Breaking News! You Won't Believe What Trump Just Did!

This is what I expect to hear next on a BREAKING NEWS ALERT.  “This just in!  “At a campaign rally, Donald Trump just announced that he farted!”  Then somewhere in America, a woman named Edith shouted at her husband sleeping in his recliner, “Archie, did you hear that?  Trump just farted!  He’s just like you, Archie!”  Archie responds, “That’s why I’m voting for him, dingbat!”

That seems to be the favorite reason people give when asked what they like about Donald Trump.  “He’s just like me.”  No, he’s not!  That is, unless you are a billionaire.  Unless you want to gather all Mexicans up and herd them like cattle back to Mexico.  Unless you make fun of handicapped people.  Unless you call women derogatory names.  Unless you discriminate against people of an entire religion.  Unless fighting STD’s was your own personal Viet Nam and believe a POW is not a hero because he got captured.  Unless you are a pathological liar.  Unless you are an unbearable narcissist.  I could go on and on, but I refuse to believe that you are like Trump. 

I’m just gonna say it.  If you think Trump is “just like you,” then you need to get help!

Benghazi, Benghazi, Benghazi!  The so-called day of truth has finally arrived. As I listened to the committee members at the great unveiling of this seven million dollar report, I was reminded of the quote by W. C. Fields.  “If you can’t dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bullshit.”  Eight hundred pages of it!  So, after two years and seven million dollars of our money, the Chairman of the Committee, Trey Gowdy, reluctantly admits there is nothing new in this report. Right-wing conspiracy theorists threw up simultaneously.

If you think we’ve heard the last of Benghazi, think again.  At first I was perplexed as to why Trey Gowdy didn’t tell the nation what the over-all findings were in report.  If he said it once, he said it a hundred times, “Read the report.  I urge you to read the report for yourself.” (Yep, we’ll jump right on that, Mr. Gowdy!) Then I realized this was a crafted political ploy.  Gowdy is a trained prosecutor accustomed to writing briefs.  In lieu of making an oral argument, he chose to tell us to read it for ourselves.  In other words, he knows when it is read by members of the media, there will be many questions necessitating clarification by Gowdy and other committee members.  The ploy is to keep Benghazi alive until the election. 

I’m sick of hearing about Benghazi and I will be tuning it out or turning it off.  That goes for Facebook and Twitter, too.  Where does this stuff come from?  We have enough negative news without people manufacturing stories that are explosively negative, with no concern for the truth. 

I wrote my newspaper column and now this blog for two years.  I have felt obligated to stay on top of the latest happenings in order to tell the truth about incidents and issues.  This has required researching the perspectives from both the liberal and conservative sides.  This has also required nearly non-stop watching of cable news networks.  Most days I sit in the same chair for more hours than I like to admit, watching news while browsing the Internet.  Just recently, I found myself experiencing feelings out of character for me.  Nervous, anxious, worried, and a very short fuse.  Minor problems that come up in my everyday life seem magnified and I find it hard to cope. 

I realized that I was living on a diet of bad news, death, destruction, and Trump.  The exposure to so much negativity has affected my disposition and my outlook.  I don’t like these feelings.  I am a news junkie and I need to kick this addiction.

I Can't Wait!

Therefore, I have decided to take a break, a vacation, a sabbatical!  Just temporarily while I figure out how to be informed but not obsessed.  I need to refresh my mind. I want to devote more time to my church. I want to spend more time in the river, sing, and read books. I am behind six months in reading my subscription magazines. We have a ten-day vacation planned for mid-July.  I will be lying on a beach or by a pool during the Republican National Convention. 

To my faithful readers, don’t give up on me.  I’ll be back all refreshed and ready to give ‘em hell!

           

Surprise! Surprise! Trump Supports Racial Profiling

Trump said Sunday, “USA needs to start thinking about racial profiling.”  Coming from Trump, I was not surprised, but unlike most of his comments it did not amuse me. It made me sad and fearful for all the peace loving, America-loving Muslims and Arabs who are in this country simply living their life, as we are. 

Remember this?   “I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” Martin Luther King, Jr.

That “day” Dr. King dreamed about is not here yet.  But we have gotten closer.  We all know racial profiling has never stopped, although President George Bush signed an Executive Order in 2003, banning the use of race, color, and ethnicity to profile suspects.  I’d like to point out here that President Bush did this after the horrific racial profiling debacle after 9/11. However, the bright spot is that racial profiling has been going on in this country since the 1700’s and at least we have made progress in eliminating this immoral practice.  Three hundred years of progress negated if we allow a bigoted, orange man to be President of our country! 

If Trump has his way, he will set this country back three hundred years or at least 1944, when 11,000 Japanese Americans were gathered up and interned based on their ethnicity and national origin.  Also, we all know of his plan to “gather” up all Mexicans and send them back.”  Oh, and don’t forget the Syrians.  Racial profiling would be his ideal tool to accomplish all this and more. 

When Trump made his statement that we may need to look at racial profiling, perhaps he should ask the black man he referred to as “My African American over there.”  I bet he could enlighten Trump on the affects of racial profiling.  I have many black friends and they all have personal stories of their encounter with racial profiling, especially black males.  As a white female, I cannot fathom living with that threat every day of my life.  Worst yet, would be living with fear for my children every day of my life.

The good news is that the last couple of weeks have been bad, really, really bad for Trump.  He denies this, but after telling his King Maker, Corey Lewandowski, “You’re fired,” tells a different story.  After nearly a year of unthinkable remarks and policies that sunk the campaigns of 16 opponents, he is on the ropes.  What will deliver the knockout punch?  I predict that will be $$$$$.

The one thing Trump understands is money.  He’s running out!  Or, since we only have Trump’s word on his billions and billions of dollars in wealth (he would never tell a lie), he may already be out of his own money.   One thing is for sure, he’s no longer “self-financing” his campaign.  Why else would he be fundraising in red states at this point-in-time, including Georgia?

Further, Trump is well on the way to bankrupting the Republican National Party.  The RNC’s convention’s largest donors are dropping like flies.  That list includes Wells Fargo, UPS, Walgreens, JP Morgan, Motorola, and Ford.  Most devastating to the RNC is the announcement by Apple. Apple has decided against providing the cell phones, tablets, other electronics, as well as monetary support for the convention.  Maybe the billionaire Republican Koch Brothers will help?  Oh, I forgot!   They said they are only contributing to down ballot races to help save the endangered House and Senate.

If Trump had a bad week, Hillary Clinton had a very, very, huge week.  Not only because of Trump’s foot and mouth disease reaching stage 4, but due to receiving important endorsements, like that of the AFL/CIO, organized labor’s prize endorsement, and Oprah Winfrey.  Then the “big three” endorsed her and hit the campaign trail.  President Obama, Vice-President Joe Biden, and Senator Elizabeth Warren.  Senator Warren has latched on to Trump like a Chihuahua onto a mailman’s pant leg.  

The American people are the real losers this week.  Today the U. S. Senate rejected all four Democratic proposals to close loopholes in our country’s background check system and blocking suspected terrorists from purchasing weapons.  Remember everyone shouting, “Can’t fly!  Can’t buy!”  Polls show that 75% of the American people are in favor of these changes.  Makes you wonder who they’re listening to, doesn’t it?  The NRA?  The RNC?  Definitely NOT the USA! 

Help Me Spread the Word

To my friends and readers of Unfair and Unbalanced:

Thank you for being a loyal reader of my former column in the Monroe County Reporter, Unfair and Unbalanced.  I appreciated your supportive comments regarding the freshness of hearing a different voice, versus only the very right-wing conservative point of view.

I am not a radical liberal.  I’m just a citizen like you and have (what I think), the same sensible opinion as many of you.  Now that my stint as an opinion writer in the MCR has come to an end, the Editor has replaced me with yet another view of a right-wing conservative.  Now my Blog is the ONLY place in Monroe County where you can read what progressives and sensible people are thinking, and they may be thinking just like you! 

I changed the name of my Blog to The Other Georgia- News and Views.  Parts of Georgia not included in the Atlanta metro area is often forgotten and our opinions are not considered.  We in Monroe Country are part of that “Other Georgia.”  So are most all rural cities and towns in Georgia.  At the time I was writing for the MCR, I was the one and only progressive Opinion Writer in Georgia’s rural weekly newspapers, to my knowledge. Now there are none. 

There are a couple of simple things I need you to do to help me make this different voice heard in Monroe County and the Other Georgia. 

1. When you see my Blog post on facebook, please like, share, and comment.  This helps spread the post.

2. When you see my Unfair and Unbalanced Page, like page AND like the post.

3. If you miss my Blog on facebook, you can visit my website www.marilynlangford.com at any time, to read my most recent Blog posts and the archives of columns printed in the MCR.  I try to write new posts by Sunday and Monday of each week. 

I welcome your opinions and views, too.  Remember, we don’t have to agree.  We can always agree to disagree and continue being friends.

Marilyn

HateMongers Be Gone!

We all know what happened in Orlando.  50 people killed and 43 injured.  It’s the largest massacre in our history.   I am heart sick, as you are.  Now we are faced with the after-math.  Let the “blame game” begin!

It came as no surprise that before the blood was dry in the Orlando massacre, I saw a nasty post on Face Book blaming President Obama because of his soft stance on Islamic Terrorism.  I wish that person had included in his post HOW he thinks our president could have stopped this lone wolf in this land of 324 million people? 

So, what’s the common denominator of all these terrorists’ attacks?  Guns and hate.  After each incident, there is a call for gun reform.  One day after the Planned Parenthood massacre, Republicans rejected a bill aimed at suspected terrorists on the Terrorist Watch List from buying guns and explosives.  Sounds like a pretty good idea, but of course, the gun lobby controls Congress.  Another bill rejected by Republicans would have required expanded background checks for gun show and firearms sales. 

Let’s face it, PLEASE.  We need a total ban on assault weapons to the general public.  Keep your handguns, keep your rifles, keep your shotguns, but you do not need rapid-fire assault weapons!  I have asked many assault rifle owners why they need them.  I have yet to hear but one single justification, “That’s my right under the Second Amendment.”  The NRA will tell you that if a single law is passed to regulate gun sales, “they” will end up taking them all.  Horse feathers!

The statement that Obama is to blame because he doesn’t call it, “Radical Islamic Terrorism” is the lamest thing a person can say about our President.  I admire the fact that our President doesn’t besmirch an entire religion for the actions of a few.  Depending on how you define “radical,” many of the religions in our country have radical factions.  The Radical Christian Right is just as capable of terror as a radical Islamic.  Just ask Dr. George Tiller.  However, you would not want our President to trash your religion due to the actions of a few. 

Hate is the other common denominator we need to address.  Our country has become a nation of HateMongers.  HateMongers kindle hate and prejudice in others.  In fact, the HateMongers in this country and their leader, the biggest hater of all, Donald Trump, got a twofer this weekend.  50 Latinos killed who happened to be of the LBGT community.  Was this terrorist looking for a place to kill the most Hispanics due to the hate instilled in him by Donald Trump, was he looking for a place to murder the most gay people, or both?  We’ll probably never know the answer to this question.

An anti-gay HateMonger in Georgia that we should keep our eyes on is State Senator Josh McCoon.  He is continuously using his position to stir the pot and stir up his followers, all in the name of religion, by introducing legislation to hurt members of the LBGT community. Haters inspire hate.  This kind of HateMongering has no place in our State and communities and must stop.  LBGT people are part of our lives and cannot be legislated away.

Our African American brothers and sisters are no strangers to HateMongering.  When President Obama was elected, I breathed a sigh of relief.  I thought that would be the turning point in our society when people would no longer be judged by the color of their skin.  In fact, we have gone backwards.  When I heard Donald Trump say, “Look at my African American” over there,” I was horrified.  It sounded like he was talking about a slave brought with him from the Mara Largo Plantation.  Upon further thought, I realized it was probably the only African American supporter he had.  I then saw an interview with the African American and he said, “No, I don’t support Donald Trump!”  

Folks, speaking of hate, we have a big problem here in Georgia.  Eighteen months ago, David Perdue was elected Senator here.  At the time, I thought it was a poorly thought out election, considering the high quality candidate opposing him.  But we Democrats didn’t fight hard enough.  Now we are stuck with another HateMonger for nearly five more years.  This past week, Perdue was speaking to the Faith and Freedom Coalition’s Road to Majority Conference.  He began his opening statement called a Prayer for Obama.  He quoted from Psalm 109:8.  Please take the time to look the scripture up in your Bible and read it in its entirety.  He calls for the death of Obama.  He used scripture to justify his hate.  Those hateful words, coupled with his double-down support of Donald Trump, tell me he is running for Vice-President.  God help us all!

ARE YOU A TRUMP "OKEY DOKE?"

ARE YOU A TRUMP “OKEY DOKE?”

I will NOT be “Okey Doked!”  When I heard President Obama use the words “Okey Doke” in a speech yesterday, I was confused as to what he meant, having never heard the term used in that context.  I immediately checked the New Urban Dictionary.  An Okey Doke is someone being played for a fool, someone falling for a scam or con.  I immediately realized that Trump supporters are Okey Dokes! 

To say that is not to blame or disparage Trump supporters.  They are victims of the charms and psychological persuasions of the most skilled con man to come along in our lifetime, or maybe ever.  Skilled con men and scam artists all share the common denominators of being able to gain your trust by determining what you want to hear.  They don’t give a rat’s patoot about the affect the big con will have on you personally.  They lie to their targets with no feelings of remorse.  Scam artists and con men are great marketers.  They spend nearly all their time marketing and almost none of their time delivering on those promises.  Other common denominators are that con men and scam artists are narcissists, convincing, and masters of mind control.

The people who get successfully conned or scammed always feel embarrassment over their lack of judgment. They are ashamed to admit they were Okey Doked.  That’s why most con men and scam artists can get by with their deeds for many years before being exposed.

I am reminded of a few great con men.  Victor Lustig was known as the man who sold the Eiffel Tower.  In an elaborate con, he convinced many businessmen and even infamous Al Capone into investing in buying the Eiffel Tower for scrap metal.

George Parker made his living selling New York’s public landmarks to unwary tourists.  He sold the Brooklyn Bridge twice in a week for years.  Hence the saying, “I have a bridge to sell you.”

Charles Ponzi gained his fortune by Make Money Fast Schemes.  I think we’re all familiar with the term “Ponzi.” 

Now we have Donald Trump, the nominee for our President, joining a long list of con specialists.  He is now Defendant in a Federal Class Action lawsuit by executing an elaborate con to sell entry into his bogus Trump University.  He fleeced many families out of their savings and caused many to go deep in debt to pay for admittance and all the up-selling.  They got nothing for their money.  Those who have been “Okey Doked” by Trump believe in his innocence as much as I believe in his guilt.  Look at his evidence, though. Two of the people in his video he released as evidence of his innocence have close connections to Trump.  One man sells water in Trump Towers and a woman’s son wrote a book that Trump endorsed on the cover.  I can’t help but be skeptical about the others and wonder what they were paid.  Hmmm.

Trump has been involved in an unprecedented 3,500 lawsuits. That tells me all his dealings have not been above-board.  “I don’t settle,” Trump brags.  Another of the lies he tells.  He has settled over a hundred!  He settled one in particular, a real estate deal called Trump SoHo, where Plaintiffs accused him of fraud.  He settled that case by paying $3.16 million to make the criminal charges go away.   Hmmm.

Something else confounds me, but I suppose it’s because I’m not an Okey Doke.  Why would a multi-billionaire need to involve himself in hawking vitamins not approved by FDA and make unsubstantiated claims of the pills being a magical cure-all?  Hmmm.

We Americans are now victims of the biggest con and scam ever perpetrated on our country.  It’s not too late. To avoid being scammed, you must practice due diligence.  Having done that, if you still vote for Trump, then you have truly been “Okey Doked!”