared a similar themed title regarding the free speech rally held in Boston during that same week. This was a rally for White supremacists. The racists barely had 20 participants show up. Those protesting the Nazis numbered greater than ten thousand. That’s awesome and shows the world that America will not allow these knuckleheads to take us backwards. The President, however, had a different take. He tweeted this about the rally, "Looks like many anti-police agitators in Boston. Police are looking tough and smart! Thank you,". You see to the President the problem, once again, wasn’t the actual Nazi-Americans showing up, but it was those protesting fascism who were the problem. He can’t acknowledge to his alt-right base (Nazis) that he’s against them. So, he tries to frame the good guys as the bad guys. It’s pathetic and weak. It’s not hard to denounce racism and anti-Semites, but for some reason this President has a real tough time doing so.
I believe great leaders have an insatiable need to learn and to acquire more information. Trump is not one of those leaders. He doesn’t read and appears to be bored with detail. It’s unfortunate for our country that he hasn’t taken an interest in our own country’s history at a minimum. After Charlottesville, the President said this, “So this week it's Robert E. Lee," Trump told reporters. "I notice that Stonewall Jackson's coming down," he added, referring to another famous Confederate commander. "I wonder: Is it George Washington next week, and is it Thomas Jefferson the week after?" Trump said. "You know, you really do have to ask yourself — where does it stop? Well, no, George Washington was a slave owner," Trump replied. "Was George Washington a slave owner?" To Trump and his white supremacist supporters this is the debate now. It’s no longer about Nazis and bigots, but it’s about statues. Nope, it’s not. It’s about the history of those individuals and what they represent.
If Trump cared enough about America then he would invest time to understand our rich history and that includes the good, the bad, and the ugly. Slavery and the Civil War was obviously a challenging time for our nation, but we survived and are better for it. To try and equate our first President (Washington) with a citizen who took arms to fight our nation is beyond the pale and lacks any understanding of the Civil War. This isn’t about slavery, but it is indeed about racism and you can’t scratch the surface of this subject within the US without first acknowledging one fact: The Civil War was about slavery and only slavery – period. Don’t believe me then I would suggest reading the articles of secession from the state of South Carolina, the first state to secede. The declaration stated the primary reasoning behind South Carolina's declaring of secession from the U.S., which was described as "increasing hostility on the part of the non-slaveholding States to the Institution of Slavery". Trump is literally regurgitating lines used by white supremacists and secessionist revisionists for over a century. If is he isn’t a racist then he surely sounds like one.
When he goes on days later to call these statues of secessionist heroes as “beautiful” he is winking at his racist supporters. If not, then why use such an adjective when describing these relics of the past. I’m not here to debate the South and their history, but I am trying to make a point. If the President is trying to heal the wounds of the past and of the divisions of his predecessor (as many of his supporters believe) then how does this help? If it’s not supposed to help and it’s about retribution or making things right for the aggrieved white party, then I can’t help. I can say that his position here is awful and weak. It’s not hard to speak to the history of these statutes and their meaning to some Americans without also offending many other Americans. He has purposefully inserted himself into a discussion about Nazis and white supremacists because he either believes he needs them or he is one of them.
"Members of the alliance must finally contribute their fair share and meet their financial obligations," Trump told the heads of state, who stood silently -- some shifting uncomfortably -- behind him. “Twenty-three of the 28 member nations are still not paying what they should be paying and what they are supposed to be paying for their defense. This is not fair to the people and taxpayers of the United States," he said. He did not promise the US would do the same should a NATO ally come under attack. Article 5 of the Washington Treaty states that collective defense means that an attack against one Ally is considered an attack against all allies. Trump did not promise to sustain this portion of the treaty. He is the first President to do so and is weak.
Article 5 has only been used once since its inception. It was invoked after 9/11/2001. Our allies collectively came to support our nation after those terrorist attacks. This is the only time it has been raised. NATO countries have sacrificed over 1,200 of their citizens in fulfilling their obligation to Article 5 while supporting our nation during Operation Enduring Freedom and ISAF. President Trump doesn’t understand real sacrifice. Only a self-absorbed douche could say he is smart for not paying federal taxes and therein not supporting our troops while lambasting countries who sacrificed souls in defending the US after 9/11. Who do you think would love for NATO to be weakened? Russia. They would surely love this while they encroach on the boarders of former Soviet bloc countries. What kind of asshole lies about fiduciary responsibilities to a bunch of counties who fulfilled their obligation with something more valuable than money? Want to know how many lives Russia lost while supporting us in our fight in Afghanistan and Iraq? Zero. Nada. Zip.
“Fake news.” Trump’s mantra about attacking the free press is the first refuge of despots and dictators, which isn’t so surprising considering the only individuals he chooses to never attack are dictators and despots. Many US citizens forget there is a 1st Amendment on their way to rallying behind the 2nd Amendment. Freedom of the press is what makes us a great nation. It’s easy to imagine why North Koreans wish death to the US and others. Their only source of information is from their government. If they only had a true free press they could read about issues and about the US and form their own opinion. Trump calling the ‘mainstream media’ fake news isn’t strong or leader like – it’s grifter, conman, and dictator language.
So, the news about Trump is disheartening to him every morning. Guess what? Life isn’t fair. Grow a pair and pull up your pants in the morning like every other American and stop complaining. It’s child-like, but it’s effective and thus why it’s been used by dictators for centuries. If the only news you trust is from Trump’s mouth then it’s tough for him to be wrong about anything. By design, I filled my screed here with quotes from Trump. What I have written isn’t “fake news” but rather it’s his own words. This is who he is without filtration. Sure, I provided some commentary, but I am simply underlining his own communiques. It’s not fake news to say that he attacked a Gold Star Family, John McCain, and Iraq War veterans. It’s not fake news to say that he’s a racist or an anti-Semite when he chooses words to support Nazis. It’s not fake news to say that he indeed prefers Putin as person over most Americans considering he has never said anything derogatory to the former but has had plenty to say about the latter. Once again, how does he love America when he hates so many Americans.
“I heard poorly rated @Morning_Joe speaks badly of me (don’t watch anymore). Then how come low I.Q. Crazy Mika, along with Psycho Joe, came to Mar-a-Lago 3 nights in a row around New Year’s Eve, and insisted on joining me. She was bleeding badly from a face-lift. I said no!” Trump wrote in a pair of tweets. The President of the United States released these statements via Twitter in June 2017. So, the guy who is Making America Great Again feels so threatened by two journalists that this is where he spends his time. Instead of tweeting about veterans or tax reform, he takes time out of his schedule to make sure everyone knows that one journalist is a psycho and the other got plastic surgery. Does this appear to follow within the steps of the great communicator – Ronald Reagan? It does show that he’s thin-skinned and has the maturity of an adolescent. Does this type of communication from the leader of the free world inspire young women and men?
“Well, we have a lot of your Irish press watching us,” Mr. Trump said to prime minister, Leo Varadkar, as several reporters looked on in the Oval Office. Then, interrupting his conversation with the Irish Prime Minister, Mr. Trump pointed at the journalist, Caitriona Perry, and gestured for her to come to him. “And where are you from?” he said. “Go ahead. Come here, come here. Where are you from? We have all this beautiful Irish press here.” After she introduced herself, Mr. Trump told the Irish Prime Minister, “She has a nice smile on her face so I bet she treats you well.” President Trump is a misogynist. He interrupted his phone call with a fellow world leader so he could point out how pretty an Irish journalist was. He’s 70 years old and those spots don’t change.
“I did try and fuck her. She was married. I moved on her like a bitch, but I couldn’t get there. She was still married. Then all of a sudden I see her, she’s got these phony tits and everything. And when you’re a star they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab them by the pussy, you can do anything.” President Trump said these words when he was 60 years old and his 3rd wife was pregnant with his 5th child. Trump respects women as objects and things he can use and then throw away. He absolutely believes women are for his musing – he said as much above. He can just grab them by the pussy. It’s absurd to think this man is the President of the United States. Clearly not someone for young men to posture after.
"I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn't lose voters," Trump said at a campaign rally. This is what Trump thinks of his supporters. So far, I have Trump as believing he is omniscient, omnipresent, and perfect with no flaws. If you combine his self-worth with his words above he either believes he is God-like to his supporters or he believes his followers are chumps. Kennedy gave us, “Don’t ask what your country can do for you…” and Lincoln gave us, “You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time.Whatever you are, be a good one.” Trump leaves his supporters with, "I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn't lose voters.” I don’t see a man who thinks very highly of his supporters (followers) at all. In fact, I think the one statement above underlines his feelings for his voters – his latest mark.
During an interview with Fox News to discuss his first 100 days as president, Trump denounced the constitutional system of checks and balances as “archaic.” “It’s a very rough system. It’s an archaic system,” Trump said. “It’s really a bad thing for the country.” Meanwhile, White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus told ABC on Sunday that the president is thinking about amending or even abolishing the First Amendment to stifle what they consider to be unfair media criticism. When asked by Jonathan Karl whether they had considered a constitutional amendment so that the president can sue his critics, Priebus responded: “I think it’s something that we’ve looked at. How that gets executed or whether that goes anywhere is a different story.”
Our Constitution has lasted greater than 250 years and while we have added amendments along the way, this dickhead is talking about our constitution and system of checks and balances as being “archaic” and about changing the 1st Amendment because freedom of speech and freedom of the press provides opportunities for Americans to hurt Trump’s feelings. What the fuck. Are you serious? Trump doesn’t like Congress or the Judiciary as being equal to the Executive? He surely does sound like the despots and dictators he lavishes praise on so frequently. Veterans and current members of the military have sworn an oath to defend the Constitution and this fool would rather not be bothered. Trumps also said, “We have to get rid of the filibuster rule. Right now, we need 60 votes and we have 52 Republicans. That means that eight Democrats are controlling all of this legislation.” Once again, Trump is whining. Everything is too hard. Stop complaining and figure it out as the 44 presidents did before him. I thought he was the master of negotiation? He couldn’t even pass the Obamacare repeal. He only needed all of his Republican Senators to vote in the affirmative and it would have passed. Three didn’t and instead of trying to negotiate just one last vote, he’d rather golf and rail against the system. He’s lazy and weak.
Patriotism is defined as the quality of being patriotic; vigorous support for one's country. A nation is defined as a large aggregate of people united by common descent, history, culture, or language, inhabiting a particular country or territory. Thereto, it makes sense to think in order to be patriotic one has to vigorously support the people who make up the country. Trump has attacked a Gold Star Family, veterans, minorities, women, the FBI director, his own Attorney General, US Senators, Congressmen, former Presidents, and CEO’s. The groups identified above are all Americans. Once again, how can he be patriotic if he has such disdain for Americans? He seems more patriotic towards Russia than the US considering he has never spoken negatively about Putin or Russia.
One summer back in the 1980’s you saw an opportunity to teach me about race and equality. I now see an opportunity to teach my children about patriotism, race, equality, and the golden rule. President Trump isn’t raising the bar for the US. On the contrary, he’s opening a window for Nazis, which is such a bizarre thing to write in the year 2017, but he is. If not, then why the equivocation with regard to this growing nuisance across the globe? I’m of the opinion that Trump doesn’t see his strategy as Making America Great Again. No, that’s just conman messaging. He’s really winking and nodding his way to Making America White Again.
This ain’t politics – this is larger. We’re the United States of America for Christ’s sake – we’re better than this. When he speaks, or tweets, he not only embarrasses himself, but he embarrasses a nation. 100 years from now, Trump’s most famous words as repeated by youth might actually be, “I will build a great wall – and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me – and I’ll build them very inexpensively. I will build a great, great wall on our southern border, and I will make Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words.” This will highlight his failed Presidency as no wall will be built and Mexico won’t pay for shit. That will be the highpoint of textbooks writing about the Greatest Con on Earth – the Trump Presidency.
“All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.” Thomas Jefferson said this. “Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are.” Ben Franklin said this. Two quotes from two important men in our nation’s history. Trump inspires men of a different ilk with his words and deeds. "I don't think he condemned it, no," Richard Spencer, informal leader of the alt-right (Nazis) said. "Did he say 'white nationalist?' 'Racist' means an irrational hatred of people. I don't think he meant any of us.” White nationalists and neo-Nazis celebrated Trump's initial remarks about the protests in Charlottesville on Saturday, in which he denounced violence "on all sides," rather than explicitly condemning white supremacism.
Mom and Dad, I love you. I also love America. Therein, I love Americans. I love and respect my neighbors whether they are Muslim, whether they are black, whether they are Jewish, whether they are Mexican-American, whether they are immigrants from Syria, whether they are gay, whether they speak a foreign language. I also love our veterans whether they are Muslim, whether they are black, whether they are Jewish, whether they are Mexican-American, whether they immigrated from another country, whether they are gay, and whether they speak a foreign language. While our definition of patriotism probably differs, I love America. As a committed citizen of our great nation, I have a duty to speak on behalf of my family and neighbors who are under attack from the President of the United States.
Our history is replete with great men and women who have spoken very timely and appropriate words. Lincoln once said, “I am naturally anti-slavery. If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong. I can not remember when I did not so think, and feel. General Eisenhower after visiting Nazi death camps said, “The world must know what happened, and never forget.” Martin Luther King said, “To ignore evil is to become accomplice to it.”
My quote, as obviously not a great man, but simply a neighbor to many: “The United States of America is {my} home. Like many homes, our house is full of love, full of life, full of laughter, and full of tears. My neighbors’ and your neighbors’ homes are filled with people of different colors, different religions, different ethnicities, but all of these homes explore and experience the same love, life, laughter, and tears. It is because of the diversity we find in each of our country’s homes that we are and have always been Great. While my words pale in comparison, I hope my actions will leave a similar memory with children as you did on that summer day outside of Chicago. I choose country and humanity over family today. I will not associate or communicate with anyone supporting this racist and Islamophobic man. He is not a man, but a child, and scarcely a leader. His followers are dangerous and it is upon our citizenry to deny them any momentum.
This is the least I can do as repayment to this great country and all of its veterans alive and dead – to include those who are and were black, Muslim, gay, Hispanic, or simply put – American.”
http://www.inforum.com/opinion/letters/4311880-letter-family-denounces-teffts-racist-rhetoric-and-actions
https://news.vice.com/story/vice-news-tonight-full-episode-charlottesville-race-and-terror