Statements …

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, Humour, Political commentary

Today I have for your entertainment a few statements about … making statements.

A Posthumous Statement …

For two years now, I have told my daughter that if I die of a sudden heart attack or stroke, I want her to let the world know that my blood is on Donald Trump’s hands by filing a lawsuit against Trump.  After all, I have survived for 67 years … survived car crashes, devastating illnesses, having a gun pulled on me, even a hurricane … but I’m not sure I can survive the storm of the century … Trump.  Apparently, I am not alone.

When Frances Irene Finley Williams died in November, at age 87, her family knew how much grief Trump had caused the poor woman, so they added the following line to the end of her obituary:

“Her passing was hastened by her continued frustration with the Trump administration.”

Makes perfect sense to me.  Did you know, by the way, how much it costs to place an obituary in the newspaper?  I was floored, for frankly I always thought it was a free service!  It cost Ms. Williams’ family $1,684 to run the obituary in the Louisville, Kentucky, Courier-Journal.  And then … the newspaper refused to print the obit!  In an email, the family was told …

“Per our policy, we are not able to publish the obituary as is, due to the negative content within the obituary text.”

Ms. Williams’ son, Art, remained understandably upset, and finally last week posted a bit of a rant about it on his Facebook page that, not surprisingly, went viral and gained the attention of the Courier-Journal.  Mr. Williams noted that the Courier Journal exists “by reason of freedom of speech.”

Richard Green, editor for the Courier-Journal issued an apology …

“Mrs. Williams’ obituary should have published as it was presented to our obits team and as requested by the family. In this political climate we now find ourselves, partisanship should have no role in deciding what gets included in an obituary that captures a loved one’s life — especially one as amazing as what Mrs. Williams led. I’m certain she is missed greatly by those who loved her. We send the family our deepest condolences and apologies.”

Ms. Williams was not the first to make a political statement in her obituary, either.  In May 2016, before the tragic November election, a Virginia woman died, and her obituary read, in part …

“Faced with the prospect of voting for either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton, Mary Anne Noland chose, instead, to pass into the eternal love of God.”

And when Elaine Fydrych died in Runnemede, New Jersey, in 2015, her obituary asked, “In lieu of flowers, please do not vote for Hillary Clinton.”

I think I will write my own obituary now … just in case!

A Tacky, Unfunny Statement …

I suppose Donald Trump thought he was being funny, else thought he was making a statement of sorts when he hosted Clemson Tigers football players, national champions of the 2018 college football playoffs, at the White House on Monday.

The dinner by candlelight, in an opulent room with a chandelier, was nothing more than boxed burgers and fries catered by McDonald’s, Wendy’s and Burger King.  Burgers that had been sitting on the table for more than an hour before the players arrived, and therefore were … cold.  Cold, greasy burgers. At the White House.  By candlelight.

Contrary to what he apparently believed, it was not funny.  You will note that none of the Clemson players appeared amused by it and my best guess is they couldn’t wait to get out of there, from the looks on their faces.  But, the late-night hosts had some fun with it …

Try to imagine any other president in history serving boxes of cold, greasy hamburgers and fries to guests at the White House.  Imagine if President Obama, Bush or Reagan had done it.  No, I can’t imagine it either.  It was tacky, lacked taste and was … so like Trump himself.

Have a nice day, my friends!

46 thoughts on “Statements …”

  2. What else would a normal, sane human being expect from this monumental freak of the voting system.
    Too stupid to realise how stupid he is making himself look for posterity (And a president normally has one eye cocked for posterity).
    Lock him up (for his own sake, before he walks through a window in the oval office)

    Liked by 2 people

  4. It looks like Trump’s negotiation tactics is finding homes in different locations in the world. Elizabeth May seems to be operating in the same way and is cranking up the UK now in the house, in Europe and outside chambers… Either we are all going up with this new way to do politics or we are going down. Anyone knows because I’m confused right now?

    Liked by 2 people

    • Theresa May is caught between a rock and a hard place, and I believe is doing her best to please three factions: the EU, the Brexiters, and the Bremainers. It’s a no-win situation and with her party in the minority, I don’t see how she can possibly please the majority. As for the rest of the Western world … yes, we are all the victims of the populist movement that has its roots in large-scale immigration as a result of the refugee crisis that was a direct consequence of the Arab Spring movement Whether the populist movement, which relies largely on nationalism for its survival, will survive and become the new norm is beyond my ability to predict, but either way, it will have changed the landscape of the Western world forever.

      Liked by 2 people

  8. I hope the phrase “lacked taste” was intentional, not just a comment on the food. And did he tip the CIA security people for picking up all this so-called food? Of course not, there is no pay for their service right now. Oh, maybe they were allowed to eat the leftovers… But I doubt it, they probably had to buy their own! And bring back the change.

    Liked by 3 people

    • That was indeed intentional … lacked taste, as in lacked any element of class, lacked propriety. Now, I’m as much for casual as the next person, but … NOT from the person who runs the White House when he is supposedly hosting a group of people, whoever they are! Would he serve cold, greasy hamburgers to Putin??? No, I’m sure there was no tip nor any perks for whoever picked up the food. We have turned into a … a … a…. I dunno … there are no words to describe what this nation has turned into! I want to say a Banana Republic, but technically, by definition, that isn’t right. A joke? Maybe, but it isn’t a very funny one. A tin-pot dictatorship? Yeah, I think that fits the bill!

      Liked by 2 people

  9. Apparently, it’s not just Michael Strahan offering the Clemson Tigers a good meal. Ayesha Curry (star BB player Steph Curry’s wife) who has a couple of BBQ places; rapper Quavo has invited them to Atlanta; and restauranteur Nick Kokonas has invited them to Alinea, only the finest restaurant in Chicago.

    Liked by 5 people

  10. While we all probably agree on Trump’s effect in the world, and I really don’t eat McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and Burger King, but according to some reports, the Clemson team loved the food.

    https://www.thestate.com/news/state/south-carolina/article224616115.html

    That might have been the response because they dreaded a formal occasion and were surprised at the informality.

    What is distasteful, is that Trump used it as a photo op to promote… Himself! It is just his usual Narcissistic method of saying…

    “Look, I arranged this great meal all by myself, with my own money.” I don’t need any staff, nor a Government team. I am the man!”

    My response…
    ” Oh yeah Donald, You’re the Man! And a narcissistic, dictatorial, incoherent, spoof of the POTUS! “

    Liked by 2 people

    • Hmmmm … maybe, but I suspect, being it is South Carolina, which is a heavy Trump-supporting state, there is more politics than honesty in the coach’s statement. AND … I don’t for one second believe that Donnie paid for all that food out of his own pocket! I’d bet my bottom dollar that WE paid for it. And yeah, he used it as a photo op, and also he lectured the team about the need for “border security”, read … his WALL. Blech. I doubt the team had much appetite after that anyway. 😉

      Liked by 2 people

  11. Jill, the US President’s mercurial behavior and impetuous actions are wearing thin on CEOs. He has caused a level of uncertainty that impacts capital investment. In short, he poses a risk on financial investment. He is throwing water on the economy he constantly touts. Keith

    Liked by 2 people

    • For sure … it is wearing thin on us all! I have come to genuinely believe that his goal is what Steve Bannon once proposed … destroy the government and start fresh. I wonder if he has actually separated from Bannon or if they still talk …

      Liked by 1 person

  14. I was hysterically laughing as I read these obituaries! I may be giving you “fake news”…but I believe that a death notice in the newspaper is free, but there is a price to place an obituary. It is of no importance to me that people read of my untimely death, wanting neither to cause grief for some or joy for others. I had informed my children back at the end of 2016 that I wanted my headstone to be engraved : I DID NOT VOTE FOR TRUMP, that was before he had even begun to destroy my mental health and physical well-being! However, in an effort to have less of a lasting impact on the earth and take up space that could be put to a better use than holding my bones (nevermind the cost of the tombstone!), I’ve since decided on cremation. I will become compost material and perhaps save some plant from extinction. About that candlelight dinner served by Trump at the White House, in all fairness to him…he served his favorite meal! Surely he cannot be blamed for cold burgers when it most likely was an error in the delivery time, the fault of the companies. Thank-you!

    Liked by 6 people

    • I, too, laughed at the political turn in the obituaries, and there were several more that I didn’t publish in the interest of space and time. I decided at age six, after being stuck in an elevator for several hours, that I would prefer cremation, so no headstone. And at $1,600 bucks a pop, there doesn’t need to be an obituary, either. But, the lawsuit should gain nationwide media attention, so everyone will know my feelings even sans traditional burial!

      Ah yes, I’m sure it couldn’t possibly have been a faux pas or any sort of mistake on Trump’s part … 🤢

      Liked by 2 people

  15. Hello Jill, great post as always. I heard the right wing nutjob response to the criticism of tRump’s ideal meal sharing, was to claim Pres. Obama spent $65,000 of taxpayer money on flying pizza and wings somewhere. I can not find any reports of this on real news media sites. Do you know anything about this? Is this another deflection by the deplorables by blaming Obama for something that never happened? Hugs

    Liked by 2 people

    • Thanks Scottie! The story is straight from … guess who? Ol’ Alex Jones of InfoWars fame … the same Alex Jones who said that Sandy Hook never happened and the grieving parents were actors. The story was fact-checked when it first came out in 2009, and was proven false. Obama paid for his own food unless it was for a state meal, and at the time this incident supposedly happened, there were no state meals. It was said that he flew $65,000 worth of hot dogs from Chicago to the White House, but the details were always sketchy. Donald talks so much about ‘fake news’, but it seems that he and his friends are the biggest purveyors of such news! Sigh. Hugs!!!

      Liked by 2 people

  16. it was actually REAL? I honestly thought it was a joke that the cheeto gave cold greasy hamburgers to the team! OMG! what next? a few golden buckets filled with fried chicken for the NAACP?

    Liked by 3 people

  17. Michael Strahan, a retired NFL player, bought the entire team lobster dinners. But, you know, I don’t feel sorry for the pampered players. Still, it was tricky.
    And by the way, make sure you keep your perspective (keep writing about the good guys!) and don’t let Trump do you in! He’s not worth it. And remember: this, too, will pass.

    Liked by 4 people

    • Shortly after this post went out, I saw that … if I had seen it earlier, I would have included it in this post. I’ve always liked him. No, I don’t feel sorry for the players so much, other than that this is, for many of them, the moment of a lifetime and … Big Macs??? Ah well, I imagine they will all look back on it and laugh. I’m trying not to let him, but some days it’s hard to find balance. It will pass, but … when? And what will follow it? Sigh. Thanks for caring, my friend.

      Liked by 1 person

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