Texas Representative Veronica Escobar wanted something real from Donald Trump, a phone call to discuss the power of his hurtful words. She wanted to discuss words powerful enough to motivate a monster. She wanted to discuss how those words contributed to the deaths of her brothers and sisters.
He declined, and so she declined to be part of Trump’s public relations visit in El Paso today. Rep. Escobar used her personal twitter machine to set out – with wonderful clarity – why she went about pawning Trump.
My message would’ve been that he needs to understand that his words are powerful and have consequences. Using racist language to describe Mexicans, immigrants and other minorities dehumanize us. Those words inflame others.
— Rep. Veronica Escobar (@RepEscobar) August 6, 2019
Yes, yes, yes.
And she was not done:
I have publicly said he has a responsibility to acknowledge the power of his words, apologize for them, and take them back because they are still hanging over us. I asked for a call so I could say this to him over the phone and ask for a dialogue that could lead to healing.
— Rep. Veronica Escobar (@RepEscobar) August 6, 2019
He was “too busy,” presumably with “executive time” spent yelling at the television.
Well, a few things of which we can be sure; 1) He ain’t never going to apologize about nothing, ever. 2) He does not have the capacity for self-reflection, the desire to exam whether he might have made a mistake, nor the humility to ever apologize, and 3) He only invited you for optics, hoping soccer moms see him as a caring bi-partisan person, and 4) He’s a dick.
The Office of the President of the United States deserves some respect. If I ever met and shook hands with Trump, I would be polite, and refer to him as “Mr. President,” and not “Dickhead.” BUT, I would certainly hope, or aspire, to having the conviction that this wonderful representative clearly has.
Unlike Trump, she is doing her job. She asked to speak to him about the hurtful things he says, all in an attempt to speak for her constituents. When declined, she refused to grant Trump the veneer of “support” by accompanying him through her district, again, supporting her voters.
That is the best in American democracy, and we damn well ought to recognize it when we see it. Not the least because we will need far more people like Veronica Escobar – and her convictions – in the future, if we are to have a future.
Peace, y’all.
Jason
“The Office of the President of the United States deserves some respect. If I ever met and shook hands with Trump, I would be polite, and refer to him as “Mr. President,” and not “Dickhead.” BUT, I would certainly hope, or aspire, to having the conviction that this wonderful representative clearly has.”
Not me. If I ever had the MISfortune to meet Trump, I most certainly would not demean myself by shaking his hand. If it were in the height of allergy season, I might allow myself to get close enough to himself so that I could sneeze on himself or cough in himself’s face but I wouldn’t extend my hand to himself under any circumstances (well, maybe if my hand were covered in gobs of phlegm and mucus).
And I certainly would give himself as much “respect” as HIS party was willing to give President Obama during his eight years in office. (Has any Democrat stood up in Congress while Trump spoke and yelled anything like “You lie!” as President Obama faced?) How much “respect” did the nattering knob-yankers on Fox News give President Obama during his eight years in office?
Respect should be EARNED, no matter who the President is, and one’s behavior on the campaign trail is a key aspect of earning that respect. Trump showed ABSOLUTELY NO sort of respect to any of his opponents during the primaries nor did he show any sort of respect to Hillary Clinton during the general election campaign. He’s had ample opportunity to earn respect and he’s squandered EVERY SINGLE opportunity. He’s a wannabe dictator–no more, no less. And dictators deserve nothing but contempt from civilized people.
Just consider this – because I accept 100% your reasoning, and it is persuasive. However, any “respect” I show is for the office, no more, and the office has earned it over the years, Lincoln, FDR, Carter, Obama. So, it is NOT respect for him that I am talking about, it is decorum with respect for the office.
Also, it is precisely bc the Right showed so little respect, indeed pettiness, toward Obama, that I believe they demeaned the office and Obama with their disrespect. I committed myself then to never lower myself to their M.O.
Very reasonable people can disagree on this. I rec’d your comment bc it SHOULD be considered. It COULD well be the right position – I just am not yet persuaded, but am open, and for that reason I am highly grateful for the rebuttal.
I ask only that you review my reasoning and see that it is worth some thought, even with respectful disagreement.
I have never learned anything from someone who disagrees with me totally. (Though I am self-absorbed enough to love hearing that I’m a genius, you guys are awfully good to me).
So, thank you, a hundred times over, for caring enough to take the time to write. I respect that, too, far more than an office occupied by Trump.
Not me either. The Office of the President usually deserves respect, but the current officeholder was not elected by the people – he stole it with help from Putin and his accomplices. This fake President deserves only Justice, which when eventually meted out, shall result in life in prison for treason against the USA and all its citizens. I shall surely celebrate that day if I am still alive and we are still have that Amendment I freedom granted by our Constitution since 1789.
You might shake hands with him and refer to him as Mr President, but I sure as Hell would not. I would not touch his murderous hand for millions of real dollars nor would I call him Mr President. I might say “sir” because my parents brought me up to be polite, but that is as far as I would go.
I have a different viewpoint. I have been raped, I could never shake his hand.