President Trump said there were good people at this Charlottesville, Virginia 2017 protest against removing statues of Confederate generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson from public view.
This Al.com CALL TO ACTION was in my email in box this morning, my reply follows it.
The Barbershop
OPINIONRoy S. Johnson: America is ready to elect a female president, especially when women's rights are at stakeThe young preacher stood on the stage Sunday morning and read scripture. In it, God speaks to Joshua, informing him that Moses, who led the Israelites to the precipice of the Promised Land at the Jordan River, had passed on; it was now up to Joshua lead them across.
“Arise,” God commands.
“Help me share the title of my sermon,” the young preacher implored of the congregants.“I Think It’s Time…,” he continued and paused, “… to Move On.”Less than an hour later, almost synchronized with the young preacher wrapping the sermon, Joe Biden announced that he was moving on. That he would not seek re-election as President of the United States. That, at 81 years old and amid an unyielding turbulence stirred by his disastrous June 27 debate performance, it was “in the best interest of [the Democratic] party and the country for me to stand down.”
To put patriotism above pride. To put wisdom over wounds. To move on.
“A sign of maturity as believers,” at one crescendo the young preacher charged, “is when you allow God to interrupt your plan with His.”
Now, it’s time for the rest of us to move on, too.
Move on towards the most bizarre—and most consequential—presidential election I’ve seen in my lifetime. And I’ve seen a few; 17, if someone’s counting. Though, the first (a rematch between Republican incumbent Gen. Dwight Eisenhower and Democrat Adlai Sevenson) occurred when I was just eight months old. I may have slept through it.
Move on towards what will no doubt be the ugliest, most predictably banal presidential election in my lifetime. One pitting a 78-year-old Republican/convicted felon with barely a passing relationship with truth against (most likely) a 59-year-old Democrat/vice president who gives many Americans pause because of her tenure as California prosecutor, her flailed and failed 2020 presidential bid, and her stilted role coordinating international efforts to address the “root causes” of migration at the southern border.
Move on towards Donald Trump vs. Kamala Harris 2024.
That’s not official, of course, and won’t be until 4,700 delegates vote at the Democratic National Convention next month in Chicago (at least two states, Louisiana and North Carolina met Sunday night and unanimously voted to support Harris). Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison asserts there will be no Olympian baton-handoff in this race. “In the coming days, the party will undertake a transparent and orderly process to move forward,” he said in a statement. “This process will be governed by established rules and procedures of the party. Our delegates are prepared to take seriously their responsibility in swiftly delivering a candidate to the American people.”
Yeah, okay; the wagons are clearly circling and fueling in support of the vice president.
Biden quickly endorsed Harris, triggering rolling waves of callouts from almost every Democratic nook and crevice (save some curious yet powerful holdouts) and a tsunami of money. By 9:30p Sunday, just hours after Biden’s letter was posted on X, ActBlue, the Democratic online grassroots fundraising platform, had hauled in more than $52 million and counting, the most in any single day since the death of former Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in 2020, according to Dem strategist Matt McDermott.
Before I went to bed, tallies noted that more than $67 million was raised. And counting.
Much of it as more than 44,000 Black women (the Dems’ most formidable constituency) convened on a Zoom hosted by Win with Black Women for more than four hours, purportedly to hear speakers talk about rules governing the Democratic party’s nomination process (wink). That’s all I know because men were not allowed to join (cameras had to be on) and my wife won’t break the thick black line’s sister-code of silence.
(Not that I was trying to listen through the wall, but by the end of the call, those sisters were having chuch—Ebonics for church. And passing the plate. Before logging off, they announced in social media having raised more than $1.5 million among participants, in increments as small as $3.)
The most prominent voice that has not yet hoisted Harris belongs to Barack Obama. The former president released a statements peaking glowingly of his former VP yet did not mention Harris’ name.
“We will be navigating uncharted waters in the days ahead,” he stated in part. “But I have extraordinary confidence that the leaders of our party will be able to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges.”
It makes you go—with apologies to Arsenio Hall—hmmm, but if you think Michelle is striding through the door to save the Dems, spare yourself the disappointment.
The young preacher exclaimed: “You can’t let mourning keep you from moving…”
It will get ugly, but we’re used to ugly.
Republicans have been throwing spit-wads at Harris for weeks, like petulant school bullies (who are usually more scared of their own shadow than their target). They’ve long labeled her a “DEI VP,” a cute effort to taint her credentials. Meanwhile, Trump picks a 39-year-old self-proclaimed hillbilly from Ohio to presumably be inclusive of, well, Ohio hillbillies and millennials.
And in a clear sign of desperation, major Trump campaign advisor Jason Miller reportedly told NBA that one of Harris’ major issues is that “she wants to ban plastic straws,” again according to Matt McDermott.
Yes, I am going to use the cliché: That’s the kind of grasping-at-plastic-straws we can expect to entertain us in the next three-plus months.
We’ve never elected a female president, shamefully so. We pride ourselves on being a global leader while being a global laggard in electing a female leader.
There are today 27 female elected or appointed chief executives around the world. That doesn’t include two presidents-elect — Halla Tómasdóttir of Iceland and Mexico’s Claudia Sheinbaum — who won races earlier this year and will soon assume office. Almost 30 nations have done what we have not. Not officially. In 2016, Sen. Hilary Clinton got more votes than the other guy in 2016— 65,853,514 to 62,984,828—yet lost due to our outdated election Abacus, a.k.a. the Electoral College.
So don’t tell me Harris can’t win. She can. America is ready to elect a female president—especially in an election against a party that has stripped women of their most preciously personal right with systemic intent. (Anything they say attempting to dispute that is, yes, grasping at plastic straws.)
It won’t be easy. It will be work. And it will be ugly.
Failing a two-strikes-two-out-bottom-of-the-ninth-swing for the fence strategy, Harris, who vowed to “earn and win,” will all but certainly choose a white male running mate to satiate those who still need that comfort food before marking their ballot.
He’ll be, yeah, a “DEI” pick, chosen to help secure a vital swing state like Pennsylvania, North Carolina, or Indiana.
“Maybe your current path is the method, not the mission,” the young preacher said. “We marry methods instead of missions. We must hold methods loosely but hold the mission tightly. God may call you to divorce a method so you can marry a mission.”
And the church said … time on move on.
And get to work.I was raised by good people who encouraged me to be a good man and surround myself with good people. If I did, they said, good things would happen. I am a member of the National Association of Black Journalists’ Hall of Fame, an Edward R. Murrow Award winner, and a Pulitzer Prize finalist for commentary. My column appears on AL.com, and digital editions of The Birmingham News, Huntsville Times, and Mobile Press-Register. Tell me what you think at rjohnson@al.com, and follow me at twitter.com/roysj, or on Instagram @roysj.
I emailed Roy:
Good morning, RoyI clicked the link and read all of your article- well said.This 81+ year-old white guy born in Hillman Hospital in Birmingham and raised in Mountain Brook thinks if Kamala wins the Electoral College vote, Trump and his MAGAs and RepubliKlans will fight it legally and militarily. Yet that is a far better future than Trump winning the Electoral College vote in November and there are no more free federal elections in America and red states, or any states.Consider, after Trump was sworn in in 2017, Vladimir Putin was made president of Russia for life and Trump said on TV, I watched it, that he liked that idea, president for life.Consider this in my Apple newsfeed a few mornings back:Trump's Alarming New Rant Praising Dictators Shows Media Is Failing Us
As Trump openly celebrates authoritarian rule at a Michigan rally, prominent Never Trumper Rick Wilson reflects on what all this says about today's press corps—and what it means for our country.
At a rally in Michigan over the weekend, Donald Trump uncorked one of his longest rants ever in praise of the world’s autocrats, strongmen and dictators. He hailed Xi Jinping of China as “brilliant” for controlling 1.4 billion people “with an iron fist,” and described Xi, Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Hungary’s Viktor Orban as “tough” and “smart.” We talked to Rick Wilson, the prominent Never Trumper and Substacker, about Trump’s explicit campaign promise of authoritarian rule, the GOP’s enthusiastic embrace of it, and the media’s utter failure to alert voters to what’s coming. Listen to this episode here.Consider:Republican calls for ‘civil war’ if Trump losesOhio state senator makes comment at rally hosted by Donald Trump’s running mate JD VanceIona Cleave23 July 2024 • 12:33pmA Republican state senator has called for “civil war” if Donald Trump loses the November presidential election.George Lang, an Ohio lawmaker, made the comment as he introduced JD Vance at his first solo campaign event since becoming Trump’s running mate.After taking to the stage fist-raised and shouting Trump’s post-shooting battle cry: “Fight! Fight!”, Mr Lang warned of an existential threat facing Americans. He declared in front of a large, heated crowd in Ohio: “We are in the fight for the soul of our nation… for our kids, for our grandkids, it is a fight we can never imagine.“I believe wholeheartedly, Donald Trump and Butler County’s JD Vance are the last chance to save our country. Politically, I’m afraid if we lose this one, it’s going to take a civil war to save the country.”Mr Lang said the Make America Great Again movement would be able to win such a war. “It will be saved. It’s the greatest experiment in the history of mankind,” he added.The politician, who represents the hometown of Mr Vance, was forced to apologise later on Monday after Kamala Harris’s team accused the Trump-Vance campaign of “sowing hatred” and threatening their rivals.“I regret the divisive remarks in the excitement of the moment on stage,” Mr Lang wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Especially in light of the assassination attempt on President Trump last week, we should all be mindful of what is said at political events, myself included.”Mr Vance held the rally at his former high school in suburban Middletown where he played up his local ties, praised running mate Trump and attacked the now presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris.“I was told I was going to debate Kamala Harris and now President Trump’s going to get to debate her,” Mr Vance said to laughs. “I’m kind of p---ed off about that.
Mr Vance also threw into question Ms Harris’ patriotism, saying that when she gives a speech, “she talks about the history of this country not with appreciation but with condemnation”.He added: “If you want to lead this country, you should feel grateful for it… And I never hear that gratitude come through when I listen to Kamala Harris.”Consider Vance did not rebuke Lang when he called for civil war if Trump loses in November.Consider Vance likened Trump to Hitler in 2016 and for many other reasons said he didn’t like Trump back then.Consider Vance wrote the Foreword for the soon to be released book version of the right wing Project 25, which calls for a second American revolution, which will be peaceful- if the American left goes along with it.Consider the white Charlottesville, Virginia mob and Swastika and Confederate flags protest against removal from public of Confederate monuments, whom President Trump said were good people.Consider the white mobs at Trump rallies and the January 6, 2021 insurrection led by Trump, and the Trump rally where Trump was shot in his right ear.A picture is worth a thousand words, res ipsa loquitur, Aryan Nation led by Donald J. Trump.Consider when Trump says the 2020 election was stolen, his Aryan Nation knows he means “stolen by blacks".Consider when Trump and his daddy owned apartment buildings in New York City, they did not rent to blacks.
Consider when Trump was married to Ivana, he kept this book of Hitler’s speeches in a cabinet on his side of their bed, and sometimes he read it at night, and when asked if he had the book, he said, if he did, he didn’t read it.If you have any influence with Kamala Harris, Roy, please point out all of the above to her and ask her to say it to the press, in TV interviews, and during debates with Trump. This is not the time for Kamala not to play the race card against Trump and his Aryan Nation.Sincerely,Sloan Bashinsky,former Birmingham practicing attorney, who clerked for United States District Judge Clarence W. Allgood, who presided over every federal criminal prosecution in north Alabama. Before his appointment to the Federal Bench, Judge Allgood piloted the national debtors court in Birmingham, and wrote the national debtors court law passed by Congress. He is the first person I memorialized in A FEW REMARKABLE PEOPLE I HAVE KNOWN.The second is the daughter of Alabama plantation slaves, who loved and raised me as her own in my white family’s home. During the time of troubles in Birmingham, Sister Charlotte Washington on her days off from working for my family went into black churches and counseled her people to be patient with their white brothers and sisters. If my beloved “Cha" were alive today, she would tell her people to recall how slow Donald Turmp was in 2016 to say maybe he didn’t want the endorsement of former Klu Klux Klan grand dragon and imperial wizard and Louisiana state legislator David Duke, and they should back Kamala Harris as if their and their families’ lives, freedom and souls depend on it.That book can be read for free at these links:
https://archive.org/details/a-few-remarkable-alabama-people-i-have-known_202210
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