donald trump

The Hashtag Heard Around The World — Why I Created The #SecondCivilWarLetters Hashtag.

/ Amanda / Leave a comment

Donald Trump is following in the steps of Alex Jones and other far-right supporters. He’s using his platform to flame the fires of war.

You can see that tweet here:

I’ve got a few words to say about this rhetoric. (** Published originally on Medium on June 10, 2018.)

We’ve only had one civil war in our nation’s history and I consider that a good thing. The war which raged on social media, starting with my tweet, was of sarcasm and no blood was shed in this war of words. I wish we could always keep it that way.

The original hashtag started here (and quickly followed by talented writers.)

#SecondCivilWarLetters

There was no malice attached to the tweet. In fact, it was the complete opposite.

When I read Alex Jones talking about a second Civil War, I became filled with rage. On a good day, his message is nonsense, but on this particular day, it was dangerous. He didn’t speak about an utterly fictional second Civil War supposedly being planned by Democrats just once, but three times to his crowd of rapt listeners and viewers who are already living in a political tinderbox.

Jones effectively put a target on half of the country. This was not “only” political rhetoric, but also highly irresponsible.

I’ve often been threatened online and I certainly have strong opinions, but I would never encourage anyone to take up arms against another. The cost of violence and war is too great to us as individuals and as a nation.

I served over 20 years fighting for this country in the US Army. Many of those years were served in war-torn countries. I saw the destroyed homes and museums in Iraq. I visited the Holocaust museums and concentration camps throughout Germany and Austria. I saw the death, despair, and destruction that comes with war. I saw what happens when a country is pushed to the brink of destruction. I saw the children begging for food in the poverty-stricken streets of Panama. I served behind the Berlin Wall, and I saw the hopelessness on the faces of those who lived there, oppressed for generations and only wishing for a better life. I was in Egypt during the 1993 Civil War and saw the upheaval and the despair of terrified civilians. I worked in the Cuban refugee camps, and I saw first-hand the sadness and pain that all refugees must face. In all these cases, there was a physical and mental toll on the refugee survivors that will remain with them in some form forever.

We witness modern civil war and refugees camps on TV in magazines, and newspapers, and online including those currently located at our Southern border, yet Alex Jones uses his words to incite fear and hate in his supporters. He uses his platform to create rather than quell violence and chaos.

During a civil war, progress stops, homes are destroyed, infrastructure falls apart, education becomes sporadic, and medical services are reserved for those who might survive to fight another day. The first to die are children, the elderly, and the disabled; disease and hopelessness set in, and some survivors soon follow their families to the graveyard.

Panama

Photo by: Greg Roberts

Those who do survive the war are refugees who have no place to call home, no bed to call their own, and no food to share with their children.

If the United States had a second Civil War, this time the refugees on the news would not be the strangers we cast aside or the ones that weren’t allowed to enter our country. They also would not be the faceless people overseas that we send thoughts and prayers to each Sunday. The refugee camps would be overflowing with millions of Americans. Our homes, colleges, museums, coffee shops, malls, and places we worship would all be bombed. There would be nothing left. Abstract as war may be to Alex Jones, this is what he’s toying with bringing into being.

Instead of working together for a better tomorrow and putting our resources towards something greater for our nation, our already crumbling streets would be marked with the throes of war. It wouldn’t matter if the damage was done by the enemy or friendly fire, everyone would suffer. That is the reality of a war in your homeland.

We’ve never in history had access to so much and been willing to throw it away over so little. We have food from almost every country in the world, technology at bottom-dollar prices, more choices of clothing then what some people in the world will ever have available to them in a lifetime — home supplies, party supplies, personal hygiene items, and fruits and vegetables in every color of the rainbow. Education is available at the touch of a button, science kits can be purchased online and studied at home, the Internet is available to most of American children so they can read the great speeches of wonderful men and women throughout our history, find help with their reading or math assignments when their parents can no longer help them, and use apps to produce and create some of the most wonderful music and art available in our history.

Our country has many issues we must work through, but we’ve never seen a time like this in history, where we have the potential to move forward and create the most advanced civilization the world has ever seen.

ISS

ISS from Endeavour — WikiCommons

All of this will disappear if we continue down the path of mutual destruction.

I look around me and realize we have everything we need to survive, and the politicians and their pundits push the idea to throw it all away.

Alex Jones is an adult. I may not agree with anything he says, but he’s not stupid. He knows that his words carry weight and that his audience sees him as their guide. He knows that his words can inspire a mob mentality. For him to insist many times that a civil war is on the horizon is akin to someone shouting fire in a theater or claiming a hijack on a plane. It is irresponsible, immature, and dangerous to the foundation of this country.

He has children of his own. Do the photos of children trying to survive in Syria not haunt him?

My own Great+ uncle William Blount signed the US Constitution, I read articles about our world history daily, and I’m well versed in our own civil war, so when I heard Alex Jones’ false and inflammatory statements I was angry. Angry at the ease in which he used his vast platform to incite hate and anger and to ram a wedge between two groups of Americans. Angry that he would dare to use his voice to incite war and throw away all the sacrifices so many generations of families have given this great country.

In a moment of pure frustration and reflecting on the mass murder of hard-working journalists, our rights being stripped away daily, racism running rampant through the country, and the deep divide we have found ourselves in, I wanted to shout and rage online. I was furious. I wanted to scream and say, “Enough!” But in a moment of calmness, I remembered the jesters in the king’s court and thought of how the talented comedians of today represent those jesters. Jesters held an important role in the great tragedies, bringing carefully worded opinions from the people to the leaders of a nation, telling them the truth in ways that their advisors never would.

Instead of reacting out of rage, I turned my anger into comedy so I could point out the destructive insanity Alex Jones presented to his followers and to the nation.

In one tweet and one hashtag, I wanted to show just how ridiculous his claims were and present the silly daily basics we would lose during a civil war. I wanted to defuse the cycle of angry rhetoric with laughter and sarcasm.

Our country isn’t perfect, not even close. But what we have is a country that we should work towards saving, not breaking apart. We should be working hard together to help house the homeless, aid the undereducated and the jobless, provide care to the sick, and access to the disabled. We should be helping those who have served their time for their crimes to reintegrate into society so they may provide a better future for themselves and their families. We should help veterans find jobs and obtain training in areas which will prepare them for an ever-changing future. We should help parents find resources for themselves so they may provide a better home and education for their children. We must work towards humane immigration and oppose inhumane practices.

We need to be a nation which stands up against evil and supports kindness and compassion. We should be a nation where those who are the future of medicine, technology, education, and manufacturing are welcome in our country, not shunned. We should work with other nations to help all people achieve their greatest potential because alone, we will fail, but as a global friend, we will succeed.

If we continue to fight among each other and listen to the rhetoric of those who wish to throw a match into the tinderbox we now live, we will fail ourselves, our citizens, and our allies. We will fail as a nation.

To Alex Jones, I refuse to give your ramblings of a civil war any credit. I will meet you with horror and disdain. I refuse to allow you or others like you to break my resolve to keep fighting to make this nation a better place for everyone. I refuse to allow you to bring down everything generations of people have sacrificed for.

I will not shed blood on our country’s shores. Your children and your listeners deserve more from us. I may not agree with them, but they are my brothers and sisters in this fight to find the best way forward. We must find a way to create a country where we can support progress for the future for everyone, or we will fail together. No matter what negative message you spread, I will continue to fight hard for the rights of all people and the planet we live on.

I will fight you with legislation, with my vote, and I will continue to fight your ridiculous accusations with as much comedy as it takes to stop more blood from flowing in our streets.

Amanda Blount

1LT(R), US Army

 

** This essay was originally published on Medium on June 10, 2018.

https://medium.com/@amandablount2/the-hashtag-heard-around-the-world-why-i-created-the-secondcivilwarletters-hashtag-c48311aab3c0https://medium.com/@amandablount2/the-hashtag-heard-around-the-world-why-i-created-the-secondcivilwarletters-hashtag-c48311aab3c0

View at Medium.com

American victories since the election of 2016

/ Amanda / Leave a comment

The reason I’m sharing this is to show people what’s been accomplished in a very short time. It’s going to be a very long 4 years so we must keep our spirits up.

For fighters to keep their spirits up through a very long battle, they must see the victories which are taking place all around them. During this battle the victories are piling up daily and we must take the time to celebrate these victories!

America is great and we’re only going to get better and better. We’ll keep fighting every day.

Progress since the election:

  1. Unprecedented levels of ongoing civic engagement.
  2. Millions of Americans now know who their state and federal representatives are without having to Google.
  3. Millions of Americans are exercising more. They’re holding signs and marching every week. (FITBIT users are using protest matches to increase their steps).
  4. Alec Baldwin is great again. Everyone’s forgotten he’s kind of a jerk.
  5. The Postal Service is enjoying the influx cash due to stamps purchased by millions of people for letter and postcard campaigns.
  6. Likewise, the pharmaceutical industry is enjoying record growth in sales of anti-depressants.
  7. Millions of Americans now know how to call their elected officials and know exactly what to say to be effective.
  8. Footage of town hall meetings is now entertaining.
  9. Tens of millions of people are now correctly spelling words like emoluments, narcissist, fascist, misogynist, holocaust and cognitive dissonance.
  10. Everyone knows more about the rise of Hitler than they did last year.
  11. Everyone knows more about legislation, branches of power and how checks and balances work.
  12. Marginalized groups are experiencing a surge in white allies.
  13. White people in record numbers have just learned that racism is not dead. (See #6)
  14. American people in record numbers also finally understand that Obamacare IS the Affordable Care Act.
  15. Stephen Colbert’s “Late Night” finally gained the elusive #1 spot in late night talk shows, and Seth Meyers is finding his footing as today’s Jon Stewart.
  16. “Mike Pence” has donated millions of dollars to Planned Parenthood since Nov. 9th.
  17. Melissa FREAKING McCarthy.
  18. Travel ban protesters put $24 million into ACLU coffers in just 48 hours, enabling them to hire 200 more attorneys. Lawyers are now heroes.
  19. As people seek veracity in their news sources, respected news outlets are happily reporting a substantial increase in subscriptions, a boon to a struggling industry vital to our democracy.
  20. Live streaming court cases and congressional sessions are now as popular as the Kardashians.
  21. Massive cleanup of Facebook friend lists.
  22. People are reading classic literature again. Sales of George Orwell’s “1984” increased by 10,000% after the inauguration. (Yes, that is true. 10,000%. 9th grade Lit teachers all over the country are now rock stars.)
  23. More than ever before, Americans are aware that education is important. Like, super important.
  24. Now, more than any time in history, everyone believes that anyone can be President. Seriously, anyone.” – Susan Keller
  25. The White House has never in modern history had so many phone calls or letters (citizen involvement does work).
  26. The sales & download of The Constitution have increased.

 

This list was not mine, but I did make a few changes. I can’t give *45 any credit for any of this. *45 did not do this. The American people did this. The American people decided they were not going to let their country fall into fascism and they created these victories! Many more to come!

Please copy and paste to share. ** Add new positive things as they occur **

John Barron: The very odd story of Donald Trump’s alias

/ Amanda / 2 Comments

John Barron: Exploring the connection between Trump’s Alias & the real Russian KGB journalist named John Barron.

How did a real Russian KGB journalist’s name become the alias for Donald Trump? Does this possible connection also explain how the name “Barron” became the namesake for Trump’s youngest son only one year after the real elder Barron passes away?

As you read this, remember, I have zero proof these two men met.

Even though the timeline fits well and the Russian connection can’t be ignored, I’ve never found a real connection b/w the real John Barron; the Russian journalist, and “John Barron”; Trump’s alias. But, I’m not going to ignore it either. I’m saving this information in case a connection pops up.

My first question was; why would Donald Trump, the man we knew in the 80s, pick a name like “John Barron” as an alias?

Sure it sounds good, but if you want to pretend to be someone else for an interview, most people would pick a NY sounding name. A name which was common enough the people on the other end wouldn’t be able to look it up in the phone book. Remember, before the 90s, reporters had to use huge phone books to locate names & finding a common name in a place like NY was almost impossible. For this instance, John would have been a good pick, but Barron seems out of place. Donald Trump had the entire NY phone book to pick from, yet; he used John Barron? It could be a huge coincidence, but in my mind, it didn’t seem like a good choice.

Let’s start with the background of this story. Back in the 80s, President Donald Trump was known for using an alias when talking to reporters or looking for real estate. The first use of John Barron by Donald Trump was June 6, 1980. He used the name when discussing tearing down Bonwit Teller department store to make way for Trump Tower. There were issues around tearing down the building and Trump kept his distance by using an alias. Using an alias to conduct business isn’t abnormal and this coincidence may have gone unnoticed had Donald Trump not run for president.

The first connection I found of John Barron being a real person was on @JoyAnnReid’s page. She posted a tib-bit which stated there was a real John Barron, who wrote about the KGB/Russian spies in the 80s. Well, that got my ears perked up. I knew during the 80s Trump spent time in Russia, so I went digging.

Here is the Wikipedia page for the real John Barron.

John Barron / WIKI

During the 70s and 80s, the real John Barron wrote extensively about the KGB/Russian spies. He was fluent in Russian and spent a lot of time researching his stories around the world. Between writing his spy stories and books (he published his first book in 1974) he also wrote a story about Mary Jo Kopechne’s death at Chappaquiddick in a car driven by Ted Kennedy. He wrote this story in in 1980 (the same year DJT started using this name).

This is important. This was a huge scandal back then.

People forget, Trump spent his life as a Democrat, and even donated plenty of money to the Kennedy’s. They all ran in the same circles. Donald Trump and the younger Kennedys were close acquaintances. The Trump family and Kennedy family may not have been “best friends,” but they ran in the same circles, supported each other in politics and business, and partied with the same people. The death of Mary Jo hurt the Kennedy family and their extended circle for some time.

During the 1980s, Ted Kennedy was rumored to have connections in Russia, especially during Reagan years. What is even stranger about this timeline is the story that Ted Kennedy tried to convince Russia to help him (a Democrat) throw the election to the democrats in 1984. “Kennedy would lend Andropov a hand in dealing with President Reagan. In return, the Soviet leader would lend the Democratic Party a hand in challenging Reagan in the 1984 presidential election.”

Ted Kennedy asks Russia for help with 1984 election

On top of all of this, who else was in Russia in the 80s? President Donald Trump spent a lot of time in Russia in the 1980s. His family was always searching for new ways to expand their business there.

It would not be out of line to suggest the Trump families and the Kennedy families crossed paths while in Russia at various times. Where does John Barron come into play here? Did they ever cross paths at the same time, or did Trump learn the name “John Barron” from his friend Ted?

Another oddity of this story, and what grabbed my attention concerning the connection between Trump and Kennedy, were the odd remarks from President Trump himself. While running for president, he spoke directly about the car accident involving Ted Kennedy.

“DJT spoke about the accident on October 10, 2016 5:31 PM EDT – Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump discussed Sen. Ted Kennedy’s 1969 car accident in which a colleague was killed during a rally on Oct. 10 in Ambridge, Pa.” (The Washington Post)

Donald Trump speaking at rally referring to Ted Kennedy car wreck

I find that speech very odd, because of all the political deals between the Kennedy’s and the Trump’s he choose to speak about the car wreck first. By this point he would’ve known about Ted asking for help from Russia in 1983, and even though it would have been the perfect “dig” into the democratic party, Trump doesn’t speak about it, instead, he speaks about the car wreck. It didn’t seem like the correct topic to choose from when campaigning for against the same party who colluded with Russia against the Republicans. Why would he not bring that topic up?

Where does this leave us?

Through his diligent work, the real John Barron would have been well known to the KGB, Russian citizens, and of course, to Ted Kennedy and the Kennedy family. The Kennedy family spent time in Russia, with Ted asking for help from Russia to throw the 1984 election to the Democrats. Donald Trump was close to the Kennedy family and spent time in Russia.

If Trump picked up the name “John Barron” through those sources, it’s very possible he pulled the name from memory and used the alias by mistake. We know he, and his family, have a habit of taking ideas and using them as their own. Maybe he thought he created this name from his memory, but in reality he had run across this name during his time in Russia or talking to the Kennedys. No matter how he decided to use the name, he had to retire the name in 1990, when he had to admit the name in a court case involving his businesses.

But one issue still bothers me about the name “John Barron.” One year after the writer John Barron passes away (2005), Trump’s youngest son is born (2006) and Trump names his youngest son Barron. I thought about this, and maybe it’s a coincidence, but something seemed off.

Trump’s two oldest sons are named Donald JR and Eric. Obviously, Donald Jr. is named after Trump Sr. and its very possible Eric could be named after his grandfather; Frederick (FredERICk) Trump, but Trump’s youngest son is named Barron. I can’t find that name anywhere in his family. Maybe Trump liked the name so much he named his son his own alias, or maybe, at some point, he crossed paths with the real John Barron and liked the name well enough he used it for his son’s name.

Maybe this whole thing is one big coincidence, but with all the connections leading back to Russia, and the connection of Ted Kennedy working with Russia to try to throw the 1984 elections, I felt the need to publish what I found.

I know there are a great number of “maybe” statements in this story, but in the vast resource of social media, maybe someone has the key to this puzzle.

Until we find the key, this story will remain an interesting mystery.

I’ve added some articles for you to read about the information I’ve included.

Since our country is in the middle of facing questions dealing with Russia, I suggest watching the video. The video is very interesting.

John Barron Video

Remembering Communist Conspiracy Fighter John Barron

John Barron Obituary John Barron Obituary

Thank you for reading. Until next time…

Be safe, be kind, and take the time to love one another.

Donald Trump Naked Statue Photos: Just say no!

/ Amanda / Leave a comment

To the people who created naked statues of Donald Trump,

I’m pretty sure my words will mean nothing to you, but just in case you ever read this, just know you are a terrible group of people. You just sexually harassed a professional man due to his political position and made reference to his “man hood.” How does that make you better than him?

I get that making fun of a man’s genitalia is the butt of many jokes on every college campus in America, but if we expect Trump to take this race seriously, pulling college level pranks on him certainly does not bode well for the future of the next generation.

I’m certainly not a Trump fan. Not even close. But I do not agree with the naked statues of him. That is just wrong and too far. We all get the book reference, but this is real life, dealing with real people. What you did is a disgusting show of immature behavior.

The entire female “body positive movement” has been waged so everyone feels positive about their body, including men…And yes, that includes even Donald Trump.

I know he refers to women in a negative light all the time. I know he calls women pigs, tells them they look better on their knees, and refers to bad attitudes being because of “that time of the month,” but those are words and your actions are much harsher than words. Do I get angry with him? Of course I do. But sexually harassing him back, in a much worse way, is the worst way to handle this issue. I’m not even sure how your team came up with this idea, but your idea person needs to be voted out of your group. This is just sad.

Yes, Trump is a bully. He is full of words, lots of words, all the words, but what you just did should be a crime (I’m hoping it is anyway).

This is not how you handle a bully. You do not strip the bully naked and run him down the hallways of the school, allowing everyone to take photos of him. Not only is that illegal but that is facing one immature action with an over-the-top reaction which causes second and third consequences for everyone.

You can’t go around making naked statues of every person you don’t like, including politicians. There is something seriously wrong with you if you think your actions are acceptable.

I certainly do not condone what you “artists” have done to Trump. I would never condone a conservative group creating naked statues of Hillary Clinton, then placing them all over America.

I would hope most people would not like it, even if they disagreed with her.

Do I think he’s a total ass? Yep. I sure do. Do I think he is diabolical? Yep. Right again. Will I ever vote for him? Nope. Not even close.

Do I think people should show his naked body all over the world without his permission? No way! No way would I ever think this is a good idea. What you did was wrong. Had he been a female, this would be considered a crime (again, I hope it is).

His naked body will be on the internet for the rest of his life. These photos will follow him, his children, and his grandchildren, forever. He did not give his permission for these creations or these actions. He is now a victim of sexual harassment and body shaming (and in some states, online sexual bullying).

* Now, replace the word “his” with “her” and “he” with “she” and see how bad this feels.*

It makes me sick seeing all the people taking photos with those statues and putting them on the internet. Some of these people would be the first ones to stand up against female harassment or naked photos of ex girlfriends being handed out to millions of people around the world. These photos will never go away. Even if they are taken down from search engines, people will have them in their homes and on their computers. I’m asking everyone to stop and think what you are doing.

Would you take photos with an unapproved naked statue of someone you loved? I know it’s hard to imagine, but Trump is a father, a grandfather, and much more to many people. Please look at those statues for what they are and think about what they represent.

Many females are bullied off the internet because of men putting naked photos of them on social media or creating naked photos of them on social media, and yet, your group is trying to the exact same thing to Trump. You are trying to circumvent the political process by sexually harassing someone. I don’t care if it’s Trump or anyone else, this is never okay!

Not only is this action totally against raising people up, but you just undercut the real progress females have been fighting for while promoting positive body image and trying to decrease sexual harassment.

If none of this concerns you (and obviously it doesn’t), then at least think about this, your actions could actually work in his favor. He *is* a victim of sexual harassment and he *will* gain sympathy votes due to your actions and this stunt. I really hope you can live with yourself.

What makes me more livid about this is you didn’t do this for the good of the country or the voters. You did this as a social media stunt.

I did not see one video of anyone in your group handing out voter registrations while you presented your “work of art.” You tried to destroy another human being only to create news for your own self interests. You did nothing to help the cause of the nation. You did this to help yourself by hurting someone else. You provided your group name and even the name of the artist.

If you have been truly doing something for a good cause (not this), the names of your groups and the name of the artist would have been irrelevant. You did this for followers and fandom, not for social change. Trump is known for tricks like this. What makes you any better than him?

Instead of body shaming someone you disagree with, I’ve got a better solution for you, get out and vote! I can see you have great talent, so focus that talent on something a little less shameful and a little more constructive. Don’t shame people for the body they have. If you don’t like a person for any reason, then use your creative brain and get people to vote. Create a project which will inspire more people to vote to your side.

Get your school to vote. Get your whole family and friends to vote. Get strangers to vote.

Let’s all take a lesson from Donald Trump’s actions. Let’s not sexually harass and body shame people, including the people running for POTUS. It’s not very nice.

Also, let’s not forget, this is not a political statement and it’s not art. This is sexual harassment and I really hope Trump sues you.

Until next time…be safe, be kind, and always be happy (focus on the kind part today).

Written by;

A Never-Trump voter

(…who would never approve of Trump being harassed like this)