Around Chanuka time, one sometimes hears a story of a house that has in its window a menorah celebrating the Jewish holiday, being defaced. Whether this was done by teenage hooligans, motivated by anti-Semitism, or the act of a disturbed Jew, a number of Christian neighbors’ immediate response is to buy a menorah and place it in their windows. It is a sign that they stand against hatred.
In honor of that, I have an idea. Teenage boys from Covington School were bullied for being white, male, Catholic, pro-life and Trump fans. The bullies were, in many cases, powerful people who at other times deride bullying. They include pundits, media personalities, actors and others. Some of them have apologized for their actions; others have doubled down and are still wallowing in their venom.
Let’s declare a date, perhaps February 7th, thus giving everyone time to prepare, as “Wear a MAGA Hat Day.” The ladies on The View, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, New York Times journalists, Al Sharpton and others who despise Donald Trump can make a true statement that disagreeing politically with an adult is one thing, but demeaning, threatening and bashing children is something entirely different. Who knows? Maybe the far Left might even reach the point of declaring that demeaning, threatening and physically attacking adults with whom they disagree is worth denouncing.
Dear Susan and RDL, I know this post calls for Feb 7, just two days from now, to wear a MAGA hat, and my family doesn’t own any. We, however, might find another creative way to color a sign or to respond in solidarity then and even on April 24. I’ll have to consider it.
Every now and then, I find myself delighted about many youthful individuals and at other times I find myself frustrated by them. I don’t think this is a limited experience in human history when I reflect upon my own youth. The term naive occasionally comes to mind when I hear political commentary by such people as Ben Shapiro, Michael Knowles, or Liz Wheeler. It also comes to mind when I read comments by people who post here and elsewhere about President Trump’s language or his tweets. I find it frustrating that many people, on the one hand, like it when they think our president has scored and, on the other hand, they’re totally flipped out when they think that he’s failed. My husband and I read the president’s tweets every night together except when we celebrate our Sabbath away from them. This experience, alongside nearly everyone to the right or to the left of the political spectrum who complain about his tweets, reminds me that many aren’t actually reading them! Additionally, I recently read an article by one of our more well known youths who lumped this president’s supporters into one category and his dissenters into another. Hopefully, a bit of age on this influential individual will help him to write less sloppily; in his article “When Checks And Balances Fail”, the following statement was written:
“Proponents of President Trump would like to see power centralized in the presidency; antagonists of President Trump would like to see power centralized in the FBI.”
Nothing could be further from the truth, for me and for many folks that I know, than the “Proponents of President Trump” statement; however, I do think that the Left wing would like for America to be policed by its ideologies (they’re succeeding at doing this in our neighboring northern country, Canada.) I also recall just how many spineless Republicans talked about Jeff Sessions being an unbiased individual. I think this man can’t stand President Trump and he is completely biased against him for his own egotistical reason(s).
I also suspect that many of President Trump’s supporters are there because he resoundingly offers the following idea during his rallies: “You win.” I know that our president’s ego is big, but his ego is lifted by his humility for the ‘average man.’ He relates to men and he is a man. I definitely think that he is doing a great job for many, and I think that he appreciates being able to lift others up who are on his team. But a majority of us are interested in seeing power de-centralized generally! I think that Pres. Trump would like for that to happen as well.
I also think that we have a horribly deep, corrupt state. I think that Mueller was involved with the Uranium One deal years ago and that the dealings from the first Clinton administration must be covered up. I think that we have too much underlying evidence to ignore what is truly happening in our government (thanks to Tom Fitton at Judicial Watch as well.) There is a real conspiracy to cover-up crimes led by the Democrats and Republicans to keep their dealings under cover from the American people. This is why, I think, that a lot of people do not want to know what their leaders are doing.
Consider this:
It is difficult to miss the Left’s true agenda if we take time (history) into consideration. Our public schools are not the same as they were for a short period in history; I say short because there were things about them that were not good in the past as well. However, now they’re mostly breeding grounds for the Left; they’re brainwashing schools. No critical thinking skills are needed to apply for a teaching job, just teach what the school tells you to teach from the Federal Government’s requirements. I think it is a fool’s system; real diversity flows from our localized experiences. Thank goodness for home education and school choice!
Our president’s greatest strength lies in his ability think strategically in the moment. He does occasionally say dumb things, but our former president B. O. took dumb statements to new heights many more times than our current president!
Take care y’all and I hope that you’ll have a great week.
Very insightful post. I have to say that when we wrote about MAGA hat day it was tongue in cheek. We didn’t really think of people doing it on masse. We just wanted to make a point.
I did think that the MAGA hat was likely done toungue in cheek; however, it’s a pretty good idea.
Regardless, I have thought for some time since Jeff Sessions resigned that he was working in the Trump candicacy as a ‘mole’ or some kind of person to stand in the way of President Trump. We were actually promised that we could expect lawsuit after lawsuit after lawsuit. Doesn’t the Covington Catholic School scenario also play into this type of distraction? The Native American man lied to the public on TV! He just went on there and told lie after lie. Who do you suppose paid this guy?
I don’t know how many others are seeing and hearing what my family and I see and hear each day. At the time of Presient Clinton’s impeachment, I had two toddlers and a 5th grade daughter attending public school. I watched the entire impeachment trial on PBS. I also happened to read a bunch of new and old political books including but not limited to around and after that time: The Federalist Papers (Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay), America’s Real War (Rabbi Daniel Lapin), The Death of Outrage (William J. Bennet), Why We Can’t Wait & Strength To Love (Martin Luther King, Jr.), The Road To Serfdom (F. A. Hayek).
Later, after 9/11/01 took place, I read a bunch more political books. And before all of this took place, my husband was in Somalia, Africa when the truck bombs were set off during the February 1993 attack in the World Trade Center. We were told a lie to get Americans involved in Somalia as well; we went because there was a “FAMINE!” Well, there was a darn civil war over there. My husband saw, first hand, the UN’s disastrous corruption while he and his fellow Marines were in both Mogadishu & Bardera, Somalia.
I have political perspective in mind when I watch the news unfold each day. The bottom line is the money; at the end, many politicians will sell their souls for money. It’s always about having the power to control wealth. Especially when you consider the net worths of many individuals: Christopher Wray is estimated to be worth between $23 & $42 million dollars according to a calculation by the WSJ; and James Comey’s net worth is $11+ million dollars. Corruption is difficult for politicians to avoid apparently. The top DOJ & FBI people are political pundits working to thwart the ‘Rule of Law’ in America because it benefits them and their friends in Congress. We (Americans) get what we deserve when we vote unfortunately.
I saw somewhere
Maga hat day was April 24 and I have been telling people that date. I hope we can make this a hugh national event. A time for us to show our President and the swamp our deep commitment, respect and love.
I believe they are planning a coup and need to see we will not just sit back and allow it to happen. We need the time to make it happen. Thank you. Diane Roberts
What about the fact that Trump had a negative nickname for every single person that ran against him? Whether it be in his own party or the opposing party. Does he bear any responsibility in The Bullying that’s going on in this country today? Or is he exempt? When he said, “I just grab them by the pussy” that’s when I decided I wasn’t going to vote for him. And I’m quite surprised at who is ok with that statement and who is not.
Hi Sandy,
We know absolutely nobody who “is ok with that statement”. However that doesn’t contradict the observation that President Trump might be the best president that America has had in thirty years. I know you certainly didn’t mean to sound sanctimonious but the things that are important in choosing a son-in-law are not the same as in choosing an auto mechanic and are not the same as in choosing a heart surgeon. Yes, it would be lovely to have a president who we can all admire in every aspect of his life, but that train left the station with JF Kenney let alone Bill Clinton.
Trump had nicknames for opponents? No, really? I’m shocked! C’mon dear Sandy, what planet are you living on? I served on a presidential commission for President George W Bush who had a nasty habit of assigning diminutive nicknames for those who worked for him. Michael D Brown, director of FEMA didn’t like W calling him “Brownie” but what could he do?
Anyone who seriously wants to lay responsibility for “bullying” whatever that loose and undefined crime means, upon the head of the president must declare their bonafides by laying the responsibility for horribly deteriorated black/white relations upon the head of his predecessor.
The only really relevant question is whether Trump has made better decisions, appointed better judges, and done more for the economy than Hillary would have done?
To be frank, anyone who has any doubts on those questions, obviously has more fundamental disagreements with Trump than a decade-old vulgarity and nicknames.
Thanks for writing, Sandy.
Cordially,
RDL
I have to say that I have a slightly different answer to Sandy’s question, but as you know we have guests coming for Shabbat and I will only be able to answer today if I have everything ready – and I am far from that now. But I will get back to this on Sunday.
Dear Sandy, When ex-President Bill Clinton was Governor of Arkansas, he would get his state police to ferry him around saying, “Lets go see the porch monkeys”. This was told to me by a former driver. Not only that, he made performance remarks about his various trysts. And what about Mrs. Clinton calling people who live in trailer parks as “Trailer Trash”. I do not like any of this, but I gave Hillary money for her candidacy in 2008. I was hoping for someone to turn America’s economy for the better. Bill Clinton had much improved our economy when president. Who will throw the first stone, Sandy?
Sandy, I knew I couldn’t vote for Hillary after years of watching and listening to her. I found the choice for president to be between two people who used vulgar language and didn’t treat women in a respectful manner. They washed each other out on that criteria. However, Hillary used the power of government and her official position to damage women who threatened her husband’s power (and her own) while Trump’s statements were those of a private citizen, so I judged her more harshly.
I do think that President Trump is part of the bullying culture in terms of language and I would love to have a president who could raise the level of the country’s culture. Unfortunately, I don’t think that such a person could have won the election. We get the leaders we deserve. Only someone who was willing to get down in the mud with the Clintons and the mainstream media in the last election cycle could beat them, in my opinion. So, I think of President Trump in the same way as I think of General Patton. In terms of language and demeanor he isn’t someone I hold up as a representation of manhood to my grandsons (though the last president to fit that bill for me was Ronald Reagan) however I am grateful that he is president and have no doubt that the country has more of a chance of surviving and turning around under him than it would have under Hillary.
Rabbi Lapin, I agree this MAGA HAT DAY would be a GREAT event to show our solidarity, and we (wife and I) would find a MAGA hat to wear that day. The treatment of these children, being pulled into the national limelight and mistreated by powerful/influential people using national bully-pulpits, was ABSOLUTELY DEPLORABLE. We have never participated in such events, but we stand with you and would even travel to attend such an event simply to be in attendance with a group like-minded people interested in standing for the TRUTH. Tom & Lynn Keith
Dear Tom and Lynn-
These days it has become an act of courage to wear a red MAGA cap which is why I feel called upon to do so and demonstrate (to myself) that I am able to stand up to the real bullying in our culture.
Thanks for your friendship and support,
Cordially
RDL