Wednesday, August 26, 2020. Human Rights Watch calls out the targeting of Iraqi activists, Turkey bombs to death two Iraqi civilians and we take a look at the RNC and at a very xenophobic response to one speech.
The Republican convention continues this week. Last night Malania Trump spoke.
Good evening, it seems like
just yesterday that we were at our first convention, where my husband
accepted the Republican nomination and then became our 45th president of
the United States. He had the energy and enthusiasm for (someone) who
should lead this nation. It's real today as it was four years ago. I
know I speak for my husband and the entire family when I say we have not
forgotten the incredible people who were willing to take a chance on
the businessman who has never worked in politics. We know it was you who
elected him to be commander in chief. And we know it is you who will
carry us through again. We were humbled by the incredible support then
and we are still grateful today.
I
want to acknowledge the fact that since March, our lives have changed
drastically. The invisible enemy, Covid-19, swept across our beautiful
country and impacted all of us. My deepest sympathy goes out to everyone
who has lost a loved one and my prayers are with those who are ill or
suffering. I know many people are anxious and some feel helpless. I want
you to know you are not alone. My husband's administration will not
stop fighting until there is an effective treatment or vaccine available
to everyone. Donald will not rest until he has done all he can to take
care of everyone impacted by this terrible pandemic. I want to extend my
gratitude to all of the health care professionals, front line workers
and teachers who stepped up in these difficult times. Despite the risk
to yourselves and your own families, you put our country first and my
husband and I are grateful. I have been moved by the way Americans have
come together in such an unfamiliar and often frightening situation. It
is in times like this that we will look back and tell our grandchildren
that through kindness and compassion, strength and determination, we
were able to restore the promise of our future. Businesses stepped up,
and volunteers stepped in. People were eager to share ideas, resources,
and support of all kinds with neighbors and strangers alike.
It
has been inspiring to see what the people of our great nation will do
for one another, especially when we are at our most fragile. Speaking of
strength and determination, we recently celebrated the 100 year
anniversary of the passage of the 19th amendment. Yesterday, on the
north lawn of the White House, we unveiled an exhibit dedicated to
women's suffrage. The exhibit called on children from across the country
to send art honoring the meaning of this important time in women's
history. When I was judging the entries, I reflected on the impact of
women's voices in our nation's story, and how proud I would be to cast
my vote again for Donald this November. We must make sure that women are
heard and that the American dream continues to thrive.
Growing
up as a young child in Slovenia, which was under communist rule at the
time, I always heard about an amazing place called America — a land that
stood for freedom and opportunity. As I grew older it became my goal to
move to the United States and follow my dream of working in the fashion
industry. My parents worked very hard to ensure our family could not
only leave and prosper in America, but also contribute to a nation that
allows for people to arrive with a dream and make it reality.
I
want to take the moment to thank my mother and father for all that they
have done for our family. It is because of you that I am standing here
today.
I arrived in the United
States when I was 26 years old. Living and working in the land of
opportunity was a dream come true, but I wanted more. I wanted to be a
citizen. After 10 years of paperwork and patience, I studied for the
test in 2006 and became an American citizen.
It
is still one of the proudest moments in my life, because with hard work
and determination I was able to achieve my own American dream. As an
immigrant and a very independent woman, I understand what a privilege it
is to live here and to enjoy the freedoms and opportunities that we
have. As first lady, I have been fortunate to see the American dream
come true over and over again. I have met many inspiring women,
children, parents, and families who have overcome life-changing issues
that include addiction, homelessness, family members who are ill or have
passed away, abuse of all kinds and many other challenges that would
make most people give up. The past 3-1/2 years have been unforgettable.
There are no words to describe how honored, humbled and fortunate I am
to serve our nation as your first lady.
After
many of the experiences I've had, I don't know if I can fully explain
how many people I take home with me in my heart each day. From brave
soldiers who give up so much so that we can be free to children of all
circumstances, who I have met around the world. Thank you for inspiring
me. It is my greatest honor to serve you. When I speak to members of the
military, despite sacrificing time with their families, (experiencing)
the fear of war or suffering loss, they have no regrets about serving
our country. The same goes for their families and the families of first
responders, who often watch their loved ones walk out the door, not sure
if or when they will come home. When I speak to families who have lost
someone, the pain mixed with pride I hear in their voices is something I
think about often. So thank you to all who serve our country in the
military and as first responders. And thank you to the families who wait
for them, you are all heroes in your own right. I have also been moved
by the many children and families I have spent time with at hospitals,
schools and other locations around the world. Children who are dealing
with pain or illness that would break even the strongest adult. Parents
who are grateful to wake up every day and see that their child is still
alive. These families are a testament to what faith and medicine,
strength and science can do.
On my
first international trip as first lady, my husband and I visited places
of great significance to the three major religions. Islam, Christianity
and Judaism, one special memory from the trip is of a young boy. I had
the privilege of visiting him while at Bambino Gesu hospital in Rome,
Italy. While there I read the little boy a story and learned that he and
his family had been waiting for a heart for a very long time and he had
a grim prognosis. His situation brought my staff and me to tears and we
spoke of little else as we flew to Belgium for the next part of our
trip. Upon landing just a few hours later, we learned that a heart had
been donated and would be going to the little one. I think about him
often. Along with so many amazing and strong young patients across our
own country. More profound and sadly unavoidable examples of our
country's strength and character have occurred in the communities that
have been impacted by natural disasters. Hurricanes, tornadoes, and
flooding must show the ugly side of mother nature but in their aftermath
they can show us a beautiful side of humanity. My husband and I have
visited many places that have been affected by natural disasters and we
are deeply moved by the strength of the people who have lost everything
and the kindness of neighbors and communities. The common thread in all
of these challenging situations is the unwavering resolve to help one
another.
I recognize the stories I
just told about people who survive extraordinary circumstances. But
Donald and I are also inspired by the millions of Americans who wake up
each day with a simple yet courageous goal of providing for their
families and keeping them safe. You are the backbone of this country.
You are the people who continue to make the united states of America
what it is, and who have the incredible responsibility of preparing our
future generations to leave everything even better than they found it.
Just
as you are fighting for your families, my husband, our family, and the
people in this administration are here fighting for you. No matter the
amount of negative or false media headlines or attacks from the other
side, Donald Trump has not and will not lose focus on you. He loves this
country and he knows how to get things done. As you have learned over
the past five years, he is not a traditional politician. He doesn't just
speak words. He demands action and he gets results. The future of our
country has always been very important to him, and it is something that I
have always admired.
In fact, it
is to help ensure a better future for our next generation that I
launched Be Best -- my initiative to help children achieve their fullest
potential. Be Best has one simple goal: teaching youth about the
importance of their well-being, both mentally and physically. This also
includes understanding online safety and the dangers of opioid and drug
abuse. Through Be Best, my office and I have been able to highlight
people and organizations that are doing extraordinary things in our
country and around the world. I continue to believe that by shining a
light on these positive examples others across the country will be
inspired to do their part or our next generation. Helping children is
not a political goal; it is our moral imperative.
When
I think back to a defining moment of Be Best, my mind goes to a trip I
took to Africa. On that vast and beautiful continent, I was able to
visit the countries of Ghana, Malawi, Kenya and Egypt. One of those
visits in particular had a profound impact on me. Ghana, on the coast of
West Africa, was the first stop on my trip and I experienced first-hand
its warm people and their traditions. While there, I visited the Cape
Coast Castle and learned more about the beginning of a cruel, and often
deadly, journey in the era of the slave trade. I was horrified when I
listened to the guides tell me so many inhumane stories and I gained new
perspectives. This time in our history, we must never forget so that we
can ensure that it never happens again.
Like
all of you, I have reflected on the racial unrest in our country. It is
a harsh reality that we are not proud of parts of our history. I
encourage people to focus on our future while still learning from our
past. We must remember that today we are all one community comprised of
many races, religions and ethnicities. Our diverse and storied history
is what makes our country strong, and yet we still have so much to learn
from one another.
With that in
mind, I'd like to call on the citizens of this country to take a moment,
pause, and look at things from all perspectives. I urge people to come
together in a civil manner, so we can work and live up to our standard
American ideals. I also ask people to stop the violence and looting
being done in the name of justice, and never make assumptions based on
the color of a person's skin. Instead of tearing things down, let's
reflect on our mistakes. Be proud of our evolution and look to our way
forward. Every day let us remember that we are one nation under God, and
we need to cherish one another.
My
husband's administration has worked to try and affect change when it
comes to issues around race and religion in this country. He is the
first president to address a special session of the United Nations
General Assembly to call upon countries across the world to end
religious persecution and honor the right of every person to worship as
they choose. He has made substantial investments in our historically
black colleges and universities. This president also continues to fight
for school choice, giving parents more options to help their children
flourish. My husband knows how to make a real change. From the day that I
met him, he has only wanted to make this country the best it can be.
For
many years, I watched him grow concerned and frustrated, and I'm so
proud to see the many things he has done in such a short time. America
is in his heart. So while at times, we only see the worst of people in
politics on the evening news, let's remember how we come together in the
most difficult times. And while debate rages on about issues of race,
let's focus on the strides we have made and work together for a better
tomorrow for everyone.
Our
administration has also devoted historic resources and produced
life-saving results by raising awareness around opioid addiction and
drug abuse, especially for children. When so often the headlines are
filled with gossip, I want to take this moment to encourage the media to
focus even more on the nation's drug crisis. This disease is one that
affects everybody. It pays no attention to race, age, or socioeconomic
status. Addiction has touched every part of our society in some way. And
now, more than ever, we have programs and medicine to combat it.
We
just need to talk about it openly, and you the media have the platforms
to make that happen. To the media industry and as a country I ask that
we all commit to helping in our fight against drug addiction by talking
about even more. Especially as we battle the Covid pandemic we need to
remember that suicides are on the rise as people who are struggling with
loneliness and addiction feel they have nowhere to turn. Parents,
please talk to your children. Teachers and caregivers pay attention to
signs of addiction. Lawmakers, pass legislation that allows those who
ask for help to do so safely and without fear and to provide resources
for organizations that help people impacted by addiction. When the
stigma is removed, people will no longer be ashamed to ask for help and
lives will be saved. And if you are struggling with addiction, there is
no shame in your illness. Please seek help, you are worth it. In my next
four years as first lady, I will continue to build upon "Be Best" and
work with individual states to back legislation to take care of our most
vulnerable. I plan to continue the work I have started with children in
foster care. As well as the minority community and tribal nations. I
want to ensure children are protected and communities have the resources
needed to combat drug addiction and child neglect or abuse. Like my
husband and the administration I will continue to encourage education
that supports a child's individual needs.
It
is vital that children are given the building blocks to succeed. I also
look forward to continue my work to restore the people's house, which
is a lasting symbol of pride for our nation. I believe this iconic home
needs to be care for and preserved so it can be enjoyed by the people of
this country and visitors from around the world for years to come. I am
passionate about this beautiful house, the grounds and all they
represent.
And now, I have a
special message for the mothers of this country. This modern world is
moving so fast, and our children face challenges that seem to change
every few months. Just like me, I know many of you watch how mean and
manipulative social media can be. And just like me I'm sure many of you
are looking for answers, how to talk to your children about the downside
of technology and their relationships with their peers.
Like
every parent in this country, I feel there is so many lessons to teach
our son and the responsibilities as his mother but there are just not
enough hours in the day to do it all. I remind myself that I am more
fortunate than most and still have days that I look for wisdom and
strength to do the very best I can for him. I am more fortunate than
most and still have days that I look for wisdom and strength to do the
very best I can for him. To mothers and parents everywhere you are
warriors. In my husband, you have a president who will not stop fighting
for you and your families. I see how hard he works day and night. And
despite the unprecedented attacks from the media and opposition he will
not give up. In fact, if you tell him it can not be done he just works
harder. Donald is a husband who supports me in all that I do. He has
built an administration with an unprecedented number of women in
leadership roles and has fostered an environment where the American
people are always the priority. He welcomes different points of view and
encourages thinking outside of the box. I know I speak for my husband
and the family when I say we are so grateful that you have trusted him
to be your president. We will be honored to serve this incredible
country for four more years.
As
you have heard this evening, I do not want to use this precious time
attacking the other side because as we saw last week, that kind of talk
only serves to divide the country further. I am here because we need my
husband to be our president and commander in chief for four more years.
He is what is best for our country. We all know Donald Trump makes no
secrets about how he feels about things. Total honesty is what we as
citizens deserve from our president, whether you like it or not, you
always know what he is thinking. And that is because he is an authentic
person who loves this country and its people and wants to continue to
make it better. Donald wants to keep your family safe, he wants to help
your family succeed. He wants nothing more than for this country to
prosper and he doesn't waste time playing politics.
Almost
four years ago, we went into election day completely underestimated.
Despite what is being said again this year, I know, just as you do that
Americans will go to the polls and vote on the behalf of their families,
our economy, our national security and our children's futures. To vote
for those ideals, is not a partisan vote, it is a common sense vote.
Because those are goals and hopes that we all believe in. I believe that
we need my husband's leadership now more than ever in order to bring us
back once again to the greatest economy and the strongest country ever
known. God bless you all, your families, and god bless the United States
of America.
We are noting the speech because there are things I do not tolerate. Those things would include attacking someone because they have an accent.
Malania's English is fine, possibly perfect. She has subject-verb down, for example. This is not her native tongue. So great job learning English -- one of many languages that she speaks.
If she didn't speak English well, it would be understandable and nothing to mock, but she speaks English very well.
I've not dealt with Malania here and I've only really noted her in a piece Ava and I did in 2016 about a comedy show -- one we had been looking forward to -- thought the way to represent Malania Trump was to mock her accent. This was done by a woman of color, a woman who herself had been mocked, a woman we know. And we were grossly disappointed in that woman.
Last night, Bette Midler chose to mock Malania.
I don't like Bette, I never have. I will give her credit when she does something right (she was excellent in season two of THE CANDIDATE, for example) but she's always been too rough and too much of a liar. I have always spoken out for LGBTQ so it amazed me, for example, when Bette's career was resurrected by DISNEY, Bette pretended not to know any gay people. She didn't know what went on in those baths she was performing in, for example. There's a VANITY FAIR cover story of Bette that resulted in everyone laughing at her and hastening the end of her film career as a leading lady. It was so many lies.
Bette's hard and she's rough and she's street and she's tacky. And she demonstrated it last night with her Tweet. She should be ashamed of herself.
The United States is a nation of many immigrants. Bette spat on every one last night. What Malania had to say didn't matter to Bette. She just wanted to mock Malania.
Bette looks hard, tough and mean-spirited. It's a look she's known for in the industry.
There was no need for it. Elaine noted Jonathan Turley on two adults terrorizing a small child because he had a MAGA hat.
Where is Joe Biden?
These are his supporters.
Joe and his campaign are at war. I was asked about that hat incident. I said get Joe in front of the camera, have him speak to the fact that it was wrong, have him say it's wonderful when any child in America knows who the president is and that we can support who we want in this country. None of that would have been hard for him or out of character for him. They attempted to talk him into doing it. At one point, he was going to and then he decided no, he wouldn't. It's a shame. It would have made him seem a lot more caring. Americans would have applauded it because, outside of the Bette Midlers, who's going to be so low as to support adults terrorizing a child. (I hope both women are sent to prison, that's what should happen. They are old enough to know better and they have no excuse for what they did.)
Joe claims he would restore the tone if he were president. Taking on that incident, calling it out, would go a long way towards backing up that claim. He probably won't call out Bette Midler's nonsense either.
What she did was hideous. Not criminal, but it was hideous. She made a lot of people question themselves -- "Do people think that about me when I speak?"
There is nothing wrong with an accent.
And anyone that has come to the US speaking another language and has learned English needs to be applauded because they learned a foreign language. Many born in the US know only one language.
There is no excuse for the bias and hatred aimed at immigrants and it's appalling whether it comes from someone on the right or someone on the left.
In an overt appeal to racism, his wife declared, “They’re not
satisfied with spreading the violence and chaos into our communities,
they want to abolish the suburbs altogether, by ending single-family
home zoning. This forced rezoning would bring crime, lawlessness and
low-quality apartments into now thriving suburban neighborhoods… So,
make no mistake, no matter where you live, your family will not be safe
in the radical Democrats’ America.”
Whether you agree with his analysis or not, please note that Barry took on the speech itself, he did not attack an immigrant for having an accent.
What Bette did was vile.
No immigrant deserved that. It's amazing the xenophobia and racism that Bette and so many others have gotten away with.
I hope I'm making it clear how offensive that was. In case I'm not, this is from Ava and my "TV: MAYA & MARTY" from June of 2016 and we're referring to Lorne Michaels in the first sentence below:
Maybe a non-elderly man who wasn't cloistered in Manhattan would've
realized last week's skit mocking Melania Trump was crossing a line?
Melania Trump, for those who do not know, is the latest woman unfortunate enough to be married to Donald Trump.
For some reason, she was mocked by Maya Rudolph in a skit whose 'humor'
revolved around the fact that Melania has an accent because she was born
in Slovenia.
That's progressive humor?
Mocking someone because of their accent?
Turning them into "the other"?
It's amazing how often, on the left, we drop our beliefs if we think it
will help us. It's why so many will quickly traffic in racism (hello,
David Brock) or sexism (Keith Olbermann, you are never forgotten) to
attempt a takedown 'from the left.'
It was a disgusting moment.
It was also a puzzling one.
If you needed to do political -- and we honestly do not believe a summer
variety show needs to -- skit, last week it would have made more sense
to do a skit about Hillary Clinton's e-mails since all of her public
statements were rebuked by the report from the State Department's
Inspector General.
So a skit on that would have at least passed for timely.
Even stranger still, the skit featured Kate McKinnon.
That would be the same McKinnon whose been getting laughs this year and
last on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE for her impersonation of candidate Hillary
Clinton.
But McKinnon didn't play Hillary.
She just participated in a tasteless skit making fun of the fact that a foreign-born person had an accent.
It was offensive and it wasn't funny -- not even in a so-crudely-offensive-you-laugh-in-shock manner.
Four years later and we're still putting up with this nonsense?
Better days are coming but not fast enough. As Cass sang, "There's a new world coming."
Although Turkey’s military incursions targeting Kurds in Iraq are not
new, Baghdad’s response to its latest round of hostilities is
unprecedented. Iraq’s newly instated prime minister, Kadhimi, has
pledged to reexamine some of Baghdad’s regional relationships. Kadhimi’s
political platform centers on the prioritization of Iraq’s sovereignty
and condemnation of foreign intervention in the country. He has
consistently denounced Iran’s interference in Iraq’s political sphere,
as well as the scope of US military presence on the ground.
Although Kadhimi views Turkey’s military
presence in Northern Iraq as a threat to its sovereignty, he will
likely stop at diplomatic measures to counter Ankara’s violations.
Kadhimi is currently grappling with escalating US-Iranian conflict on
Iraqi soil, economic collapse, the spread of coronavirus and rebuilding
his citizens trust in government. The prime minister cannot afford to
completely cut off ties or to wage military action against its neighbor
amid this uncertainty. Ankara’s surge in military action in the Iraq’s
northern districts is likely intended to test the prime minister’s
resolve in countering foreign presence. In fact, Turkey’s foreign
ministry announced it would sustain its cross-border operations against
Kurds in northern Iraq as long as Baghdad continues to “overlook the
militants’ presence in the region.”
Does the prime minister have the strength to defend Iraq's national sovereignty? He doesn't appear to have the strength to defend Iraqi activists at present. This morning, Human Rights Watch's Belkis Wille Tweets:
#Basra gunmen killed 2 activists, wounded 4- situation in Iraq has reached point where armed groups can shoot members of civ society in streets with impunity. Not sure whether federal gov is even able to rein in violence or ensure justice for victims https://hrw.org/news/2020/08/26/iraq-basra-political-group-targeted…
