#arlington cemetery debate

[aanews69]

物語をお届けします。 また、独自の作成方法に関するガイド、ヒント、コツも提供します。このチャンネルは、私たちの机に出くわすランダムなものに専念しています。

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Nick Anderson

* * * *

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

October 8, 2024

Heather Cox Richardson

Oct 08, 2024

“It’s been a tradition for more than half a century that the major party candidates for president sit down with 60 Minutes in October,” host Scott Pelley said to the camera last night before 60 Minutes aired an interview with Vice President Kamala Harris. This year, both Harris and Republican nominee former president Donald Trump accepted an invitation for an interview.

“Then a week ago,” Pelley said, “Trump backed out. The campaign offered shifting explanations. First it complained that we would fact-check the interview. We fact-check every story,” Pelley said. “Later, Trump said he needed an apology for his interview in 2020. Trump claims correspondent Leslie Stahl said in that interview that Hunter Biden’s controversial laptop came from Russia. She never said that.

“Trump has said his opponent doesn’t do interviews because she can’t handle them. He had previously declined another debate with Harris, so tonight may have been the largest audience for the candidates between now and election day. Our questions addressed the economy, immigration, reproductive rights, and the wars in the Middle East and Europe. Both campaigns understood this special would go ahead if either candidate backed out.”

And with that, 60 Minutes aired its interview with Vice President Harris.

Trump broke a fifty-year tradition so his false world would not be challenged by reality. He apparently wants to make sure voters cannot base their decisions about the country’s future on facts. Hiding reality is in keeping with his continued refusal to release his tax returns or a medical report—even after the shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania—or the video from the incident at Arlington National Cemetery, instead insisting that people take him at his word about what happened. 

If voters trust his disinformation campaign, rather than thinking things through for themselves, who will his policies help? 

A bombshell story from a forthcoming book by veteran journalist Bob Woodward today revealed that in 2020, when he was president, Trump secretly shipped Covid-19 testing equipment to Russian president Vladimir Putin for his own personal use at a time when Americans could not get it.  

A Trump aide told Woodward that Trump and Putin have spoken as many as seven times since Trump left the White House, prompting Edward Luce of the Financial Times to comment: “What possible business could an out-of-office U.S. president have to call Vladimir Putin seven times?” Woodward recounts a moment when Trump told a senior aide to leave the room so “he could have what he said was a private phone call with Russian president Vladimir Putin.” 

The Woodward book also says that when South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham was visiting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also known as MBS, in March 2024, Graham said “Hey, let’s call Trump.” According to Woodward, an aide brought MBS a bag full of burner phones, one of which was labeled “TRUMP 45.”

This news highlights the fact that Trump retained classified documents when he left the White House, carrying them with him to Mar-a-Lago, where he tried to hide them from federal officials. A grand jury indicted him on 37 felony counts for those actions, but Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, dismissed the case in July after concluding that Special Counsel Jack Smith was improperly appointed.  

Trump’s campaign came out swinging after the story broke, with Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung calling Woodward “a total sleazebag who has lost it mentally.”

In contrast to Trump’s disinformation campaign, Vice President Harris is running a normal campaign, offering policy proposals. Today she proposed a plan to permit Medicare to help cover the costs of long-term home health care aides for seniors. Harris announced the plan on ABC’s The View, where she spoke of the so-called sandwich generation, people—mostly women—who are taking care of their elderly parents at the same time they are also taking care of children. “[I]t’s just almost impossible to do it all, especially if they work,” Harris said, adding that many end up having to leave their jobs. She also called for Medicare to cover vision and hearing care to enable seniors to live independently for longer.  

Harris said the money to pay for the new services will come from savings realized through Medicare’s new ability to negotiate drug prices—an ability Republicans are eager to end—and through cracking down on Medicare fraud. A fact sheet about the plan emphasizes that it will enable the government to work with the private sector to expand the home care workforce and provide more access to telehealth. 

Her plan also calls for stopping states from seizing family homes of recently deceased Medicaid beneficiaries to restore funding, a program called “Medicaid estate recovery.” Those seizures particularly hurt rural and minority populations, she noted, preventing them from building wealth. 

Reed Abelson and Margot Sanger-Katz of the New York Times note that both expanded home care benefits and drug negotiations are popular. KFF, which conducts health policy research, reports that Medicaid estate recovery has been criticized because it “falls primarily on individuals with limited incomes, raises little revenue, and is applied very unevenly across the states.” 

Deepa Shivaram of NPR noted that a relatively large percentage of middle-aged and older women remain undecided in this race and Harris’s plan speaks to their needs. The plan would also bring more money and care workers into rural towns with aging populations, giving those areas an economic boost.  

In a fact sheet, the Harris-Walz campaign noted that Trump is focused on tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations, has repeatedly called for cuts to Medicare and Medicaid, and gave clemency to those abusing the system. As Amy B. Wang and Azi Paybarah explained in the Washington Post: “In his last year in office, Trump commuted the sentences of at least five people who collectively filed nearly $1.6 billion in fraudulent claims through Medicare or Medicaid.”

On The View, Harris said, “In this election, people are ready for a new generation of leadership that’s about fixing problems.” 

The 2020 60 Minutes interview for which Trump demanded an apology last week was the one in which he promised his health care plan was “fully developed,” then angrily walked out. His exit was apparently planned, for shortly after his departure, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany walked up to Stahl with a giant book, saying: “Lesley, the President wanted me to deliver his health care plan. It’s a little heavy.”

Trump and McEnany likely expected that the audience would remember their theatrical move rather than the reality, which was that the book contained no Trump healthcare plan because one didn’t exist. 

Four years later, it still doesn’t. Trump said at the September 10 presidential debate that he has the “concepts of a plan.”

CNN today set a deadline of Thursday for Trump to accept its invitation for an October 23 presidential debate. Harris has already accepted. 

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[sepdet]

[9.11.24] Seth Meyers summarizes Trump's presidency and everything he's done since in an incredible 60 second monologue.

Transcript below.

This monologue is from the end of Late Night with Seth Meyers on 9/11, the day after the Hartus-Trump debate. As Seth Meyers speaks at his desk, an inset video slideshow on the left shows images to match his words, either newspaper headlines or photos or short video clips.

Seth begins:

Donald Trump's entire argument, aside from weird lies about eating dogs and windmills and Hannibal Lecter, boils down to one thing. When he left office, things were awesome.

[Screen changes temporarily to clip of the debate with Trump speaking]: I created one of the greatest economies in the history of our country. We did a phenomenal job with the pandemic. We handed them over a country where the economy and where the stock market was higher than it was before the pandemic came in. Nobody's ever seen anything like it. [End of clip]

Back to Seth:

Ah, yes, I remember the halcyon days of 2020, when the economy was soaring and toilet paper was plentiful, and we weren't all wiping our mail down with Clorox, and filming our TV shows at home without our hair and makeup teams leaving us all looking like ghosts haunting a Dickensian orphanage. [ British accent] "Please help me! I've been trapped here ever since I died from eating spoiled gruel!"

[ Normal voice ] I can't believe I have to remind some people of this, but Donald Trump's presidency did not end well. Just in case you need it, here's a quick refresher. This shouldn't take too long.

Seth: Donald Trump was the first president since Herbert Hoover to oversee a net job loss. Unemployment soared, and the economy shrank by more than 3%. Corporate profits went up while manufacturing jobs declined. Home prices soared by nearly 30%. The national debt rose by nearly $8 trillion. Crime spiked. The number of Americans without health insurance rose by 3 million, and the number of presidents who have humped American flags went from 0 to 1.

He undercut the nation's response to a deadly pandemic that spiraled out of control because he ignored warnings about it, lied about its severity, disbanded agencies that were tasked with preparing for it, promoted sham treatments for it, said we could stop it by injecting disinfectant, and promoted a quack doctor who believes demon sperm is real, insulted servicemembers and feuded with Gold Star families, saluted a North Korean general, got reprimanded by the Army for desecrating Arlington National Cemetery in violation of federal law, and made the Queen of England disappear.

Said he had the best memory in the world, then forgot he said he had the best memory in the world, got laughed at by the United Nations, including the Germans, got impeached for threatening to withhold military aid from Ukraine, and encouraged Russia to interfere in our elections.

He doctored a weather map with a Sharpie to lie about the path of a hurricane, threw paper towels at hurricane victims, called Hannibal Lecter his wonderful man. A chief of staff called him an idiot. His national security adviser called him a dope. A secretary of state called him a moron. He got on a plane with toilet paper stuck to his shoe and didn't know how to close an umbrella.

He took millions from foreign officials, including a possible $10 million bribe from Egypt, brushed dandruff off the shoulder of the president of France. He staged a months-long coup attempt, stoked a violent insurrection, tried to coerce

Republican officials, into overturning the election, claim dead people were voting and Democrats were selling mail ballots, got impeached a second time.

He brought a crazy pillow salesman to the White House, and his lawyer gave a press conference at a landscaping company.

He lost the popular vote twice, got indicted four times, convicted of 34 felony counts, falsified business records to pay hush money to a porn star who said she spanked him in the ass with "Forbes" magazine. He was found guilty of fraud and libel and sexual abuse, possibly farted and definitely fell asleep in court.

Bragged about overturning Roe v. Wade, said he was against a Florida abortion ban, then said he was for the Florida abortion bill. Called the CEO of Apple Tim Apple, called Elon Musk "Leon Musk," said Nikki Haley was the Speaker of the House on January 6th, claimed the price of bacon goes up because the windmills blow, shark attacks are caused by electric boat batteries, again said Hannibal Lecter was dead and real, wonderful, even though he's fake and famously a bad guy, insists he's not weird by saying the word "weird" 11 times in 30 seconds, which is, let's admit it, super weird.

Became the first president -- [photo at this point shows Trump staring straight at the sun without eclipse glasses before the 2017 eclipse]

And, guys, we ran out of time, but there were a bunch more things.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Matt Keeley at NCRM:

Former President Donald Trump now denies anything happened during his disastrous appearance last week at the Arlington National Cemetery, saying instead, Vice President Kamala Harris made it up. Trump appeared at Arlington on August 26 to observe the third anniversary of the Kabul, Afghanistan airport suicide bombing that killed 13 U.S. service members. Trump took part in a wreath-laying ceremony, but during his appearance, Trump staffers reportedly got into a “verbal and physical altercation” with an Arlington official, the cemetery says. “The was no conflict or ‘fighting’ at Arlington National Cemetery last week. It was a made up story by Comrade Kamala and her misinformation squad. She made it all up to make up for the fact that she and Sleepy Joe have BLOOD ON THEIR HANDS for the INCOMPETENT AFGHANISTAN Withdrawal – THE MOST EMBARRASSING DAY IN U.S. HISTORY!!! They should have been at Arlington, not on a beach or studying for a Debate. Thanks you to my friends, the GREAT GOLDS STAR FAMILIES, for revealing the TRUTH OF A BEAUTIFUL DAY OF HONOR. Could not have been a nicer moment-And there were no fights or problems, only in the heads of those that are destroying our Country! MAGA2024,” Trump posted to Truth Social on Tuesday morning.

Trump also held a photo-op at the cemetery after the ceremony, which Arlington officials say may have violated federal law. Trump and his staffers went to Section 60, the part of the cemetery where recent casualties are buried. “Federal law prohibits political campaign or election-related activities within Army National Military Cemeteries, to include photographers, content creators or any other persons attending for purposes, or in direct support of a partisan political candidate’s campaign,” a statement released by Arlington officials said. “Arlington National Cemetery reinforced and widely shared this law and its prohibitions with all participants.” An official attempted to stop campaign staff from entering the area, but staffers pushed and berated them, NPR reported. The cemetery confirmed an “incident” occured, but campaign spokesman Steven Cheung denied anything untoward happened. He said the campaign was “granted access to have a photographer there.” Cheung also said the Trump campaign could release footage to prove his claims. So far, no footage has surfaced.

Are you delulu or what, Donald?! The controversy at Arlington National Cemetery was of your own making, NOT Kamala Harris’s.

[meret118]

The political press’s efforts to rationalize Trump’s incoherent statements are eroding our shared reality and threatening informed democracy.

. . .

 As Trump’s statements grow increasingly unhinged in his old age, major news outlets continue to reframe his words, presenting a dangerously misleading picture to the public.

. . .

For instance, last week, Trump posted the following to his Truth Social account:

I have reached an agreement with the Radical Left Democrats for a Debate with Comrade Kamala Harris. It will be Broadcast Live on ABC FAKE NEWS, by far the nastiest and most unfair newscaster in the business, on Tuesday, September 10th, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Rules will be the same as the last CNN Debate, which seemed to work out well for everyone except, perhaps, Crooked Joe Biden. The Debate will be “stand up,” and Candidates cannot bring notes, or “cheat sheets.” We have also been given assurance by ABC that this will be a “fair and equitable” Debate, and that neither side will be given the questions in advance (No Donna Brazile!). Harris would not agree to the FoxNews Debate on September 4th, but that date will be held open in case she changes her mind or, Flip Flops, as she has done on every single one of her long held and cherished policy beliefs. A possible third Debate, which would go to NBC FAKE NEWS, has not been agreed to by the Radical Left. GOD BLESS AMERICA!

CNN described that rambling, insult-laden, conspiracy-riddled wall of text—itself a pretty good example of what he spends his time off the campaign trail doing—by writing, “Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced he has ‘reached an agreement’ to participate in a September 10 debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, noting that ‘the rules will be the same as the last CNN debate, which seemed to work out well for everyone.’”

Does that really capture what Trump posted?

. . .

While speaking at an event put on by the extremist group Moms for Liberty, Trump spread a baseless conspiracy theory that “your kid goes to school and comes home a few days later with an operation,” referring to transition-related surgeries for trans people. In their write-up of the event, a glowing piece about how Trump “charmed” this group of “conservative moms,” the Times didn’t even mention the moment where he blathered on and on about a crazy conspiracy that has and will never happen.

"The shocking statements come every day, and not surprising but still shocking what he says, and, you know, even Arlington [National Cemetery], it's seen major newspaper outlets talk about how will this impact Kamala Harris and the issue of Afghanistan after he goes and just acts like a brute and, you know, desecrates Arlington," Scarborough said. "We see it time and time again. For some reason the mainstream media, nine years into Donald Trump's era in American politics, still doesn't know how to cover Donald Trump. They still are engaging even at this late hour in moral relativism."

[reasoningdaily]

Newly-freed African Americans who fought in the Civil War decorated soldiers' graves on the first cited Memorial Day on May 1, 1865. 

More than 10,000 formerly enslaved people and white missionaries held a parade at a race track in Charleston, South Carolina. 

Memorial Day became a national holiday in 1889. 

The origin of Memorial Day is hotly debated, with many cities across the country claiming to have been the birthplace of the first celebration. Those include Waterloo, New York and Carbondale, Illinois, among others.

However, in Charleston, South Carolina, it is thought that one celebration occurred prior to any other in the country. In 1865, newly-freed African Americans who were fighting in the Civil War decorated soldiers' graves in the first recorded Memorial Day celebration, according to Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, David W. Blight.

At that point, it was called "Decoration Day."

According to Blight's 2001 book, "Race and Reunion: The Civil War in American Memory," on May 1, 1865, more than 10,000 formerly enslaved people and white missionaries held a parade where school children, members of the Black Union battalions, and Black religious figures marched around a racetrack in Charleston. 

"There was a file labeled 'First Decoration Day' and inside on a piece of cardboard was a narrative handwritten by an old veteran, plus a date referencing an article in The New York Tribune. That narrative told the essence of the story that I ended up telling in my book, of this march on the race track in 1865," Blight told History.com of the discovery in 1996.

James Redpath, a white director of Freedmen's Bureau (an organization that helped establish schools for newly freed slaves), had over two dozen Union officers, missionaries, and Black ministers give speeches as attendees sang songs like, "We'll Rally around the Flag" and "The Star-Spangled Banner."

Later that afternoon, three white and Black Union officers marched around the soldier's graves and gave a tribute.

The New York Tribune described it as "a procession of friends and mourners as South Carolina and the United States never saw before."

Blight wrote in his book, "The war was over, and Memorial Day had been founded by African Americans in a ritual of remembrance and consecration."

According to Blight, for many years, "white Charlestonians suppressed from memory this founding." Allegedly, roughly 50 years after the Civil War, someone at the United Daughters of the Confederacy asked the Ladies Memorial Association of Charleston if the commemoration on May 1, 1865 actually happened and a woman said, "I regret that I was unable to gather any official information in answer to this." 

That denial was routine for many archivers in the area. 

By 1868, the Memorial Day celebration under the direction of General John A. Logan, the president of a Union Army veterans group was written into the historical record. He urged Americans to decorate the graves of fallen soldiers at Arlington Cemetery with flowers on May 30th.

In 1889, Memorial Day became a national holiday. 

Roughly 620,000 soldiers died in the Civil War, most from disease.

Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday in the month of May. It is a federal holiday honoring those who have died while serving. 

[veale2006-blog]

Ever since then, the Reserves and National Guard have been active daily, weekly, monthly, and also operating out of their State Jurisdictions. 

Meaning… that's your visual the Orders are still in place. Those were National Wartime Orders, they do NOT transfer to the next president. 

Hence why these things happened on January 20, 2021:

“Biden” did not receive the traditional flight into D.C. on Air Force One as President-Elect.

“Swore in” at 11:47 AM EST; a 20th Amendment violation, which says “the president's term ends at noon / the successor's term shall THEN begin.”

20th: https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-20/

‘Amazing Grace’ was performed; which is found in Memorial Honors PDF for Military Funerals.

Page 8: https://home.army.mil/wood/application/files/1916/5913/2007/Memorial_Honors.pdf

Which explains the ONLY Cannons shown for "Joe" all day were at Arlington National Cemetery, which is NOT a 21 Gun Salute by OUR Military CUSTOMS. 

That is a Military FUNERAL. "Biden" had a Funeral, NOT an inauguration. Which was actually a Funeral for the Monarchy of the Organic Act of 1878 dying. 

21-Gun Salute / Arlington: https://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/Visit/Events-and-Ceremonies/Ceremonies/21-Gun-Salute

Page 5: Table 3-1, Cannons: https://alu.army.mil/officers/bold/docs/AR_600-25.pdf

Those "soldiers" were NOT the Presidential Salute Battery, the 3rd Infantry Regiment aka the Old Guard, as the actors shown were wearing Non-Regulation uniforms and zero marching ceremony.

Which explains why there was NOT a Commissioned Officer present for the cannons, which is a violation of Army Regulations 600-25.

Page 2: https://alu.army.mil/officers/bold/docs/AR_600-25.pdf

The NG did not salute the "motorcade." We always salute the CIC and moving Flags. 

The 21-Gun Salute is 4 Cannons, 21 rounds fired, by the Presidential Salute Battery / 3rd Infantry Regiment.

Jan. 20, 2021, MSM told you the OFFICIAL PSB was with Pres. Trump at Joint Base Andrews.

👉🏻 THAT was the Inauguration Ceremony BY OUR Military Regulations and Customs.

All of those were a Continuity of Operations visual as 99% of Americans did not see any of that… because they're not trained to pay attention to details and know nothing about Military Customs. 

Part II

Recently “Biden" said, “We don’t tell Ukraine what to do.” 💩

But in turn quotes Article 5 of NATO which says, "an attack on one is an attack on all."

One slight problem, Ukraine is not a member of NATO.

"Kamala" in the "debate"… said, "Ukraine is an independent country."

After saying "it's America's interest to protect it" when it's not a member of NATO.

So, once again, if one does not know anything about the busting up of the Soviet Union, what is so unusual and extraordinary for the United States to be the police and aid for Ukraine?

Why isn't NATO and Europe and Asia taking the same initiative?

Perhaps due to most of those Capitulating to President Trump from 2017-2020 and this is a world Special Operation?

Bingo. 

Didn't the libtards try to "impeach" President Trump over one phone call with Zelenskyy and accuse him of all kinds of hogwash when the call was made public and those in positions said it was a perfect call even Zelenskyy himself?

What did "Kamala" say to the public in the 'debate'?

“I gave Zelenskyy Military Intelligence.” 

You sure you want to talk about classified information and documents, libtards?

Or would you like to talk about how all of this is a Strategically Planned Special Operation to take out the swamp all over the world with many layers of warfare being used and the taking down of child traffickers, human traffickers, sex traffickers, and drug traffickers?

Because even the phone calls and all, are a part of the Special Operation taking place. 

You can believe what you want on a surface level and sound like the left when they charge that President Trump is a 'Felon'..

[trumptrump]

"There was no conflict or “fighting” at Arlington National Cemetery last week. It was a made up story by Comrade Kamala and her misinformation squad. She made it all up to make up for the fact that she and Sleepy Joe have BLOOD ON THEIR HANDS for the INCOMPETENT AFGHANISTAN Withdrawal - THE MOST EMBARRASSING DAY IN U.S. HISTORY!!! They should have been at Arlington, not on a beach or studying for a Debate. Thank you to my friends, the GREAT GOLD STAR FAMILIES, for revealing the TRUTH OF A BEAUTIFUL DAY OF HONOR. Could not have been a nicer moment-And there were no fights or problems, only in the heads of those that are destroying our Country! MAGA2024"

(link)

[stephenmcelroy]

Trump deputy campaign manager involved in Arlington altercation : NPR

https://www.npr.org/2024/09/05/nx-s1-5101991/trump-campaign-arlington-national-cemetery-staff-debate

[inexable]

The Norman Rockwell of American Cemeteries?

There’s been quite a debate recently about Donald Trump’s visit to Arlington National Cemetery. Some folks argue that Trump had every right to pay his respects, especially since he was invited by the families of fallen soldiers. But others are deeply upset, citing violations of long-standing norms and rules. Arlington is often considered America’s most sacred shrine, designed to represent all Americans by laying to rest those who have served our nation with dignity and honor.

Why do these rules about political activities at Arlington exist in the first place? Are they still relevant today? And does the approval from Gold Star families give a political figure the right to bend these regulations? Let’s discuss: How should we balance the honor of the fallen with political freedoms? Would love to hear your thoughts.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Ed Hall

* * * *

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

May 28, 2024

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

MAY 29, 2024

The defense and the prosecution today made their closing statements in the New York criminal case against Trump for falsifying business records to hide a $130,000 payment to adult film actress Stephanie Clifford, also known as Stormy Daniels. The payment was intended to stop her account of her sexual encounter with Trump from becoming public in the days before the 2016 election, when the Trump campaign was already reeling from the Access Hollywood tape showing Trump boasting of sexual assault.  

The Biden-Harris campaign showed up at the trial today with veteran actor Robert DeNiro and former police officers Michael Fanone and Harry Dunn, who protected the U.S. Capitol and members of Congress from rioters on January 6, 2021. In words seemingly calculated to get under Trump’s skin, DeNiro said, “We New Yorkers used to tolerate him when he was just another grubby real estate hustler masquerading as a big shot,” and called him a coward. 

When Robert Costa of CBS News asked campaign spokesperson Michael Tyler why they had shown up at the trial, Tyler answered: “Because you all are here. You’ve been incessantly covering this day in and day out, and we want to remind the American people ahead of the…first debate on June 27 of the unique, persistent, and growing threat that Donald Trump poses to the American people and to our democracy. So since you all are here, we’re here communicating that message.” 

Yesterday, in remarks at Arlington National Cemetery in observance of Memorial Day, President Joe Biden honored “the sacrifice of the hundreds of thousands of women and men who’ve given their lives for this nation. Each one…a link in the chain of honor stretching back to our founding days. Each one bound by common commitment—not to a place, not to a person, not to a President, but to an idea unlike any idea in human history: the idea of the United States of America.”

“[F]reedom has never been guaranteed,” Biden said. “Every generation has to earn it; fight for it; defend it in battle between autocracy and democracy, between the greed of a few and the rights of many…. And just as our fallen heroes have kept the ultimate faith with our country and our democracy, we must keep faith with them,” he said. 

His speech at Arlington echoed the message he delivered to this year’s graduating class at the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he urged the graduates to hold fast to their oaths. “On your very first day at West Point, you raised your right hands and took an oath—not to a political party, not to a president, but to the Constitution of the United States of America—against all enemies, foreign and domestic,” he said to applause. Soldiers “have given their lives for that Constitution. They have fought to defend the freedoms that it protects: the right to vote, the right to worship, the right to raise your voice in protest. They have saved and sacrificed to ensure, as President Lincoln said, a ‘government of the people, by the people, and for the people shall not perish from the Earth.’”

“[N]othing is guaranteed about our democracy in America. Every generation has an obligation to defend it, to protect it, to preserve it, to choose it,” he said. “Now, it’s your turn.” Biden spent more than an hour saluting and shaking the hand of each graduate. 

In contrast, Trump ushered in Memorial Day with a post on his social media company, saying: “Happy Memorial Day to All, including the Human Scum that is working so hard to destroy our Once Great Country, & to the Radical Left, Trump Hating Federal Judge in New York that presided over, get this, TWO separate trials, that awarded a woman, who I never met before (a quick handshake at a celebrity event, 25 years ago, doesn’t count!), 91 MILLION DOLLARS for “DEFAMATION.” He then continued to attack E. Jean Carroll, the writer who successfully sued him for defamation, before turning to attack Judge Arthur Engoron, who presided over the civil case of Trump and the Trump Organization falsifying documents, and Judge Juan Merchan, who is presiding over the current criminal case in New York. 

The message behind this extraordinary post was twofold: Trump can think of nothing but himself…and he appears to be terrified. 

On Saturday, May 25, Trump had an experience quite different from his usual reception at rallies of hand-picked supporters. He was resoundingly booed at the national convention of the Libertarian Party in Washington, D.C., where Secret Service agents confiscated squeaky rubber chickens before his speech. Attendees jeered Trump’s order, “You have to combine with us,” even when he reminded them of his libertarian credentials—tax cuts and defunding of federal equality programs—and promised to pardon the January 6 rioters who attacked the U.S. Capitol. 

Trump also promised to pardon Ross Ulbricht, who founded and from January 2011 to October 2013 ran an online criminal marketplace called Silk Road, where more than $200 million in illegal drugs and other illicit goods and services, such as computer hacking, were bought and sold. Most of the sales were of drugs, with the Silk Road home page listing nearly 13,000 options, including heroin, cocaine, ecstasy, and LSD. The wares were linked to at least six deaths from overdose around the world. In May 2015, Ulbricht was sentenced to life in prison and was ordered to forfeit more than $180 million. 

Libertarians want Ulbricht released because they support drug legalization on the grounds that people should be able to make their own choices and they see Ulbricht’s sentence as government overreach. Trump has repeatedly called for the death penalty for drug dealers, making his promise to pardon Ulbricht an illustration of just how badly he thinks he needs the support of Libertarian voters. But they refused to endorse him. 

Trump appeared angry, and on Sunday, as Greg Sargent reported in The New Republic, he reposted a video of a man raging at MSNBC host Joe Scarborough. In it, the man says that when Trump is reelected: “He’ll get rid of all you f*cking liberals. You liberals are gone when he f*cking wins. You f*cking blowjob liberals are done. Uncle Donnie’s gonna take this election—landslide. Landslide, you f*cking half a blowjob. Landslide. Get the f*ck out of here, you scumbag.” 

Trump’s elevation of this video, Sargent notes, is a dangerous escalation of his already violent rhetoric, and yet it has gotten very little media attention. 

Last November, Matt Gertz of Media Matters reported that ABC News, CBS News, and NBC News provided 18 times more coverage of 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton’s comment at a fundraising event that “you could put half of Trump’s supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables” who are “racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamophobic,” than they provided of Trump’s November 2023 promise to “root out the communist, Marxist, fascist and the radical left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country.” 

CNN, the Fox News Channel, and MSNBC mentioned the “deplorables” comment nearly 9 times more than Trump’s “vermin” language. The ratio for the five highest-circulating U.S. newspapers was 29:1. 

Clinton’s statement was consistent with polling, and she added that the rest of Trump’s supporters were “people who feel that the government has let them down, the economy has let them down, nobody cares about them, nobody worries about what happens to their lives and their futures, and they’re just desperate for change.” She said: “Those are people we have to understand and empathize with as well.”

Sargent noted that news stories require context and that Trump’s elevation of the violent video should be placed alongside his many threats to prosecute his enemies. While there is often concern over disrespect toward right-wing voters, Sargent writes, there has been very little attention to the presumptive Republican presidential nominee’s posting of “a video that declares a large ideological subgroup of Americans ‘done’ and ‘gone’ if he is elected.”

Scott MacFarlane of CBS News reported yesterday that Republicans have ignored a law passed in March 2022 requiring the placement of a small plaque honoring police officers who protected the U.S. Capitol and the lawmakers and staffers there on January 6, 2021. It was supposed to be in place by March 2023 but has not gone up. A spokesperson for House speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) says his office is working on it. Kayla Tausche of CNN reported today that three of the police officers at the Capitol that day—Sergeant Aquilino Gonell and Officer Harry Dunn, both retired, and Officer Daniel Hodges, who is still with the Washington, D.C., metropolitan police—will be traveling to swing states for the Biden campaign to tell voters that Trump threatens Americans’ fundamental rights. 

Finally, today, Melinda French Gates, co-founder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, announced $1 billion in new spending over the next two years “for people and organizations working on behalf of women and families around the world, including on reproductive rights in the United States.” Only 2% of charitable giving in the U.S. goes to these organizations, she wrote the New York Times, and “[f]or too long, a lack of money has forced organizations fighting for women's rights into a defensive posture while the enemies of progress play offense. I want to help even the match.”

—

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[campbellzc]

Elon Musk's X and NPR Article Flagging: Free Speech Debate Intensifies

Elon Musk’s social media platform, X (formerly known as Twitter), recently flagged an NPR article as “spammy or unsafe,” sparking controversy and raising questions about Musk’s stance on free speech. The article in question reported on a campaign video by former President Donald Trump, which was allegedly filmed at Arlington National Cemetery in violation of federal law. The incident involved…

[aanews69]

Trump's Bold Statement at Arlington Sparks Debate Delve into the heart of a debate that sparked at Arlington Cemetery with Trump's bold statement. Immerse yourself in this powerful narrative as we unravel the layers of emotion, honor, and controversy surrounding the third anniversary of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. Join us as Trump marks this poignant occasion, laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a gesture both solemn and reflective, intertwined with his sharp critique of past decisions. Discover the gripping stories of the families of the 13 fallen soldiers, their voices resonating at the Republican National Convention, and witness how their sentiments ripple through the nation. Uncover the contrasting statements from Biden and Harris, offering insight into the continued efforts to honor military sacrifices. Leave your thoughts in the comments and join the conversation as we explore the impact of this event on national discourse. Feedback wanted! Engage with us and be part of this unfolding story. Subscribe👇: https://sub.dnpl.us/AANEWS/ - Want some Great Buys check out our List: https://bestbuys.vista.page/ - All our links (including those to help with editing): https://sleek.bio/aanews69 #RememberingHeroes #TrumpVisit #PoliticalStatement #AfghanistanWithdrawal #MemorialWreath #TrumpArlingtonMemorialVisit #TrumpRemarksOnAfghanistan #UsServiceMembers #RememberingHeroes #FallenSoldiers #aanews, #aanews69, #news,

[davidpwilson2564]

Bloglet

Sunday, August 25, 2024

A debate? Trump seems to be putting it off. There is much discussion (from his side) regarding the network that will host it. He doesn't want ABC involved (they are, he says,"fake news")...Mics on or off? This topic further discussed. The Hard Right sharpening their knives, ready to go after Kamala and Tim.

The month draws to a close. Weather quite nice. Occassional light rain. My and son family are upstate, enjoying the last days of summer.

Monday, August 26, 2024

When my Social Security does not arrive (it was to have arrived today) I always think the economy has failed.

Much is being made of R F K Jr's teaming up with Donald. "Bobby"'s sister really against it (she has the same speech defect as her brother)...says she is going to campaign for Kamala. R F K Jr a broken man...

Trump involves himself in yet another audacious publicity stunt. Lays wreaths at Arlington National Cemetery on the third anniversary of America's exit from Afghanistan. Says Kamala (this is a stretch) "failed our soldiers." Oh, so now our soldiers are important to him. He not an elected official. How did he manage to get himself involved in this? The master showman.

Later:

It is worse than I thought. Arlington is not to be used for political events, yes, but Trump posed at a gravesite with a bereaved family, giving a thumbs up. Shameless.

[dankusner]

VIRGINIA Confederate names restored

4 years later, board votes 5-1 for change, citing due process lack

A Virginia school board voted Friday to restore the names of Confederate military leaders to a high school and an elementary school, four years after the names were removed amid nationwide protests calling for a reckoning over racial injustice.

In a reversal experts believe was the first of its kind, Shenandoah County’s school board voted 5-1 to rename Mountain View High School as Stonewall Jackson High School and Honey Run Elementary as Ashby Lee Elementary.

Friday’s vote reversed a decision by the school board in 2020 when school systems across Virginia and the South were removing Confederate names from schools and other public locations in response to the Black Lives Matter movement.

The Southern Poverty Law Center’s Intelligence Project, which maintains a database of more than 2,000 Confederate memorials nationwide, is not aware of another case of a school system restoring a Confederate name that was removed, said senior research analyst Rivka Maizlish.

Overall, the trend toward removal of Confederate names and memorials has continued, even if it has slowed somewhat since 2020, she said, noting that the Army renamed nine installations named for Confederate leaders, and removed a Confederate memorial from Arlington National Cemetery.

In Virginia, local governments had been banned from removing Confederate memorials and statues until the law was changed in 2020, though the statute did not apply to school names.

On Friday, school board members who voted to restore the Confederate names said the previous board ignored popular sentiment and due process when the names were stripped.

During several hours of public comment, county residents spoke up on both sides of the issue.

Beth Ogle, a longtime resident with children in the school system, said restoring the Confederate names is “a statement to the world that you do not value the dignity and respect of your minority students, faculty and staff.”

Kenny Wakeman, a lifelong county resident, said the Stonewall Jackson name “stood proudly for 60 years until 2020,” when he said the “actions of a rogue police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota,” prompted a move to change the name, a reference to the killing of George Floyd that propelled nationwide protests and debate over racial injustice.

Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson was a Confederate general from Virginia who gained fame at the First Battle of Bull Run near Manassas in 1861.

Ashby Lee is named for both Gen. Robert E. Lee, a Virginia native, and for Turner Ashby, a Confederate cavalry officer who was killed in battle in 1862 near Harrisonburg, Va.

[reasoningdaily]

Newly-freed African Americans who fought in the Civil War decorated soldiers' graves on the first cited Memorial Day on May 1, 1865. 

More than 10,000 formerly enslaved people and white missionaries held a parade at a race track in Charleston, South Carolina. 

Memorial Day became a national holiday in 1889. 

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The origin of Memorial Day is hotly debated, with many cities across the country claiming to have been the birthplace of the first celebration. Those include Waterloo, New York and Carbondale, Illinois, among others.

However, in Charleston, South Carolina, it is thought that one celebration occurred prior to any other in the country. In 1865, newly-freed African Americans who were fighting in the Civil War decorated soldiers' graves in the first recorded Memorial Day celebration, according to Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, David W. Blight.

At that point, it was called "Decoration Day."

According to Blight's 2001 book, "Race and Reunion: The Civil War in American Memory," on May 1, 1865, more than 10,000 formerly enslaved people and white missionaries held a parade where school children, members of the Black Union battalions, and Black religious figures marched around a racetrack in Charleston. 

"There was a file labeled 'First Decoration Day' and inside on a piece of cardboard was a narrative handwritten by an old veteran, plus a date referencing an article in The New York Tribune. That narrative told the essence of the story that I ended up telling in my book, of this march on the race track in 1865," Blight told History.com of the discovery in 1996.

James Redpath, a white director of Freedmen's Bureau (an organization that helped establish schools for newly freed slaves), had over two dozen Union officers, missionaries, and Black ministers give speeches as attendees sang songs like, "We'll Rally around the Flag" and "The Star-Spangled Banner."

Later that afternoon, three white and Black Union officers marched around the soldier's graves and gave a tribute.

The New York Tribune described it as "a procession of friends and mourners as South Carolina and the United States never saw before."

Blight wrote in his book, "The war was over, and Memorial Day had been founded by African Americans in a ritual of remembrance and consecration."

According to Blight, for many years, "white Charlestonians suppressed from memory this founding." Allegedly, roughly 50 years after the Civil War, someone at the United Daughters of the Confederacy asked the Ladies Memorial Association of Charleston if the commemoration on May 1, 1865 actually happened and a woman said, "I regret that I was unable to gather any official information in answer to this." 

That denial was routine for many archivers in the area. 

By 1868, the Memorial Day celebration under the direction of General John A. Logan, the president of a Union Army veterans group was written into the historical record. He urged Americans to decorate the graves of fallen soldiers at Arlington Cemetery with flowers on May 30th.

In 1889, Memorial Day became a national holiday. 

Roughly 620,000 soldiers died in the Civil War, most from disease.

Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday in the month of May. It is a federal holiday honoring those who have died while serving.