Sunday, October 22, 2017

Can Politics Get Any More Indecent?

Recently, four US soldiers were killed in Niger. President Trump's telephone call to the widow of Army Sgt. La David Johnson has needlessly turned into a political controversy. It would appear that Florida Representative Frederica Wilson (a Democrat) was determined to cause this dust up in order to make Trump look bad. But, to any right thinking person she is the one who looks petty and spiteful.

As the story goes, Rep. Wilson was apparently in the car with Sgt. Johnson's widow when the call came in from the President and was on the car's Bluetooth, enabling the Congresswoman to listen in. It seems to me, that as a matter of common courtesy, when a call comes in with others listening, especially a member of Congress, from the President of the United States no less, the first thing that Congresswoman ought to have done was identify herself as being present. Why did she not do so?

Then, we are told that Trump said to the widow that the Sgt. "Knew what he signed up for." And? I can draw no conclusions from that. If Trump said in an oft-handed way, "well, (like "too bad") but he knew what he signed up for," that's one thing. If, however, he said that the Sgt. was doing what he wanted - serving this country - notwithstanding that "he knew what he signed up for," that is quite another thing. And if Trump stumbled over his words during such a difficult call, so what? Who might not stumble?

Brian Fallon, a former spokesperson for Hillary Clinton went after General John Kelly, Trump's Chief of Staff and himself a Gold Star Dad, because Kelly defended Trump regarding the call. Fallon: "Kelly isn't just an enabler of Trump. He's a believer in him. That makes him as odious as the rest. Don't be distracted by the uniform." The Congresswoman later threw this accusation, saying the "White House itself is full of white supremacists."

This has got to stop! Clearly, the politicians have no interest in leading the way. Therefore, individual Americans - you and I - need to lead the way. If we are unable to address each other with even a modicum of respect, then I really do not know what country we have left.

The Democrats Unending Fascination With Identity Politics

I know. Republicans are racists. I hear it all the time from the Left. So why is it that the Democrats and the Left seem to be obsessed with the issue of race? Of course, the same applies to sex and all those other categories in Hillary's "basket of deplorables."

First, Michelle Obama told us that "any woman who voted against Hillary Clinton voted against their own voice." Because women are not able to decide for themselves which candidate best represents their values? So, not having that capability, women need to just automatically vote for the female candidate? Wow!

Now, the former First Lady (and future Presidential candidate?) tells us what she observed at the State of the Union address: "On one side of the room, it's literally gray and white. On the other side of the room, there are yellows and blues and whites and greens. (Yellows? Greens? Really?) Physically, there's a difference in color, in the tone. Because one side - all men, all white. On the other side - some women, some people of color." Upon viewing this, Mrs. Obama thought: "No wonder people don't trust politics."

Then, this very dangerous comment: "Until we are ready to fight for that - which means some people have to be willing to give up their seats to make room, or you need to be ready to add more seats - I think we're going to continue to struggle." Another wowser! Michelle Obama is talking racial quotas. Historically, quotas were used to limit the access of minorities to certain institutions. Does the former First Lady not know this?

These comments bring to mind some earlier comments by Democrats. Recall Madeleine Albright, campaigning for Hillary Clinton, and saying "there's a special place in hell for women who don't help each other." And Harry Reid, while Senate Majority Leader, asserting "I don't know how anyone of Hispanic heritage could be a Republican." And, of course, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, as head of the DNC: "There is nothing, and I mean nothing, in the Republicans' right wing agenda that appeals to the American Jewish community."

Okay, let me concede that the white supremacist, Richard Spencer, is also (not surprisingly, he's a white supremacist) prone to identity politics: "You are going to have to get used to white identity." Except, the Democrats I mentioned above are all mainstream Democrats, some having served as leaders in their party. Spencer does not enjoy the support of the vast majority of Republicans. For Leftists who assert that he does, to what office has he been able to get elected? On the other hand, how many times was Robert Byrd elected and reelected to Congress? (He was 6 years in the House and 51 years in the Senate.)

Mia Love is a black, female Republican member of the House from Utah. Love, in reply to Michelle Obama, said this: "Sadly, this is identity politics. I don't know if she noticed, but I am not white and I am not a male...This is absolutely divisive language. It's not language that unifies us as Americans." Amen to that. As Dennis Prager likes to point out, he has repeatedly asked conservative audiences which make-up of the Supreme Court would they prefer: nine white heterosexual males who are all left-wing, or nine black lesbian females who are all conservatives? The answer is always the same - conservatives go with their values, not identity politics.

(For a further discussion see the 1/18/13 post "Republicans Vote Their Values, Democrats Are Driven By Issues."

As Predicted, It Will Never End

During the arguments over the gay marriage debate, I argued that the Left's ultimate goal would be the end of the terms and concepts of "man" and "woman," "male" and "female" - as we, and millennia before us, have always understood those terms.

The latest in this onslaught includes a bill signed by California Governor Jerry Brown, entitled the "Gender Recognition Act." Now, you have the option of not only choosing "F" or "M" on your driver's license - now you have the option of "non-binary." The option will also be available on birth certificates - although presumably the newborn baby will not be asked to make the choice. This new law takes effect on January 1, 2019.

It gets better. Pursuant to the provisions of yet another new law in California, it will be a criminal offense for health care workers to "willfully and repeatedly" fail to properly address a senior transgender patient's "preferred name or pronoun," so long as the health care worker was "clearly informed" of the patient's preference. The punishment? A possible fine and up to one year in jail.

So let me repeat - I do not believe that anyone should intentionally insult another person. However, I also do not believe that "name-calling," should be criminalized. Because that is what this law does. It is also yet another example of the tyranny of the Left - seeking total control over our words and deeds, and thoughts if they are able to find a way to get there. I am sure there are quite a few out there who believe in criminalizing offensive language. I do not. But the Democrats who run California clearly do.

Not to be outdone, the Daily Mail reports that the British are seeking an amendment to a UN treaty that protects a "pregnant woman." Now, the Brits are looking to change the language of the treaty to protect "pregnant people." Why? Are men now suddenly able to give birth? No, but the argument is that a transgender "man" can give birth. I'm sorry, but I thought the Democrats were always complaining that the Republicans were anti-science. Is that "pregnant person" giving birth from a uterus through a vagina? Do men have those body parts? By definition they do not. Which brings me back to my first point. Gay marriage was not simply about allowing people of the same sex to marry. Of necessity, and by design, it guaranteed a redefining of terms, of biology, of - if you will - science.

(For those interested, I previously addressed the issue of definitions of sex in my 7/20/14 post "My Ex-Wife," which was one of the most popular posts, as well as in the 10/19/14 post "My Ex-Son and Ex-Daughters.")