In more Dog Bites Man news, Barack Obama made a sensible and statesmanly comment yesterday about how we can reduce violence and hatred by changing our gun laws, checking white supremacist terrorist radicalization online, and unequivocally denouncing politicians who use their public positions to promote un-American hatred:
Michelle and I grieve with all the families in El Paso and Dayton who endured these latest mass shootings. Even if details are still emerging, there are a few things we already know to be true.
First, no other nation on Earth comes close to experiencing the frequency of mass shootings that we see in the United States. No other developed nation tolerates the levels of gun violence that we do. Every time this happens, we’re told that tougher gun laws won’t stop all murders; that they won’t stop every deranged individual from getting a weapon and shooting innocent people in public places. But the evidence shows that they can stop some killings. They can save some families from heartbreak. We are not helpless here. And until all of us stand up and insist on holding public officials accountable for changing our gun laws, these tragedies will keep happening.
Second, while the motivations behind these shootings may not yet be fully known, there are indications that the El Paso shooting follows a dangerous trned: troubled individuals who embrace racist ideologies and see themselves obligated to act violently to preserve white supremacy. Like the followers of ISIS and other foreign terrorist organizations, these individuals may act alone, but they’ve been radicalized by white nationalist websites that proliferate on the internet. That means that both law enforcement agencies and internet platforms need to come up with better strategies to reduce the influence of these hate groups.
But just as important, all of us have to send a clarion call and behave with the values of tolerance and diversity that should be the hallmark of our democracy. We should soundly reject language coming out of the mouths of any of our leaders that feeds a climate of fear and hatred or normalizes racist sentiments; leaders who demonize those who don’t look like us, or suggest that other people, including immigrants, threaten our way of life, or refer to other people as sub-human, or imply that America belongs to just one certain type of people. Such language isn’t new—it’s been at the root of most human tragedy throughout history, here in America and around the world. It is at the root of slavery and Jim Crow, the Holocaust, the genocide in Rwanda and ethnic cleansing in the Balkans. It has no place in our politics and our public life. And it’s time for the overwhelming majority of Americans of goodwill, of every race and faith and political party, to say as much—clearly and unequivocally [President Barack Obama, Twitter, 2019.08.05].
Now take a moment to read and reread each point Obama made.
Are any of Obama’s statements of fact incorrect? I don’t see any.
Are any of the actions Obama advises unwise? My First Amendment alarm twitches just a little as I try to imagine how cops and Google go about silencing Nazis without also gagging Greens, Libertarians, Socialists, fundagelicals, insurance salesmen, and other occasionally disfavored speakers. But before we get to the policy complications, reducing the influence of hate groups, along with keeping some deranged people from getting guns and denouncing public figures who demonize and dehumanize others, is undeniably good advice.
Are any of Obama’s sentiments immoral? Would I be ashamed or alarmed to have my daughter repeat, not to mention believe, anything in these four paragraphs? No.
Absent any truly objectionable word in Barack Obama’s statement, seeing that the 44th President has made a true and appropriate statement worthy of all Americans’ attention, Donald Trump (here’s the dog bite) turns the conversation to a personal attack and praise for what he holds dearest—himself:
“‘Did George Bush ever condemn President Obama after Sandy Hook. President Obama had 32 mass shootings during his reign. Not many people said Obama is out of Control,’” Trump tweeted. “’Mass shootings were happening before the President even thought about running for Pres.’ @kilmeade @foxandfriends”
Trump’s message was a distillation of a sentiment “Fox & Friends” co-host Brian Kilmeade expressed on-air shortly after 6 a.m. The president followed up that tweet with another post paraphrasing a comment from Kilmeade’s morning show colleague, Ainsley Earhardt.
“‘It’s political season and the election is around the corner. They want to continue to push that racist narrative.’ @ainsleyearhardt @foxandfriends,” Trump continued. “And I am the least racist person. Black, Hispanic and Asian Unemployment is the lowest (BEST) in the history of the United States!” [Quint Forgey, “Trump Attacks Obama for Statement on Shootings,” Politico, 2019.08.06].
Why say that? Why? What public good will be done, what moral example is set, what lives will be saved by that sort of diversionary personal attack?
Barack Obama invites us all to an honest and thoughtful discussion of what ails the American body politic and what we can do right now to treat that ailment. Donald Trump shouts back at his television with irrelevant political claims and personal boasting that do nothing to address the problem at hand.
Not many people said Obama is out of Control,’”
Obama was never out of control. Drumpf, the moron, is never under control. Take that back….Drumpf is controlled by Putie Pie.
Texas wingnuts believe mass shooting white supremacysts have it way too hard to reach victims so they will let people carry guns into mosques, churches and schools. You can’t fix this much stoopid.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/08/06/texas-gun-laws-loosen-up-next-month-el-paso-shootings/1931279001/
Over the past few. Days, I’ve heard about the “usual subjects.” Video games. Mental Illness.
Wait, wait …. last I heard, they have video games in Canada, Argentina, France, England … and so on. Mass murders with guns? Er, no.
The above countries and every nation in the UN has mental illness …. mass gun murder …. uh ?
These mass gun murders have become our own version of the car bomb so prevelant in the “stans.”
The hopes and prayers of our three amigos aren’t helping. The speech that the occupant of the oval office read (he certainly didn’t write it — he couldn’t string together three coherent sentances to help Dick and Jane housetrain Spot and Fluffy) will, no doubt be negated by his twit finger and sychophants.
Someone grattified the “trumpstore” in Rapid. That’s simple vandalism. I’m waiting for one of the local racists to take “revenge” on President Obama’s statue …. sorry, but I’m amazed it hasn’t yet happened.
Right wing conspiracysts have stated Antifa was behind and promoted some of these murderous rampages.
https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/el-paso-dayton-shooting-fake-news-antifa-charlottesville-867499/
The preceding presidents of my lifetime had a variety of positive, temporary or permanent, leadership qualities. Ike, JFK, LBJ, Raygun, Carter, GHWB, Clinton, Obama. Even, on a momentary level following 9/11, GWB.
Rancid Racist has no leadership qualities, as the comparison in this post, or any comparison, makes clear. RR does not inspire the citizenry, nor enlighten, comfort, encourage, strengthen nor any other thing a leader does. He’s not even a mediocre leader. He’s not a leader on any level.
Rancid Racist is the opposite of a leader. He is a diminisher. He diminishes the citizenry, the economy, the environment, the social norms, the culture, the strength, the military — the nation as a whole.
A good leader strives to lift up her cohort. A great leader succeeds. RR is a completely, insanely, incompetent, pseudo leader.
New Zealand’s PM Ardern is a current example of a great leader.
From Politics USA:
As CNBC reported on Monday, “The National Rifle Association spent $1.6 million during the first half of the year lobbying members of the House and Senate against laws that would enact stricter background checks for people looking to buy guns, according to disclosure reports.”
One piece of legislation has passed the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives, but McConnell has stayed loyal to his NRA masters and refused to allow a vote on the bill in the Senate.
When Rancid Racist was supposed to be comforting victims of gun violence, he actually used them and hospital personnel as props in a campaign ad.
🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/456714-video-shows-trump-touting-rally-crowd-size-during-el-paso-hospital
Drumpf turned the conversation to himself and bragged about crowd size from 3 months earlier and then disparaged Beto again.
Drumpf….leadership gone missing.
By Mike Allen on Axios:
The papers’ lead stories, on President Trump’s visits to El Paso and Dayton:
N.Y. Times: “President Uses a Day of Healing to Stoke Discord.”
WashPost: “On arrival, Trump stokes divisions.”
L.A. Times: “Trump visits grieving cities, and lashes out.”
______________________________________________
🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬
By Mike Allen on Axios:
Elizabeth Warren and Beto O’Rourke both called President Trump a “white supremacist,” an extraordinary charge at an extraordinary moment in American politics.
Why it matters … This is Merriam-Webster’s definition of white supremacist: “a person who believes that the white race is inherently superior to other races and that white people should have control over people of other races.”
Between the lines: This is a big shift from calling the president a white nationalist.
Warren, asked by the N.Y. Times, and O’Rourke, asked by MSNBC, were unambiguous, saying “yes” when asked if Trump was a white supremacist.
Trump tweeted yesterday: “The Dems new weapon is actually their old weapon, one which they never cease to use when they are down, or run out of facts, RACISM!”
______________________________________________
As always, Rancid Racist accuses others of his own shameful behavior.
If you dismiss the accurate description of white supremacists as nothing but a partisan attack, you might be a white supremacist.
🥁🥁 {rimshot}