Whether aspiring to the highest Office in the country or actually occupying it, Trump issues daily speeches, social media posts, press conferences that are filled with endless denunciations about the state of the country and vile nicknames and insults when referring to other Americans. All amplified by click-greedy media and fake “news” sites, many of which have been set up in the USA by Russian intelligence agencies. Biden gave us a sense of calm. We heard from him when there was something important to be said. It’s the difference between a walk through Dante’s Inferno as pictured by the painter Hieronymous Bosch compared to a visiting a beautiful botannical garden.
Our country has plenty of problems to be addressed; that has always been true. But “carnage”? Obviously crime takes place; but statistics are real: murder has gone way down. “Invasion”? The vocabulary doesn’t fit reality.
Trump has a history with name-calling; I mentioned this in my Reason #13 post,”Trump is a bully, the opposite of a real leader.” No other President (in my long lifetime) has been as rude and crude publicly. He has no restraint; he just keeps on saying whatever he is thinking. It is exhausting. I want to pay attention to different views about the important problems we are facing, but without having to hear trash-talk about our country, or its huge population.
Example: Trump, speaking of frightened migrants on October 24, saying, “America is the garbage can for the world.”
UPDATE: I was not aware of the Trump Rally at Madison Square Garden (NSG) on Sunday the 27th when I wrote and published this post. So I am adding this MSNBC video with clips from the rally. It further illustrates the vulgar lack of civility along with blatant racist prejudices that have been promoted by Trump.
The next day, questioned about the racist “jokes” used, J. D. Vance’s advice to America was #1 – Lighten up. #2 – “I think that it’s telling that Kamala Harris’ closing message is essentially that all of Donald Trump’s voters are Nazis, and you should get really pissed off about a comedian telling a joke.” Of course, she didn’t say “Trump’s voters are Nazis.” She has called attention to the reality that Trump has done and said many things to indicate that he will try to use his powers in ways that have never been done by Presidents before, ways that will be like that of an authoritarian ruler. And he doesn’t hide it! Trump repeated plans for “Massive deportations” when he spoke at MSG.
But here’s the difference. Trump (and his acolytes) malign groups of American citizens and hundreds of specific citizens using crude and rude words using generalities with no evidence. Harris is critiquing a Presidential candidate using civil language and supporting her words with evidence.
My original post text continues here:
No, JD Vance, it’s not for me to “lighten up.” That’s not advice a hero gives!
I like a good hero. My first hero during my comic book days was Superman, so accurately portrayed later by Christopher Reeves. The original Superman was about doing good, caring about the weak, and his physicality was an interesting side factor, not the whole character like so many comic book/movie action heroes today. Superman would never tell people to “lighten up” or to “stop being so easily offended” as Vance said on October 28.
Kamala Harris is a good hero figure for me. She stands up to the bully candidate without throwing crude insults. She has pulled together a great team, and produced a fantastic campaign on short notice. Her economic policy proposals –unlike Trump’s random offers to cut taxes– make sense both from a fiscal perspective and a fairness perspective. I am happy to have voted for her.
I expect to hear less trash-talk about the USA and its people in 2025 after we elect Harris. Can’t wait.
Resources:
Trump says migrants have made America the garbage can of the world (NBC, 10/24/24): https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/trump-us-garbage-can-world-immigration-rhetoric-rcna177166
My “Reason # 13” to defeat Trump: Trump is a bully, the opposite of a leader: https://richardgoutal.com/trump-is-a-bully-not-a-leader/
The Madision Square Garden Rally (NY Times, 10/27/24): https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/27/us/trump-msg-rally.html?unlocked_article_code=1.V04.MJ82.36-LveLQLlPk&smid=url-share
Vance says to “Lighten Up” (NBC, 10/28/24): https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/vance-racist-jokes-trump-rally-stop-getting-offended-rcna177711?
Black religious leader says Trump is a bully (11/30/15): https://youtu.be/XcvYddUup28?feature=shared
The art of the insult (Wall St Journal, 8/28/15)): https://youtu.be/JZRXESV3R74?feature=shared
List of 50+ derogatory (sometimes racist) labels Trump has used: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_nicknames_used_by_Donald_Trump_about_other_people
Short list of Trump’s suggestions to use violence: https://www.axios.com/2022/05/02/trump-call-violence-presidency
