Sunday, January 29, 2017

To My Troll, TwoBlack Jet:


My Mississippi Grandmother, Ida Mae and my Syrian Immigrant Grandfather, Charles
Brooklyn, New York
mid-20th century*





What was that you were saying, again, about President Drumpf's big heart?*

My tiny little mother mind™ wants to know.


Sincerely,

Elizabeth


P.S. After this weekend's hideous anti-Muslim executive orders and the installment of Iago*** in the National Security Council, Drumpf has proved himself to be heartless in addition to incompetent and megalomaniacal. I am not as much scared as enraged, and when I'm enraged, it's best to write. It's hard otherwise to make sense of this man destroying so much in only nine days.







* The picture of my grandmother and grandfather above is one of my favorites. My grandfather was a Christian Syrian from Homs and immigrated to the United States in the early part of the twentieth century with his family. While I realize that were he to do so today, he would actually be admitted to the country because of his religion, but I find it repellent that we, as a country, have gotten to the point where half of us have elected and continue to support a leader who is making a mockery of whatever ideals the country purports to have --  our country is after all, one of ideals and ideas, constantly dynamic and improved and improved. Messy and inclusive. We the people, etc.                                                                                    

**My troll, TwoBlackJet, asked me and other blog readers why we women marched the day after the inauguration and then engaged us in a sometimes amusing but ultimately frustrating conversation on the old blog. You can check it out by scrolling down to the post that has a bunch of comments, but you might want to pour yourself a shot of vodka, light up a joint or put on some music. When you're finished, I recommend a shower or some naked gardening.  If you don't have the time to waste, I'll just tell you that TwoBlackJet insisted that Drumpf has a big heart yet provided no details or examples to explain her/his/its convictions. While I understand it is the intent and nature of the troll to stir things up, I've seen similar comments and invective on conservative websites and social media threads, so I honestly DO want someone to answer these questions without doing what TwoBlackJet did which was to eventually go on a ridiculous personal tirade (provoked, I admit, by a condescending comment I made about her writing style -- a comment for which I made apologies)

***One of the blackest of hearts in Shakespeare is Iago from Othello whom I remember whispering evil things into Othello's ears. While I don't at all believe Drumpf to be an Othello, I do see his consigliere, Bannon, as a sort of Iago, twisting a naive and sick mind to bad. Whatever did happen to Iago, Reader? I can't remember.












#RESIST










19 comments:

  1. You remind me that we must all keep our blades honed to a razor edge, the better to slice away the lies, the evil, the purely insane. It's like a cancer- this whole Trump thing. Cancer wants to live. It infiltrates our cells and tells them that all is well, they it is only there for the benefit of the body, ignore the danger signs. And then it begins to feed on the healthy, they living, the purposeful and true.
    We must cut it. We must cut it off, we must cut it out, we must eliminate it before it takes over the body of this country. Wherever we find it, wherever it grows.

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  2. Lets start slow so you can understand

    Was a youtube video the cause for Bengazi........?????? Obama lies and we drink

    Did Debbie Wasserman SCHULTZ SCREW BERNIE WHO WOULD HAVE WON???? AM I MAD???? WOULD MY KID BE BETTER OFF W BERNIE?????
    You staunch demos fucked it up.....you could not let go.

    Trump is not George Bush but he figured out how to win.....

    and my child suffers.......how stupid are you? Fat and happy enjoy

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    1. Again, I'm sorry that your child is suffering and hope he or she gets better. I see that you're from a small town in Indiana and that you have visited here quite a bit. I hope you find some support for your child with disabilities and for yourself as you're obviously under a lot of stress. I genuinely hoped to get an answer to some specific questions we had about the president, given your strong response to one of my posts. But it's clear that you have no interest in any kind of dialog. I don't like to censor my blog but will delete any comments with personal slurs or attacks from here going forward. If you care to engage with us, please feel free to do so.

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    2. Dear twoblackjet: How does thwarted support for Bernie, translate to approval of Trump's "big heart"? What positive thing has Trump done for you and/or your child?

      I too was a Bernie supporter. My child would most likely have received better support from Bernie, or HRC with her full policy on disabled persons. DJT only has mockery for our loved ones.

      We all have disabled children, and the first noble truth of the Universe is that "Existence is Suffering". What does anyone's weight/size have to do with anything? Please avoid such issues, stay on topic and answer the questions posed to you in good faith.

      Again, what has DJT done for you / your child / any disabled person? What will he do?
      He is being given a chance, and in less than 1 week, his Federal hiring freeze has created unemployment, less in Washington DC and more in smaller jobs across the nation. It has crippled many services. DJT has nominated Betsy De Vos for Education Secretary, she knows nothing of IDEA and wants to gut public schools which are the only ones who take our children. This is another slap for our disabled children.

      Please name any positive things he has done?
      SS

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  3. Elizabeth, can I ask you to do something for me tonight? Don't respond to a person that is so mean and cruel and has zero interest in you or your family. Instead, go snuggle up with Sophie. Go give Henry and Oliver a hug and hang our with them for a bit. (Both my kids are out on their own now and I sure miss them!) Or just go have a hot bath and read a book. You could use up every word in your vocabulary and you won't change this person's mind. Keep your precious energy for those who love you. Life is too short.

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    1. Birdie, thanks for your concern! I'm not looking for anyone who reads here to have any kind of interest in me or my family. Like I told Twoblackjet I just would really like an answer from someone who purports to support Trump why they do so. And I'm not trying to change any minds, either. As for doing all the stuff you suggested, it's a part of every single day for me, so no worries. I'm pretty relentless when I get going, though, and what's happening now in our country is bad enough that I think we have to keep at it.

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  4. "Whatever did happen to Iago, Reader? I can't remember." He came back to serve the so called president of the United States.

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  5. Iago was tortured and killed. Act 4 if I remember correctly. Or, maybe Anonymous is correct.

    Best,
    Bonnie

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  6. He refuses to say a word--no explanation as to why he manipulated Othello into killing Desdemona. In the 1995 Lawrence Fishburne film version Kenneth Branagh plays Iago as sexually obsessed with Othello.

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  7. Othello is much too noble to be Trump, but Bannon could certainly be Iago. I love your blog and am so glad Sophie is better.

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  8. Iago is taken away and told that torture will open his lips. I don't think we see him killed.

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  9. Thank you janedrew for your comments and kind words! I'm going to go back and read Othello for more insight. :)

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  10. Even Christian families from Syria are finding themselves screwed over by this new administration. Personally, I don't see why Christians should get special treatment anyway -- but even if one argues that they should, the argument disintegrates in the face of Trump's capriciousness.

    http://edition.cnn.com/2017/01/28/us/syrian-family-trump-travel-ban/

    I haven't read the whole exchange with TwoBlackJet, but I find that many Trump supporters are unable to address specifics and rely on bland generalities and assurances that he doesn't really mean everything he says, that he has a good heart, that he's not to be taken literally, etc etc etc. Which doesn't carry much weight with me, especially in light of his recent actions.

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  11. I lay in bed watching the news. Is this really our country??? No freakin way!

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  12. Trump brings out the worst in people. I feel sick every day. I feel helpless too as he adds fuel to the fire and makes the world a more fractured place. His fear is contagious. Deb/Lily

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  13. I love the photograph!! Beautiful. I have a friend who is Syrian, Christian, and came to the U.S. 25 years ago with his family. He used to go back for annual visits, but not in the last 5 years -- too dangerous.

    Your troll is obnoxious and ignorant. Have you considered (of course you have) deleting his comments? Ugh. Don't have time to waste on idiots like this. There is real work to do.

    I have gone off FB for a bit -- too much stimulation. Of course will continue to read NYT, WAPO, Guardian, etc. And support ACLU, Southern Poverty Law Center, etc. etc. We need them more than ever now.

    I posted a video on my blog post of those darling men signing "Love Train" because it was just the healing balm I needed! I'm playing it again and again today. And cleaning out the garage. Now THAT is good therapy.

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  14. Trolls live to lie and will say anything they think might hurt you. Meanness and cruelty are fun for them. Please don't give your troll a voice here. Asking for an explanation of why "women are marching" is actually a troll tactic. They don't care why, and they won't listen to your explanation. They are just trying to keep you hanging on so they can continue trying to upset you. The best thing to do is to ignore them, deleting their comments without reading them.

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