The LCR Editor – Page 9

White Athlete Denounces Trump, Discusses Human Emotion

President Trump’s recent comments about NFL and NBA players have caused an uproar and sparked much conversation around our nation. The majority of professional athletes in the NFL and NBA are African-American, and many have been vocal about their support of Colin Kaepernick and why they’ve chosen to kneel as well.

During the Philadelphia 76ers media day, JJ Redick, an 11 year NBA Veteran, unequivocally denounced President Trump as well. In less than 60 seconds, JJ touched on oppression, human emotion, being anti-Trump, his daily breakfast, and protesting.

“How often do you go through a day and not be offended by the guy?” – JJ Redick, 76ers Shooting Guard

Should other white professional athletes speak up in support of their teammates and denounce Trump?

Does their support matter?

NFL Owners Respond To Trump: “We’re Proud of Our Players”

In a recent rally in Alabama (9/22/17), President Trump used the term “son of a bitch” to refer to NFL players who’ve decided to take a knee in peaceful protest. Professional athletes, The NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, the NFL players union (NFLPA), and several others immediately denounced his statements. Yet, many people were calling on NFL owners to make individual statements, and now they’re coming in…

“Comments like we heard last night from the president are inappropriate, offensive and divisive. We are proud of our players, the vast majority of whom use their NFL platform to make a positive difference in our society.” – Co-owners of the New York Giants, John Mara and Steve Tisch

“The callous and offensive comments made by the President are contradictory to what this great country stands for. Our players have exercised their rights as United States citizens in order to spark conversation and action to address social injustice. We will continue to support them in their peaceful pursuit of positive change in our country and around the world. The San Francisco 49ers will continue to work toward bringing communities, and those who serve them, closer together.” – San Fransisco 49er’s CEO Jed York

The New York Giants are considered a class organization and one of the best in the league. Their statement should prompt other owners to speak up in defense of their players and their decision to let them peacefully protest, despite many of them disagreeing with the way they’ve chosen to protest and others like the president suggesting they fire (cut or release) these specific players.

Many NFL analysists and other pundits have stated that Trump’s comments will only cause more players to protest. If they’re right this issue only gets bigger, which is the last thing the NFL wants to see happen.

Trump’s initial statement regarding NFL players and their protesting:

Trump: “Get That ‘Son of a Bitch’ Off the Field Right Now!”

Amongst a raucous crowd in Alabama, President Trump went off script as he usually does and decided to render his opinion on the peaceful yet controversial NFL kneeling protests.

“Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out. He’s fired. He’s fired!‘ You know, some owner is gonna do that. He’s gonna say, ‘That guy that disrespects our flag, he’s fired.’ And that owner, they don’t know it. They don’t know it. They’re friends of mine, many of them. They don’t know it. They’ll be the most popular person, for a week. They’ll be the most popular person in this country.” – President Trump

NFL ratings are down and the Colin Kaepernick ordeal is not fading away. The president’s comments bring even more attention to the NFL and current players who’ve decided to follow Kaepernick’s lead and continue to protest.

Should Roger Goodell and/or NFL team owners denounce Trump’s statements?

Should the NFLPA make a statement?

With everything going on… Healthcare, hurricane relief, DACA, North Korea… Should the president really be discussing NFL protests?

Updated (9/23/17)

Roger Goodell quickly released a statement in response to Trump:

Trump Strikes Another Deal with Dems… DACA Protection?

Surprisingly, or maybe not… Schumer and Pelosi released a joint statement last night suggesting that they struck another deal with President Trump.

“We agreed to enshrine the protections of DACA into law quickly, and to work out a package of border security, excluding the wall, that’s acceptable to both sides.” – Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi

This statement is interesting considering Trump’s campaign promise to build the wall. The White House immediately pushed back in a statement saying that they discussed tax reform, border security, and DACA; however, the wall was certainly not agreed to.

Just last week Trump struck a deal with Dems to extend the debt ceiling (for only 3 months) and pass $8 billion in Hurricane Harvey relief. Paul Ryan and other Republicans were caught completely off guard considering they were hoping to push the debt ceiling fight into 2018.

UPDATE: In a series of tweets (9/14/17) Trump denies that a DACA deal was reached…

Trump denies the DACA deal, but then goes on to sympathize with Dreamers about why they deserve to stay. Whether or not they struck a deal last night, I think it’s safe to say that Trump wants Congress to write a bill that would allow Dreamers to stay.

If this second deal is true, will Trump’s base lose respect for him?

How will House Republicans respond?

Trump used to be a Democrat… should anyone be surprised that he’s striking deals with Dems?

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Trump Strikes Deal with Dems

Despite (R) Paul Ryan publicly scolding Democrats and calling them “shameful” for playing politics with the debt ceiling, just hours later Trump struck a deal with (D) Chuck Schumer and (D) Nancy Pelosi. They agreed to extend the debt ceiling for 3 months as well as pass $8 billion in Hurricane Harvey relief. Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell were hoping to push the debt ceiling fight into 2018, but Trump sided with Dems instead and agreed to only fund the government through December 15th. Paul Ryan has to be pretty upset considering the president decided to cut a deal with Democrats, who don’t control the House or Senate. Most Republicans were shocked by Trump’s closed door agreement with Dems; yet, this move shouldn’t shock too many as Trump has been known to do what he wants… when he wants… how we wants.

Will Trump continue to cut deals with Democrats?

Does this deal give Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi leverage in future negotiations with Trump?

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Trump Ends DACA, America’s Top Universities Respond

On Tuesday, September 5th, President Trump ordered the end of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which protects some 800,000 undocumented young people who were brought to the US illegally. New applications will not be processed and Congress now has 6 months to write a law and “resolve the fate of the Dreamers.”

Trump recently tweeted:

Is this about policy? Or is this just another step to undo Obama’s work and Make America Great Again?

Speaking of Obama, he called the move by Trump “cruel” and “self-defeating.” Several top universities, most notably Columbia University and the University of Pennsylvania, immediately denounced Trump’s decision to end DACA.

“Columbia unequivocally opposes the ending of DACA and is working with others in higher education to urge Congress and federal officials to reinstate DACA’s protections and protect the rights of those with DACA status during and after the “wind-down” process that has been announced.” – Professor Suzanne Goldberg, Executive Vice President for University Life, Herbert and Doris Wechsler Clinical Professor of Law, Columbia Law School …Columbia University full statement

“We know the Dreamers to be gifted and successful students who have grown up in our communities, attended our schools, and who are poised to make vital contributions to our nation’s economic strength, creativity, and global competitiveness. The repeal of DACA will mean the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs in the United States and hundreds of billions of dollars in economic growth over the next decade.” – University of Pennsylvania full statement

Check The LCR in the coming days for following articles about DACA.

Red Blue 2020 Ticket?

According to Washington insiders, Ohio Governor (R) John Kasich and Colorado Governor (D) John Hickenlooper are apparently considering a unity presidential ticket for 2020. Charlottesville seemed to be the last straw for many Republicans. However, this is still a shocking development as such a ticket would surely shake Washington to its core. The governors are working together on immigration and healthcare, and Hickenlooper recently mentioned that he would like to continue working with Kasich on major policy issues.

How would the RNC and DNC react to a unity ticket?

Can a unity ticket defeat Trump in 2020?

Do the Democrats have a presidential and VP candidate that can compete with a Kasich and Hickenlooper ticket?

The LCR will post an update next week.

Bannon’s Exit Was Expected? The LCR Responds…

Steve Bannon’s addition as Chief Strategist to the administration might’ve been the most controversial of all the president’s picks. Many suggested that Bannon, the former Breitbart executive, wouldn’t be in the White House much longer after John Kelly replaced Reince Priebus as the new Chief of Staff, and they were right. We asked three of our contributor’s to weigh in regarding his sudden, yet expected, departure. Here’s what they had to say…

“With the ouster of Steve Bannon, the Trump Administration just started eating its own young. Trump’s ever-loyal base, consisting of the some of the worst humanity has to offer – so cleanly coined the “Alt Right” – is now beginning to fracture, collapsing under the weight of scandals that have rocked this administration from the very beginning. But this isn’t the beginning of the end; it’s merely the end of the beginning. We are only seeing the first part of a very long battle. It’s not over yet.” – Registered Independent Voter

“This is a good step forward for the administration – the too slow professionalization of the West Wing. It was clear last week when the President was threatening involvement with the DPRK, Venezuela and Iran simultaneously that Bannon’s agenda was no longer the President’s. The next question is whether the President will operate with any vision at all, or whether he will simply react to World affairs.” – Right Army Veteran

“Have you ever heard that quote “success is where preparation and opportunity meet”? It’s one of those cliche lines that actually makes sense and is a good reminder in times like Bannon being booted from the White House. The White House is crumbling. The presidents supporters are slowly but surely deserting him. Impeachment, once a far off possibility but now seems more like a prediction of our near future. What will happen when/if they move forward with the removal of #45? Are your thoughts and beliefs represented by the people who are left in power? It’s time to really think about that. When the time comes, are you prepared to be successful? We will have the time to vote again and let our voice be heard. Are you ready for that?”– Center Left HR

One of our contributor’s details Bannon’s exit: Sith Lords Run the White House

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Remove Confederate Statues? The LCR Responds…

The descendants of Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson have stated that confederate statues should be removed. Yet, many American’s still have mixed feelings about the statues and their place in society. Municipalities and institutions are scrambling trying to figure out what to do. Last week, the City of Baltimore and the University of Texas decided to remove their confederate statues overnight. Our contributors share their thoughts about the meaning of the statues, and what we should do with them…

“They say the victor writes history; however, when it comes to the Civil War, the monuments tell a different story. We need to stop paying homage to men who inspired the hate we saw in Charlottesville. If we keep the monuments in place, it creates the impression that we pay homage to those men that represented oppression and hate. If we look to move past history to a state of respect and equality, we need to remove them, acknowledge the facts of slavery and the negative effects we still see today.” – Center Single Mom

“We’ve been holding on to the past for way too long. It’s time to remove those statues so that there isn’t a constant reminder of the ugly times of our past. Instead of holding on to those statues, we should be examining why they mean so much in the first place. Why are some people so intent on holding on to symbols of oppression from the past? Is it because they aren’t ready for that time to be over? If that’s not it, then why the resistance? It should be understood that those statues and monuments represent an ugly period of time in our country’s history. Those statues are the manifestation of hate for a disenfranchised group of people that never deserved the ire to begin with. If we truly want to move past that time, the statues need to go. No one needs that constant reminder of a time charged with hate. It’s time to let it go.” – Center Left HR

“Union North won the American Civil War, slavery ended, and the USA attempted to move forward together with the Confederate South even after unspeakable violence. Imagine continuing to exist in a country where your ideas are not just rejected, but physically beaten out of existence. It can’t be easy for the surviving losers. Consequently, the Confederate monuments were probably meant to be pacifiers for the defeated Southerners and their “way of life” (heavily built around slavery). However, none of those Confederates are still alive (even if their grandchildren are), and slavery is an abhorrent idea rejected entirely by more than 99% of the population. Now these monuments only stand to encourage racism and antagonize black Americans who share the same rights as everyone else to pursue life, liberty, and happiness.” – Unaffiliated Humanist Musician

“Confederate statues belong in museums not public squares. The difference between statues of George Washington or Thomas Jefferson and statues of Robert E. Lee or Jefferson Davis is that the former never waged war against the United States. It’s also important to remember that many of these statues are not meant to be historic monuments – they were erected to intimidate African Americans. There is an important distinction between remembering the dark parts of our history and glorifying them.” – Center Left College Student

When Trump held his press conference after the Charlottesville incident, in a facetious tone he hinted towards removing statues of George Washington as well. An important question – is the fight to maintain confederate monuments rooted only in reminding black people of their ancestors being enslaved? I’m not sure, but that seems to be reason they were erected in first place. Perhaps a better question – will the inability of our political leaders to listen and understand the perspectives of all Americans, and not just their voting base, cause us to one day extol another in stone, despite great ambivalence amongst our citizens?” – Independent Atlanta Teacher

LCR Perspective: Kaepernick Vs. The NFL

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U.S. Military Leaders Denounce Racism

Over the past week, U.S. Military leaders publicly denounced racism, hatred, and extremism. While their sentiments toward racism should be assumed, the events in Charlottesville and the president’s lackluster reaction prompted many of them to make public statements via Twitter. Rarely do such leaders in the military make public statements. However, many would suggest that they felt the need to make statements considering the unfortunate weekend in Charlottesville, which claimed the lives of three people.

John Michael Richardson is an Admiral in the United States Navy who currently serves as the 31st Chief of Naval Operations:

Robert Blake Neller is a United States Marine Corps four-star general who currently serves as the 37th Commandant of the Marine Corps:

Mark Alexander Milley is a United States Army officer. A four-star general, he is the 39th Chief of Staff of the Army:

David Lee Goldfein is a General in the United States Air Force who currently serves as the Air Force Cheif of Staff:

You’ll notice they chose their words carefully and not one of them mentioned Trump or his administration in their tweets. Do you agree with their tweets? If yes, were they strong enough? If no, should they have tried to address their concerns with the president in private, instead of Twitter?

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