DO RIGHT, WOMAN! – A TRAVESTY IN TWO ACTS
BY
A.H. SCOTT
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ACT ONE
“If you don’t like this country, you can leave” – President Donald J. Trump
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Progression or regression is a question to ponder for the man in that ultimate position of power which controls the shifting scales that can shape people’s lives.
Now, words have meaning, as anyone who is reading this right now knows. But, that alignment of callous words to calculated actions leads to the parallel pummeling of the powerless.
The hidden position papers and policy prescriptions which have been neatly drawn up and folded in the breast pockets of those who have been salivating for dismantling of many laws and governmental guidelines have now exposed their transparency into the full glare of their gluttonous ambitions.
With this Administration and their acolytes, one can focus on the entire panoply of corrosive policies; which would definitely be quite lengthy.
Yet, for the man at the helm of this chaotic cyclone veering towards 2020, that added pep in his step, scathing scowl upon furrowed brow, and rip of a remark seems to always be directed towards a certain kind of person.
“Such a nasty woman” – Republican Presidential Nominee Donald J. Trump, October 19, 2016
Hey, people back then said he can’t be judged by this remark to a political opponent. After all, that was only a one-time thing, of him saying something like this right? I mean, after all he was only a nominee saying something off the cuff. Besides, if he were President of The United States, he wouldn’t be saying things like this.
Would he?
Hmm…..
“It was nasty, I thought it was an inappropriate statement” – President Donald J. Trump, August 21, 2019
Geez, it’s a funny thing to know that a snake don’t change his skin. And, what is even funnier to know is that female leader of a demographically approved country (by his own bleached standards) even tosses around the word ‘absurd’(1) when it involves him.
This man’s rancid rabidity when it comes to speaking about, of, and towards women directly goes to that stern adage of a perverse thirst to make a woman behave.
Specifying it in more blunt terms: Do right, Woman!
“Do right, Woman!”, seems that silent scream of a command from the lips and attitude which seeps from corners of those feeling their maintaining of control upon the expression and expansion of all which is a feminine rising is slipping from their patriarchal grip of displeasure.
Schoolyard bullying is taken to that extra level of verbal taunting with his miserable mocking that he constantly and ever so consistently uses.
Before going any further, I guess you have to go back a bit to the cornerstone which Donald J. Trump himself used to get a foothold on his campaign to achieve the Republican nomination in the first place.
This is way, way, way before the downward escalator in his gilded tower with his Missus next to him and broad-brushing Mexicans as being ‘criminals and rapists’. Uh-uh, this is his inane obsession with promoting that conspiratorial lunacy of ‘birtherism’, like some backwater carnival barker who drools with satisfaction at hearing his own mouth run like the Mississippi River.
Just to touch on this subject for a moment, I wanted to touch on the ramifications to the crumbling civility in the public sphere and also a lack of giving any compassion to the personal toll taken on a family.
A former First Lady of the United States of America opened up in her memoir on how Donald Trump’s asinine antics put her family’s safety(2) at risk.
“Donald Trump, with his loud and reckless innuendos, was putting my family’s safety at risk. And for this I’d never forgive him.” – Michelle Obama, 2018
And, instead of taking a road a bit higher than the sewer in not responding to Mrs. Obama’s candid concerns, he mustered up the cesspool’s tide with venom in going after her(3) and the former President of the United States, Barack Obama.
Now, that nexus of race and sex goes to the pulse of who this man is when he gets going after women; with an added emphasis of erratic teeth-mashing on specifically those of color.
Maxine! Maxine! Maxine!
Outspoken and unbroken by the barrage of being called ‘seriously low IQ’(4), ‘crazy’, ‘extraordinarily-low IQ’, and ‘unhinged’ by him; United States Representative from California, Maxine Waters is the Chairwoman of the House Financial Services Committee. In other words, this besmirched woman has the investigative instruments and the power of subpoenaing documents from one, Donald J. Trump.
Wow, I guess her IQ is high enough to go deep beneath his house of cards and pull the weeds that lay at its’ crumbling foundation.
In his line of verbal fire no woman is safe, including the highest ranking female politician in the United States of America. By the way, this phenomenal woman is also third in line of Presidential succession.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi from California has been vicious tagged by him as being Crazy Nancy, Nervous Nancy, MS-13 Lover Nancy Pelosi, and High Tax/High Crime Nancy Pelosi.
Foolish is the man who demeans the person holding back the people in her own caucus who wishes to begin an impeachment inquiry upon him. Yet, HE is who HE is.
United States Senator from Massachusetts Elizabeth Warren, a woman of plans and substance; has been chided by the man of vile intent and villainous grin with ‘goofy’, ‘the Indian’, and as commonly as he huffs and puffs, ‘Pocahontas’.
Not to mention Senator from California Dianne Feinstein hurled with belittlement of being ‘sneaky’, and Senator from New York Kirsten Gillibrand being stained with his sexual innuendo of doing ‘anything’(5) for a campaign contribution.
Candidate for Governor of Georgia, Stacey Abrams is referred to as ‘crime loving’(6) by a man who still has not apologized for taking out a full-page advertisement(7) in the New York Times calling for the death penalty surrounding an event in New York City in 1989.
Although he may deny there is no correlation in adoption of the death penalty as a punishment for those five young black and Latino men who are collectively referred to as “The Central Park Five”, the largest-type font usable (view the image for yourself) in the newspaper advertisement(7) read the following words: “BRING BACK THE DEATH PENALTY”; the timing of Trump’s ad buy was not coincidental.
“You have people on both sides of that,” – President Donald J. Trump, June 2019, referring to his lack of apology concerning the Central Park Five. (Not to be confused with another statement about ‘both sides)
Wow, ‘both sides’, that sounds familiar in his description of another event on a Saturday in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017.
But, even further with his own past history (8) of the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice filing a lawsuit over racial discrimination (which is a crime after all) in October 1973 against Trump Management Company, his father Fred, and himself; Donald Trump still carelessly tosses a racial grenade in the direction of a woman of color with a sense of obliviousness in describing her as being ‘crime loving’.
Tossing things is nothing new for this President; from barbs of sarcasm to paper towels tossed like he could only wish in his most delusional fantasies were a three-pointer.
Even in the middle of past and oncoming natural disasters, the man bloviates with contempt and non-concern over fellow citizens in the path of devastation in calling the Mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico Carmen Yulin Cruz ‘incompetent’(9).
To disparage Mayor Cruz in one tweet and then praise himself as a heavenly savior in another displays the essence of heartlessness from this man.
“I’m the best thing that’s ever happened to Puerto Rico!” – President Donald J. Trump
When talking heads kind of offhandedly say that California Senator Kamala Harris has been ‘fortunate’ for not having a ‘pet name’ given to her by that person of pith; does anyone really believe that in private that he doesn’t call her something starting with the fourteenth letter or second letter of the alphabet, when talking about her.
And, when he says Kamala; it comes out of his mouth sounding like he’s uttering Ebola. Check it out for yourselves the next time he has a rally and listen to his syllabic pronunciation of her first name, because of course he never calls her Senator Harris or even says her last name barely at all.
Going further, even during those solemn moments of giving honor to one of America’s fallen heroes the level of sniping can never be curbed by the occupant of that hallowed office.
When the body of a fallen American soldier, Sgt. La David Johnson’s body returned to The United States and a person spoke on behalf of the heartbroken widow, Myeshia Johnson (10) as to the lack of empathy or courtesy from the man in the Oval Office; he just had to twist the knife once more in battling with the retelling of a specific event.
United States Representative from Florida, Frederica Wilson just wasn’t some wayward Janey-on-the-spot politician speaking off the cuff for the family of the fallen soldier, but, a woman who actually knew the dead soldier and his loved ones for many years.
Most persons would be the bigger person, while taking the criticism and taming their tongue.
But, that didn’t stop the President of The United States of America, Donald J. Trump from labeling her as ‘wacky’(11).
And to think, this boorish back and forth with a widow was within the ten months of the Trump Presidency in October of 2017.
(Author’s update: In ceremonies performed across the United States in August 2019, The United States Army has posthumously honored three valor awards to U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Dustin Wright (Silver Star)(12), U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Jeremiah Johnson (Bronze Star)(13), and U.S. Army Sgt. La David Johnson (Silver Star); for their valiant service during an ambush in Niger on October 4th, 2017)
In an awarded citation for the late Sgt. La David Johnson, it noted his ‘courage and dedication to his team’(14).
From where I stand, maybe if Donald Trump truly wanted to ‘make America great again’, he’d pay attention and selfless tribute to those who have made and paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms. This includes those that are left behind among those living when heroes are laid to a final rest.
Now, moving from one appalling aspect to another is his current rage focused against The Squad (15), a quartet of Congresswomen. New York’s Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Massachusetts’ Ayanna Pressley, Rashida Tlalib, and Minnesota’s Ilhan Omar are his latest targets of disdain.
Trump’s wraith towards the first two Muslim women elected to the Congress has been almost unspeakable. But, for what comes out of his mouth, it’s just another day, another slur, another lesson in cruelty.
Nothing is sacred to this man of cruel intentions, including a twitter jab at the grandmother (16) of Representative Rashida Tlalib and scoffing at the Congresswoman’s tearful regret at not visiting her.
“The only real winner here is Tlaib’s grandmother. She doesn’t have to see her now!” – President Donald J. Trump
All four of these women of color ARE citizens of the United States of America. Three of them were born here and the fourth was born in Somalia.
Oh, by the way, Somalia is in Africa. The way President Trump has spoken of countries within Africa as being ‘shitholes’, it is obvious of his feelings towards anyone born or emigrated from there.
For this man who came into office and made a Muslim travel ban and immigration his hot-button hallmarks of a tornado’s tirade, Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar is the perfect storm.
She is a physical symbol some may see as being ‘the other’, based on her shade of skin, her religion, and sadly to say it, her hijab.
Oh, and I’m not going to go down the rabbit hole of chasing down her words or starting the strain of condemnation. That would be letting the man who leads campaign rallies filled with sycophantic fervor and name-calling off the hook.
Trump tramples everything in his wake, as a baseline criticism of a Congresswoman who is a woman of color has to be taken over the edge and down into the vitriolic valley.
Damn straight! That is where I’m going.
When supporters at his campaign rally started the “SEND HER BACK!” chants aimed at Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, he stood there for over 10 seconds and took in those cheered words. Okay, so he didn’t say that hateful chant, but after a few days of responding to journalists asking about his reaction, Trump let loose with the xenophobic trope(17) which is always used to deflect against any verb or noun of criticism.
“If you don’t like this country, you can leave” – President Donald J. Trump
Well, well, I guess from zero to a zillion his rage has to go. Not just silence does he want, but also obedience to his own unitary view of patriotism.
It is a blind man’s folly to follow any leader without qualm or questioning them; for, it might not be the brighter horizon that they may take us all towards, but off an unseen cliff of catastrophe.
“Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the President or any other public official save exactly to the degree in which he himself stands by the country. It is patriotic to support him in so far as he efficiently serves the country. It is unpatriotic not to oppose him to the exact extent that by inefficiency or otherwise he fails in his duty to stand by the country.” – President Theodore Roosevelt, 1918
And, of course the insults don’t stop at the water’s edge, as one of his few favorite words of calling women ‘nasty’ was aimed at Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle Windsor.
For him, there’s always another insult via twitter-tornado, rah-rah rally or seated huffing with folded arms of non-concern.
His interactions with German Chancellor Angela Merkel have been so rundown they are actually physically dismissive, as when she was visiting the White House and seated next to him; Trump wouldn’t fake being a gentleman and shake her hand.
When (former) Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Theresa May responded to Trump’s retweets from a far-right group in Britain with a slight rebuke for the President being wrong for doing such a thing, he roared back with a tart tweet in the mode of an adult admonishing a child for even making a peep of disapproval. As he also did in a backhanded slam lobbed at New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, when she recounted President Donald Trump telling her she ‘caused a lot of upset in her country’.
No woman; be it a Democrat or even a Republican is out of bounds for such repugnant reflection from him. Republican Presidential candidate, Carly Fiorina was smeared and snickered by someone who would never be considered having the face a pretty-boy with a figure of Charles Atlas or Adonis.
“Look at that face! Would anyone vote for that? Can you imagine that, the face of our next president?!” – Republican Presidential Candidate Donald J. Trump
Giving just another small smattering of the women his treacherous tongue has battered are journalists Maureen Dowd, Megyn Kelly, and Mika Brzezinski, who he labeled as ‘crazy’. As for a duo of high profile women with the names of Omarosa Manigault-Newman and Stephanie Clifford, they have been demeaned with the insult of being ‘a dog’ and ‘horseface’.
Well, you might think of why you should care or even give the words spoken by an angry man a second thought, for you are not Hillary ‘the hated’, Maxine ‘the moron’, or any other name near or far listed above. Those women aforementioned in this article are not like you, or women like them are not a part of your life as family or friends.
Hmm, I invite you to read further and I think you might find a reason why you should wake up from a clownish, comb-over coma.
DO RIGHT, WOMAN! – A TRAVESTY IN TWO ACTS – ACT ONE
Notes:
1-Trump: Danish Prime Minister’s Comments Were ‘Nasty’ and ‘Inappropriate’ –
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/danish-pm-says-she-was-surprised-learn-trump-canceled-trip-n1044771
2-In Revealing New Memoir, Michelle Obama Candidly Shares Her Story – https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/in-revealing-new-memoir-michelle-obama-candidly-shares-her-story/2018/11/08/
3-Michelle Obama: ‘I’d ever forgive’ Trump For Promoting Birther Conspiracy -https://www.politico.com/amp/story/2018/11/09/michelle-obama-trump-birther-978810
4-Trump’s Tactic to Attack Black People and Women: Insult Their Intelligence – https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/aug/10/trump-attacks-twitter-black-people-women
5-That Special Place in Hell Is Getting Crowded – https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/that-special-place-in-hell-is-getting-crowded/2017/12/12/9ac489a6-df89-11e7-8679-a9728984779c_story.html
6-How Trump Tweets About African-Americans – https://www.npr.org/2018/09/10/645594393/low-iq-spectacular-dog-how-trump-tweets-about-african-americans
7-Trump Will Not Apologize for Calling for Death Penalty Over ‘Central Park Five’ -https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/18/nyregion/central-park-five-trump.html
8-FBI Releases Files on Trump Apartments’ Race Discrimination Probe in ’70s -https://www.politico.com/blogs/under-the-radar/2017/02/trump-fbi-files-discrimination-case-235067
9-Trump Reignites Personal Feud With San Juan Mayor as Puerto Rico Braces for Tropical Storm Dorian –
https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-reignites-personal-feud-with-san-juan-mayor-as-puerto-rico-braces-for-tropical-storm-dorian
10-Donald Trump Just Hit a New Low in The La David Johnson Fiasco – https://www.cnn.com/cnn/2017/10/23/politics/trump-johnson-call/index.html
11-President Trump Continues Feud With Congresswoman Hours Before Sgt. La David Johnson Funeral – https://www.deadline.com/2017/10/donald-trump-frederica-wilson-feud-la-david-johnson-funeral-1202192468/amp/
12-Family of Green Beret Killed in Niger Ambush Receives His Silver Star – https://www.military.com/daily-news/2019/08/14/family-green-beret-killed-niger-ambush-receives-his-silver-star.html
13-Special Forces Unit Member Killed in Niger Ambush Honored for Bravery -https://www.military.com/daily-news/2019/08/13/special-forces-unit-member-killed-niger-ambush-honored-bravery.html
14-Special Forces Team Mechanic Killed in Niger Awarded Silver Star –https://www.military.com/daily-news/2019/08/16/special-forces-team-mechanic-killed-niger-be-awarded-silver-star.html/
15-Trump Tells Congresswomen to ‘Go Back’ to the Countries They Came From -https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/14/us/politics/trump-twitter-squad-congress.amp.html
16-‘May God Ruin Him’: Rep. Rashida Tlaib’s Grandmother Reacts To Trump’s Tweet – https://www.businessinsider.com/rashida-tlaib-grandmother-israel-palestine-trump-tweet-visit-barred-omar-2019-8
17-Trump Goes on Unhinged Rant: ‘If You Don’t Like It Here, You Can Leave’ – https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-goes-on-unhinged-rant-defending-racist-tweets-if-you-dont-like-here-you-can-leave
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To be continued…..
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About The Author: A.H. Scott is a poet based in New York City and frequent contributor to Tony Ward Studio. To read additional articles by A. H. Scott, go here: http://tonyward.com/a-h-scott-tatianas-theme/