The Susan Sequel

“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent”. This quote by Eleanor Roosevelt is one of my favorites and I’ve used it, in various forms, repeatedly throughout my life. I love quotes; as a history nerd, I view them as both a window to the past and a commentary on today’s society. That is why I am disturbed by the many things that were said by our “leaders” this week (sadly, I use this word lightly); I am appalled that these words will define this period of time and even more appalled by those who think that these same words don’t matter.

This week, Donald Trump said… “on behalf of our nation, I want to apologize to Brett and the entire Kavanaugh family for the terrible pain and suffering you have been forced to endure”. If you read my blog last week, you won’t be surprised to hear that I find this statement repugnant on every single level. First, I DO NOT give Trump the right to apologize to anyone on my behalf; I still believe Christine Blasley Ford, I still think the FBI investigation was a complete sham and I still think Kavanaugh is entirely unfit for the bench (for my detailed reasons why, please refer to Kava NOT, my post from October 4th). With that being said, the country was forced to listen as Trump, who personally apologizes for NOTHING, panders to yet another rich, white privileged male at the expense of women. And, if you don’t believe me, just watch as Trump’s rallying call to his base of “lock her up” no longer applies solely to Hillary Clinton, but has become nomenclature for ANY Democratic woman who dares to disagree with him (i.e. Senator Diane Feinstein and Representative Maxine Waters, just to name a few). Only when Trump decides to apologize to every single person he has offended in the last three years (Gold Star families, Serge Kovaleski, LeBron James, Don Lemon, Kathy Griffith and Mika Brzezinski, just to name a few), will I even begin to consider allowing him to apologize on my behalf.

Which brings us to Melania Trump, who I find to be a vile, classless excuse for a First Lady (we can begin with her staunch birtherism positions if you would like to debate this particular issue). This week, Melania gave an interview to Good Morning America, in which she stated that…. “I could say that I’m the most bullied person in the world”. After a collective groan was heard round the world (cue the violins), it became painfully obvious that she has never actually met her husband; who, besides degrading numerous people and locations (“shithole countries”, anyone), has a penchant for locking children in cages and debasing anyone who isn’t white. And DO NOT even get me started on the jacket Melania chose to wear on her recent visit to a child internment camp in Texas, boldly stating… “I really don’t care, do you” (just this week, Melania finally admitted that she intentionally wore this jacket “for the people and for the left-wing media who are criticizing me'”). If celebrating the bullying movement is what she was shooting for, then Melania’s #BeBest campaign is off to a spectacular (albeit, hypocritical) start.

My next favorite quote of the week comes from one of my least favorite politicians ever. This week, Senator Mitch McConnell, in discussing the debacle that was the Kavanaugh confirmation, said “reason and deliberation triumphed over what was literally, literally, an attempt to sway the Senate using mob tactics”. Sadly, “mob rule” is the GOP’s new euphemism for Freedom of Speech and an obscene scare tactic, as the GOP have established themselves as the most hypocritical collection of politicians ever to inhabit D.C.  In fact, the GOP has been condoning mob rule since Trump first rode down that escalator to announce his bid for the Presidency (a very tragic day, indeed). Does anyone in the GOP remember Trump calling white supremacists “very fine people” after Heather Heyer, a peaceful demonstrator, was murdered in the violent rally at Charlottesville? And, does anyone in the GOP remember Trump’s early campaign rallies, where he proudly told his minions to “knock the crap out of [protestors]… I will pay for the legal fees.” For this, I say to McConnell and the rest of the self-righteous GOP, “people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.”

I find it ironic that, in an age where EVERYTHING is recorded and documented (and replayed ad- nauseam), that public figures are competing to say the most outlandish and ridiculous things, regardless of the ease of proving the truth. It’s audacious that lying has become so common-place that we almost expect it from our leaders and have come to ignore it, many focusing on only the end result. Lying is not okay; the Media cannot let it be okay. We cannot teach our children that their behavior is irrelevant, that “the ends justify the means”.

If you couldn’t tell, today’s political climate disgusts me. The fact that the GOP is trying to label the Democrats as the party of “mob rule” is merely a sad statement of self-projection and a bold-faced lie (just take a gander at any Trump rally, which, more often than not, resembles a mob-fueled KKK convention). If you want this country to actually #BeBest, we need to start at the top, expect more from our leaders, and actually hold them accountable to that standard.

I hope, at this point, that everyone is registered to vote and is planning to vote at home or at the polls! I promise that all my posts won’t be political, but there is just so much going on right now that I find it hard to stay silent (bet you all wish I was at a “loss for words” right about now). With that in mind, have a good week and let me know if you have any favorite quotes! Word!