Tasty Feet
Trump put his foot in his mouth (again) by insulting all people from Haiti and Africa and applauding Norwegians, looking a lot like a racist and bigot. No news there, except for the additional evidence the event offers to the fact, but what was interesting to me was the story that "conservative Christians remain as polarized as ever over his leadership." The story quotes multiple black conservative Christian leaders but complains about "the white evangelical vote." I have never understood the distinction of race and religion, especially in terms of "Evangelicals", since nothing in the definition of evangelicalism includes the race of the person who holds to it. Seems to me that these kinds of stories are, themselves, race-baiting -- aimed at pitting races against each other and, in this case, especially Christians.
Trump denies he said it. Other voices affirm he did. Whatever. It was not right for a president or for someone who calls himself a Christian.
Heartbreak of Illegal Immigration
For 30 years Jorge Garcia lived illegally in Michigan until he was arrested and deported this week. "An undocumented family member brought Jorge Garcia to the U.S. when he was 10 years old. Today he has a wife and two children, all of whom are U.S. citizens." His supporters are saying it's "another example of immigrants being unfairly targeted under the Trump administration."
Stories like this are heartbreaking. He has a wife who is an America citizen. He has been in this country for 30 years. He had every opportunity to do what was required to become a legal resident. Why didn't he? From all indications Jorge was a good man. No criminal record, pays taxes, good family man, hard worker ... all that good stuff. It's sad that he has to leave -- that his wife and children will be without a father, at least for awhile. Is it sad that the law caught up with him? I have to wonder why he didn't do what was necessary to prevent that from happening.
Color Me Surprised
Well, isn't that amazing? A major portion of California is hoping to declare independence ... from California. No, they don't want out of the country; they want out of the state. I get it; I really do.
Under-Represented
The story said, "Ava DuVernay was named entertainer of the year at an NAACP Image Awards ceremony." No one seemed to notice that white people were sorely under-represented. (That's a joke.)
Regulating Friendship
This is beyond my comprehension. Apparently there is a move in Europe and now in American schools to ... get this ... ban friendships in school. Now, why would anyone think this was a good idea? "Well," they tell us, "we're encouraging inclusion rather than friendships." The notion that everyone feels excluded at some point in life and now is the time to teach the little tykes how to deal with it is wrong, wrong, wrong.
See? Risk averse.
The notion that we can legislate inclusion by banning friendships is simply ludicrous, a complete absence of any idea of how the human being operates. You don't combat loneliness by legislating associations.
Sanity Check
Apparently Brad Manning (aka Chelsea Manning) has filed to run for U.S. Senate in Maryland. You remember this guy. Convicted of leaking secret documents to Wikileaks, his sex change was paid for by you and me while in prison and President Obama commuted his 35-year sentence in 2017.
This will be an excellent sanity check ... for voters. If this guy who cannot figure out that girls are girls and guys are guys and "f--k police" is not an appropriate message to broadcast on Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, if this convicted felon can get voted into office, then we can be pretty sure that "office" is a relatively useless component of the U.S. government, requiring neither moral virtue nor rational thinking of its members.
Government Shutdown
As of the writing of this entry, the government shutdown is still pending. The outcome is unknown. I particularly appreciated, then, the headline from the Babylon Bee: "Sense Of Relief Washes Over Nation As Government Shutdown Grows Increasingly Likely"
Must be true; I read it on the Internet.
8 comments:
I feel that trying to ban best friends would be like trying to ban breathing.
That was exactly the parallel that occurred to me. "No, kids, you can't be normal human beings. Stop breathing!"
Tasty Feet
No. Trump didn't insert his foot. More than likely, he played Durbin and Graham like fish on a hook. He didn't so much insult the people of those nations as much as give them a reason to act insulted if they didn't like him in the first place. There's a lot of that going around, and it makes me sick. I get it. The guy's low class. Boo-hoo. Ignore it and focus on the substance that isn't as hidden behind his clumsy and boorish delivery as to many pretend it is. He's an old dog not likely to learn new tricks.
Far more likely is that Durbin leaked the SHOCKING news (and I mean that in a very Captain Louis Renault way) of Trump's potty mouth prior to emerging before the cameras to confirm the rumor. Naturally there are two important factors that too many wish to ignore: 1. Durbin's lied about a host of things in his sad political career, including what is said in closed door meetings like this one, and b) Politicians cuss in closed door meetings fare more often than most think they do. People just don't think about it until some political opponents (including reporters) choose to shout about it. The only people who care are those who hate the guy already. It just validates their hatred. While I'd prefer he speak like a perfect angel, I prefer to concern myself with what he means when he speaks so badly. It really isn't hard to see that meaning through the...uh...stuff.
In the same way, he only looks a lot like a racist and bigot to those who choose to believe he is one. I'm not among them, so again, I can easily see what he's trying to say with regard to his immigration position. Whatever derogatory term he may have used to describe those countries, its inappropriate nature doesn't mitigate the truth of it. But that doesn't equate to an attack on the people of those nations, even as they are unconsciously complicit in the condition of their nations to an extent most here have no reason to consider. It is race-baiting to pretend it is.
I also don't get the vapors at the thought of Christians using foul language. I'd prefer none did, but then it's a tough habit to break. I speak from personal experience. I had my last ciggie on 6/17/03 and quitting profanity has proven much tougher.
Color Me Surprised
If this happened in my state, then I'd likely only have to move out of Cook County.
Sanity Check
I'd be disappointed if this guy got a single vote even from any LGBT people. That's how reprehensible it would be. I'd be disappointed if his own mother cast a vote for him.
Government Shutdown
Mark Levin goes through a list of about 17 shutdowns that occurred since Gerald Ford. The worst lasted only about three weeks. Some government workers had their pay delayed, though always they got back pay when the shutdowns ended (at least in almost every case, if not all of them). As bad as that is, and it ain't great, not much else changed except the degree of bloviating by the Dems typically blaming it on the GOP regardless of which party was in power at the time. It's Kabuki theater. However, I encourage everyone to contact their Congressmen and Senators to craft legislation that would require their own selves to be the first to have their pay suspended during a shutdown since they are responsible for it in the first place. I do not believe they every have their pay suspended during such times.
"he only looks a lot like a racist and bigot to those who choose to believe he is one."
I suppose the reverse should go without saying -- he cannot look like a racist and bigot to those who choose not to believe he is one. Without even arguing one way or the other, I wonder how much data would be required for you to change your opinion.
By the way, I guess I wasn't aware that the real stink with Trump was over the particular obscenity he used; I thought it was the intent behind it. When I said a president or a Christian shouldn't be doing that, I was not referring to the word, but the intent behind it. That would be the case even if it turned out that Trump never said it.
I've researched Trump on the specific charge of racism, and I've found stuff from way back in his past that would be better indicators. But even then there are caveats that leave a bit more than a shadow of a doubt, including his propensity for speaking poorly and crudely. More specifically, I've found nothing that speaks to the people making the charge. By that I mean those who have an ax to grind or some grudge against him. I won't make a ruling without something more solid than hearsay. That's all I'm saying. Plus, if you weigh it against other stories that totally conflict with the charge, what then? I've seen nothing in recent times that support the charge at all, and much that proves it a false one.
As to the real stink, his choice of words was the excuse to raise the stink. It was then twisted to mean something about the people of the countries mentioned, rather than the conditions of the countries themselves and those responsible for those conditions. The intent, as it has always been, is to reduce the amount of people entering this country who will have a negative impact on America. That's pretty much the duty of the federal government and its immigration policy. It has nothing to do with the color of those people.
" reduce the amount of people entering this country who will have a negative impact on America."
Just to be clear, then (because I think I'm misunderstanding you), you do believe that they should exclude people from poor African nations and Haiti but include Norwegians ... on the basis that the one will have a negative impact on America and the other won't?
No. And neither does Trump. He was making a point referring to his desire for a merit-based system. That would mean that there would likely be people from even poor nations who would qualify, despite the fact that percentage-wise, it might be less likely. A merit based system wouldn't account for country of origin, but what the individual has to offer.
Keep in mind, that we don't really have a complete picture of what was discussed in that closed-door meeting and how. What we have is basically Dick Durbin's version of events and little else due to the more "newsworthy" bit about "s-hole" countries. Why is that all we got to hear? Answer: to bash Trump and influence the public against him.
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