I should have known that I would still be writing about Trump’s desecration of Arlington National Cemetery almost a week later. I’ve had help: Trump himself won’t let the story go, most recently at a rally yesterday in Michigan, where after bragging that he was “on time” for the wreath-laying at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and complaining about how hard it had been for him to get there, Trump started in on dishonoring the families who invited him.
Aug 31·edited Aug 31Liked by Lucian K. Truscott IV
I have never subscribed to a Substack newsletter until today after reading this column. I was in the Navy from 1975 to 1979, and now. as a 71 yr old female, I can honestly say that Trump's assault on the dignity of the sacred ground at Arlington National Cemetery is heinous on so many levels. Let him keep doubling and tripling down on his lame excuses - the longer this obscenity is in the news, the more people will understand how unfit he is to be in the White House. Like you Mr. Truscott, I take this latest attack by Trump personally.
You will not regret subscribing to Lucian's Substack. Of all the ones I subscribe to he is head and shoulders above the rest. And thank you for your service.
I wish I could say you're right but if the past 8 years hasn't convinced someone that Trump is unfit to visit the White House let alone run it than I don't see this being the thing that final breaks through.
Yes,I agree.I don’t see how anyone could be on the fence about who to vote for at this late stage in the game.His cult will of course vote for him no matter what he says or does as we have seen.What are others indecisive about?The choice is democracy v fascism/ anarchy.The choice is someone who will defend our Constitution v someone who wants to suspend it and make himself dictator on Day One.That this race is even close speaks volumes about our country.smh
Aug 31·edited Aug 31Liked by Lucian K. Truscott IV
Welcome to a great Substack written by a great man, who also can be entertaining with his wonderful prose. You will never be disappointed. For now, the call is to action...... thank you for your service.
Deb, I am living in Germany. I have family and friends here in the US military. I am shocked, just shocked that anyone could consider this man to be Commander in Chief.
This video called "Stolen Valor" from the Lincoln Project, is one of many that sum up who Donald Trump is.
All of the Americans that I know in Germany I know through Democrats Abroad. We do actions where we go out and try to find Americans to register. A group of us are also going to be sending Postcards to Americans in the US which we will pay to mail this week. We cannot send mail to Americans in Germany because of German privacy laws we are not allowed to have a list of them to contact. We will also have a rally later this much for Democracy in Hamburg on September 22, so tell those Americans you know who are in cities around Hamburg to come. Details will be posted in the DAG website for Hamburg and Northern Germany region. Here is the link. https://www.democratsabroad.org/de_hamburg
I have a friend who's a retired Lt Col in the Air Force who says that if he had stayed in office she was going to resign. And knew a lot of service people who felt the same. I can't imagine what this idiot thought this stunt was going to gain him. I saw an interesting analysis that said that his "brand" is the shit-eating grin, the blue suit, the red tie, and the thumbs up (note, BTW, that severe curve in it-- that's from prolonged thumb-sucking as a baby and child), and he is incapable of even thinking about any other thing that's as important as himself. So he is literally unable to even think about how other people see, think, or feel about anythiing else, and his behavior reflects that stunted mindset. It doesn't matter to him, because it doesn't even exist.
I have a roll of toilet paper with his mouth in his signature O ready to receive the next offering, every segment of the roll has the same picture, it’s in my guest bathroom, my grandkids think it’s a hoot, it’s never too early to start raising them right.
Have you noticed how he always has to be called "President"? Everyone around him and all his campaign materials, all the time. He thinks he's a divinity.
Laurie, I think you've got all of the rancid bloated yam's behaviors covered. Well done!! But I think difny's word (depraved) should be added to the list.
I've always heard it (and therefore said it), as Roe-Jay
Which pushes the Cole Porter button in my brain, "Why ask if shad do it/Waiter, bring me shadroe/In shallow shoals, English soles do it/Goldfish in the privacy of bowls do it/
Let's do it, let's fall in love." Sigh. An entire song specifically about sexual intercourse without dropping the f-bomb. Waiter, bring me an Old-Fashioned.
Lawrence—Although I've seen others disparage his writing, I'm a longtime fan (if not always a faithful reader) of Frank Bruni. I love his love of language. Each of his columns in its present form includes a delicious section where readers nominate striking current examples of stylish writing, "For the Love of Sentences."
What prompts this comment is a section in his latest column inspired by "Too Darn Hot":
I’d like to stop for my baby tonight
And blow my top with my baby tonight
But I’d be a flop with my baby tonight
Cause it’s too darn hot
You must read the column's whole last section, "What You Said," a tribute to Cole Porter's genius for double entendre, Shakespeare's, and more. You two couldn't be more like-minded.
To my mind, Porter's only rival as lyricist is Noël Coward, a close runner-up. Peru, Indiana!—like Billy Strayhorn started writing "Lush Life" in Pittsburgh at 16.
If there is an actual Great Beyond, Peter Mark Roget (notwithstanding the pronunciation of his name, a 19th Century Brit, Wikipedia says) of well-deserved Thesaurus fame, is having a good chuckle.
I discovered my father's Roget's as a kid and wore out my paperback before I was out of school. Other girls had boyfriends. I had Roget's. I click through now to Merriam-Webster's synonyms but nothing else has the fascination of Roget's. … Why not the French pronunciation? I always just assumed. Too late for change now even if it's incorrect.
If memory serves, you posted a while back that you were part of the start-up of the New York Observer, so your childhood fascination with words bloomed nicely. Downward arcs of (editorial) history! Observer from Arthur Carter to Jared Kushner, Voice from Fancher and Wolf to Murdoch and that elevator had even more floors to fall. [Block that metaphor!]
The Voice went from Fancher/Wolf to Clay Felker and NYM Inc, and then Murdoch took over NYM from Felker in a hostile take-over I wrote about for New Times.
That's not entirely true. The sale I referred to was Dan and Ed's sale of the Voice to Carter Burden in '69. Dan was tired and wanted out but he was the Voice's beating heart. Ed didn't want to go, but Carter's partner wanted Ed's job. The compromise was a five-year employment contract. Dan had been unable to develop an acceptable successor when, coincident with the end of their contract, Carter sold the Voice to Felker. At the time, Dan and Ed just worked there. Felker wasted no time before firing them.
I was practicing. The missing filling of that sandwich is Michael Goldstein's-finally Vere Harmsworth's Soho News. Slansky and Lew Grossberger may take issue, but most other alumni agree that whatever job they did there—the glory years of NYC grit—was their lifetime favorite (vs. best). My best would have to be at the Wolf-Fancher Voice. After they sold it they stayed for a contractual five years, but working there was never really the same. Finally, the Observer's third issue was my first. After speechwiting for three years I was in pig heaven—startup chaos. I did an untitled editorial-production job that editor John Sicher and I reinvented daily. In the era of Leading Edge PCs I was learning to write C. He paid my tuition. It was long pre-Kushner and what they put in the paper didn't embarrass me too much. Poor Elizabeth Spiers. When Roget's first mesmerized me those papers didn't exist. Nor do they now.
Oh god—don't make it worse than it is, but the glory days yes. I started at the Voice during JFK's presidency, in the '60s. and was the first fired after Dan and Ed in '74.
It evinces a deeply depraved indifference to human life, and a detestable intent to create hatred, pain and suffering in the service of his own unhinged version of his self-interest, too - don't overlook that!
Thank you for writing through your pain, anger, frustration and incredulousness, Lucian. Your voice resonates, and your opinion has standing. I share every one of your emotions! Let's call our reps. and senators on Tuesday. Time for a citizen's campaign to have Trump charged with violating federal regulations.
Alas, FL law says he isn't disenfranchised until he's been incarcerated in NY, and then he can vote in FL after he is released from prison in NY because that's the law in NY.
The Daily Beast just had a piece about Tom Cotton defending Trumps actions at Arlington. Cotton served at Arlington and wrote in his book about how sacred it was. These people are beyond despicable. There ought to be a bounty on them like there used to be on wolves. But wolves serve a purpose. The GOP (Guardians Of Putin) serve no purpose whatsoever. VOTE BLUE NO MATTER WHO!
I would love to see a veterans organization like VFW go on the record to not only condemn Trump but also Republican veterans like Tom Cotton and Lindsey Graham who are enabling Trump to carry out this and other disreputable actions.
ICYMI from Major General Paul Eaton, U.S. Army, Retired:
Every year, my wife and I go to Arlington National Cemetery to pay our respects to the fallen.
Among them are my father and his co-pilot, shot down over Laos during the Vietnam War. Missing in action for decades, now at eternal rest in Arlington.
I've stood with my dear friend, Karen Meredith, at the grave of her son, 1LT Ken Ballard, in Section 60 where the fallen from the Global War on Terror are buried.
To hear that Donald Trump descreated this place, he took photographs and video among the graves of the fallen, mugging for the camera.
That an Arlington official attempting to enforce the law and defend the dignity of Arlington was assaulted, verbally and physically, by Trump's staff...
I can't begin to comprehend it. I've never seen anything like it before. And I am absolutely disgusted.
Donald Trump cannot become Commander in Chief again. I am proud to work with VoteVets to make sure that does not happen. And I am asking you to make a donation to them today to ensure it.
Don’t hold your breath. As I have noted before, I am amazed and saddened that the veteran’s organizations in my area(New York) love Trump. I can’t explain it but I suspect it has to do with ignorance and racism.
Let's follow Michelle's advice and "Do Something!" I'm writing 500 postcards to Dem voters in Michigan through the Progressive Turnout Project (https://turnoutpac.org/). I'll be door-knocking in Michigan, too, though it's a 2-hour drive each way. They focus only on battleground states. Taking the fight right to the streets, to maximize the vote!
Thanks for all you're doing, TimPrentiss! It helps when each of us does something to get our the vote for Democrats up and down the ballot: postcards to voters, door-knocking, text-banking, talking to our neighbors (the Democrats' Neighborhood Leader Program), etc., etc. When Democrats and like-minded others vote, we win.
I see what you did there by referring to "corporate" media as opposed to "mainstream" media. I like it! Doing that points out the blatant power plays being made by NYT, WAPO, etc. by the people with too much money and too few meaningful thoughts.
The thing that continues to amaze me (as a non-veteran) is what the "community of veterans" who are Trump supporters SEE IN THIS GUY? Why does he have so much support from the police and retired military? As your work makes clear, he should have NONE!!
This is a problem: I call it "siloing". I use that term to describe falling into group-think subcultures and screening out everything else. As we silo ourselves, our nation drifts toward becoming another Weimar Republic. The really bad thing is, it is hard to reach anyone inside a silo with information that does not confirm to information inside the silo.
Aug 31·edited Aug 31Liked by Lucian K. Truscott IV
Ralph—Feds have jurisdiction over only broadcast (public airwaves) media, so even if the fairness doctrine could be revived they couldn't do a damn thing about Murdoch et al. cable. We can only hope that relatives in his generation can subdue Lachlan.
You wrote "We are a proud family with roots that date to the founding document of this country, the Declaration of Independence. " Me too! Like you, I have deep roots going back to the 1600s, and 6 direct-line ancestors who fought in the Revolution, and one Representative to the Continental Congress. Trump is appalling. Ironically, his Project 2025 makes a big deal about returning to historically conservative, constitutional principles. BUT like everything else Trump, it's a phony smokescreen for the real agenda. The people behind Project 2025 want to move us to a country of "Christian" Nationalism, privileging a certain kind of religion in violation of the First Amendment. People need to wake up. Thank you for everything you are doing, bon courage!
Me too. My roots go back to between 1633 in Plymouth and 1754 in Philadelphia, and they all came for freedom of worship. Even some of the ancestors who came from Germany around 1750 fought. Only the Quakers didn't fight. I'm related to most US presidents except those whose ancestors were immigrants after 1800.
I should think that it would be personal to all veterans, myself included. The disgraceful behavior is a stain upon those veterans and active duty people who visited violence on J6 and desecrated the capitol. I can't abide that for one millisecond.
You don’t have to be a veteran to have the desecration that was done at Arlington by fpotus be a personal affront. That area is hallowed ground for those who served, and served for us.
fpotus’s conduct is beyond reprehensible and an insult to every sane American.
The pathological liar has, to my knowledge, in the last years, NEVER opened his mouth without half truths, falsehoods, BS, out and out horrible hurts against others, spewing forth. In addition to Arlington he posts a picture of Kamala and Hillary telling the world about BJs. OMG. This kind of ugly misogynist, sexual predator might be president once more. Pray not!
I truly cannot understand any intelligent, well read, decent human supporting this creature.
Well read is the key phrase here. The Trumptards don't read, they watch Faux Noise and Newsmax and believe whatever they hear. And they do their own "Research" on YouTube.
The family was interviewed on cnn. It sounds as tho they wanted to help Trump and castigate Biden despite saying he was invited. The whole thing is suspicious and sordid.
Thank you for this. It's personal for me, too. I wasn't military, but both sons are vets, one a service academy grad. I will never understand how anyone can't see what an abomination he is in all matters, but especially military.
I have ancestors who fought in the Revolution and the Civil War. My roots go back to New Amsterdam in the 17th century and Virginia and North Carolina in the 18th. One uncle was with the 1st Marine Division at Guadalcanal and another landed at Utah Beach on D-Day. I hate this feral hog with all my heart and soul. Who the hell is he to talk about "real Americans"? He is scum.
My ancestors and family fought in everything from the Revolution to Afghanistan except the Mexican War. My cousin once removed, Kristen Griest, graduated from West Point in 2011, and has deployed to Afghanistan twice. She was one of the first two women to graduate from the Army Ranger course and is now a major, I believe.
And the Orange monster is only their face. The corporate oligarchy that owns our media is trying once again, as they have since the 1920s, to control our world for themselves. They were untouched at Nuremburg. Here they come again. Their depravity runs deep and it is only US that can stop them.
Lucian, I undertand. Many graves of my family, from the late 1600s through the1700s are in the cematery on the bliuf overlooking the Sound at Guilford. My family was not soldiers, but many fought. Shipping was their thing. Maine clipperships in the China tea trade.
I have never subscribed to a Substack newsletter until today after reading this column. I was in the Navy from 1975 to 1979, and now. as a 71 yr old female, I can honestly say that Trump's assault on the dignity of the sacred ground at Arlington National Cemetery is heinous on so many levels. Let him keep doubling and tripling down on his lame excuses - the longer this obscenity is in the news, the more people will understand how unfit he is to be in the White House. Like you Mr. Truscott, I take this latest attack by Trump personally.
Thank you Deb.
You will not regret subscribing to Lucian's Substack. Of all the ones I subscribe to he is head and shoulders above the rest. And thank you for your service.
Plus, the commenters are great.
There’s wonderful great writing to be found here but Lucian is the 98% pure stuff! His writing resonates with me!
I wish I could say you're right but if the past 8 years hasn't convinced someone that Trump is unfit to visit the White House let alone run it than I don't see this being the thing that final breaks through.
There's none so blind as those who will not see.
It is beyond belief that Trump is even considered to be fit to run.
He is neither literally or figuratively fit to run. And that's the truth!
Yes,I agree.I don’t see how anyone could be on the fence about who to vote for at this late stage in the game.His cult will of course vote for him no matter what he says or does as we have seen.What are others indecisive about?The choice is democracy v fascism/ anarchy.The choice is someone who will defend our Constitution v someone who wants to suspend it and make himself dictator on Day One.That this race is even close speaks volumes about our country.smh
Welcome to a great Substack written by a great man, who also can be entertaining with his wonderful prose. You will never be disappointed. For now, the call is to action...... thank you for your service.
Deb, I am living in Germany. I have family and friends here in the US military. I am shocked, just shocked that anyone could consider this man to be Commander in Chief.
This video called "Stolen Valor" from the Lincoln Project, is one of many that sum up who Donald Trump is.
https://youtu.be/5KZsW0fLu70?si=JM6TdofPGm071J8t
Are you a US citizen voting abroad? Great article today from Jessica Craven at Chop Wood Carry Water
Hi Deb, thanks for the heads up on Jessica Craven. I see that she also is appearing in a celebrity Webcast this coming week for Democrats Abroad.
https://www.democratsabroad.org/americansabroad-for-harris-walz?utm_campaign=americans_abroad_emea2&utm_medium=email&utm_source=democratsabroad
Yes, that’s the one I was referring to! Hopefully, you can pass the word on to some of your friends over there and make sure everyone is registered!
All of the Americans that I know in Germany I know through Democrats Abroad. We do actions where we go out and try to find Americans to register. A group of us are also going to be sending Postcards to Americans in the US which we will pay to mail this week. We cannot send mail to Americans in Germany because of German privacy laws we are not allowed to have a list of them to contact. We will also have a rally later this much for Democracy in Hamburg on September 22, so tell those Americans you know who are in cities around Hamburg to come. Details will be posted in the DAG website for Hamburg and Northern Germany region. Here is the link. https://www.democratsabroad.org/de_hamburg
That's awesome Linda! Thank you for being an overseas activist!🤗
I have a friend who's a retired Lt Col in the Air Force who says that if he had stayed in office she was going to resign. And knew a lot of service people who felt the same. I can't imagine what this idiot thought this stunt was going to gain him. I saw an interesting analysis that said that his "brand" is the shit-eating grin, the blue suit, the red tie, and the thumbs up (note, BTW, that severe curve in it-- that's from prolonged thumb-sucking as a baby and child), and he is incapable of even thinking about any other thing that's as important as himself. So he is literally unable to even think about how other people see, think, or feel about anythiing else, and his behavior reflects that stunted mindset. It doesn't matter to him, because it doesn't even exist.
Lucian is an excellent writer- you made a good choice.
Welcome aboard.
When ever he's lying and quotes someone, they always say "Sir." God, if I saw that pile of excrement in a baggy suit I'd need to be restrained.
It's one of his tells. The other is that his mouth is open and sounds are emerging.
Oddly, in this particular story, there were no big, strong men coming up to tfg with tears streaming down their faces
It's so, so sad. /s
😂😂😂
Functionally, his mouth and asshole are the same.
And they have a strong resemblance to one another
I have a roll of toilet paper with his mouth in his signature O ready to receive the next offering, every segment of the roll has the same picture, it’s in my guest bathroom, my grandkids think it’s a hoot, it’s never too early to start raising them right.
Lol
And he is often seen playing a little known instrument - the air accordion.
Yeah, another damn "Sir" story. He can rot in Hell and the sooner the better.
I cannot believe that "it" really composed that statement since it is barely literate. And yeah, the "sir" thing is preposterous.
Me too.
Have you noticed how he always has to be called "President"? Everyone around him and all his campaign materials, all the time. He thinks he's a divinity.
The “sir” and accordion hands are a tell that a lie will follow. The biggest tell is when trump opens his mouth.
You're always spot on, Lucien, but describing Trump's behavior as "disgraceful" is too kind. 'Disgraceful' describes most media coverage of Trump. Trump's behavior is disgusting,revolting, repellent, repulsive, sickening, nauseating, nauseous, stomach-churning, stomach-turning, off-putting, unpalatable, unappetizing, uninviting, unsavory, distasteful, foul, nasty, obnoxious, odious; vomitous, gross, sick-making, gut-churning, offensive, appalling, outrageous, objectionable, displeasing, shocking, horrifying, scandalous, monstrous, unspeakable, shameless, shameful, vulgar, gross, vile, wicked, odious, heinous, abhorrent, loathsome, obnoxious, detestable, hateful, sickening, contemptible, despicable, deplorable, abominable, execrable; unforgivable, unpardonable, inexcusable, intolerable, insupportable, beyond the pale; ghastly, sick, godawful, and !@#%&%#!
The single word I would choose is depraved.
Certainly Lucian's phrase for him, "this stain on our country", is far too kind. "Depraved" puts it well, but is maybe still a little too kind.
Laurie, I think you've got all of the rancid bloated yam's behaviors covered. Well done!! But I think difny's word (depraved) should be added to the list.
Laurie, I’d put “fucking” before each of those descriptors for emphasis
That is fucking brilliant.
My goodness, what a list, a great list!
And he never apologizes for any of his lies.
I've always heard it (and therefore said it), as Roe-Jay
Which pushes the Cole Porter button in my brain, "Why ask if shad do it/Waiter, bring me shadroe/In shallow shoals, English soles do it/Goldfish in the privacy of bowls do it/
Let's do it, let's fall in love." Sigh. An entire song specifically about sexual intercourse without dropping the f-bomb. Waiter, bring me an Old-Fashioned.
Lawrence—Although I've seen others disparage his writing, I'm a longtime fan (if not always a faithful reader) of Frank Bruni. I love his love of language. Each of his columns in its present form includes a delicious section where readers nominate striking current examples of stylish writing, "For the Love of Sentences."
What prompts this comment is a section in his latest column inspired by "Too Darn Hot":
I’d like to stop for my baby tonight
And blow my top with my baby tonight
But I’d be a flop with my baby tonight
Cause it’s too darn hot
You must read the column's whole last section, "What You Said," a tribute to Cole Porter's genius for double entendre, Shakespeare's, and more. You two couldn't be more like-minded.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/04/opinion/trump-north-carolina-election.html
To my mind, Porter's only rival as lyricist is Noël Coward, a close runner-up. Peru, Indiana!—like Billy Strayhorn started writing "Lush Life" in Pittsburgh at 16.
If there is an actual Great Beyond, Peter Mark Roget (notwithstanding the pronunciation of his name, a 19th Century Brit, Wikipedia says) of well-deserved Thesaurus fame, is having a good chuckle.
I discovered my father's Roget's as a kid and wore out my paperback before I was out of school. Other girls had boyfriends. I had Roget's. I click through now to Merriam-Webster's synonyms but nothing else has the fascination of Roget's. … Why not the French pronunciation? I always just assumed. Too late for change now even if it's incorrect.
If memory serves, you posted a while back that you were part of the start-up of the New York Observer, so your childhood fascination with words bloomed nicely. Downward arcs of (editorial) history! Observer from Arthur Carter to Jared Kushner, Voice from Fancher and Wolf to Murdoch and that elevator had even more floors to fall. [Block that metaphor!]
The Voice went from Fancher/Wolf to Clay Felker and NYM Inc, and then Murdoch took over NYM from Felker in a hostile take-over I wrote about for New Times.
That's not entirely true. The sale I referred to was Dan and Ed's sale of the Voice to Carter Burden in '69. Dan was tired and wanted out but he was the Voice's beating heart. Ed didn't want to go, but Carter's partner wanted Ed's job. The compromise was a five-year employment contract. Dan had been unable to develop an acceptable successor when, coincident with the end of their contract, Carter sold the Voice to Felker. At the time, Dan and Ed just worked there. Felker wasted no time before firing them.
I was practicing. The missing filling of that sandwich is Michael Goldstein's-finally Vere Harmsworth's Soho News. Slansky and Lew Grossberger may take issue, but most other alumni agree that whatever job they did there—the glory years of NYC grit—was their lifetime favorite (vs. best). My best would have to be at the Wolf-Fancher Voice. After they sold it they stayed for a contractual five years, but working there was never really the same. Finally, the Observer's third issue was my first. After speechwiting for three years I was in pig heaven—startup chaos. I did an untitled editorial-production job that editor John Sicher and I reinvented daily. In the era of Leading Edge PCs I was learning to write C. He paid my tuition. It was long pre-Kushner and what they put in the paper didn't embarrass me too much. Poor Elizabeth Spiers. When Roget's first mesmerized me those papers didn't exist. Nor do they now.
You were there in the 50's-60's Voice. If there were ever glory days in journalism, those were them.
Oh god—don't make it worse than it is, but the glory days yes. I started at the Voice during JFK's presidency, in the '60s. and was the first fired after Dan and Ed in '74.
So we should pronounce the 't'? As in "Roe-get" or "Raw-jet" or ???
Pretty sure it's "Roh-zhay." French.
C'est vrai.
Accent on the second syl-LA-ble, lol.
It evinces a deeply depraved indifference to human life, and a detestable intent to create hatred, pain and suffering in the service of his own unhinged version of his self-interest, too - don't overlook that!
You could create a word for that.
"Inhuman" is my choice.
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👍👍💥💥💥🙏
Thank you for writing through your pain, anger, frustration and incredulousness, Lucian. Your voice resonates, and your opinion has standing. I share every one of your emotions! Let's call our reps. and senators on Tuesday. Time for a citizen's campaign to have Trump charged with violating federal regulations.
Another chance for an indictment! Say, can a convicted felon vote in Florida? I think not... but he hasn't ben sentenced yet. Maybe that's a loophole.
Alas, FL law says he isn't disenfranchised until he's been incarcerated in NY, and then he can vote in FL after he is released from prison in NY because that's the law in NY.
The Daily Beast just had a piece about Tom Cotton defending Trumps actions at Arlington. Cotton served at Arlington and wrote in his book about how sacred it was. These people are beyond despicable. There ought to be a bounty on them like there used to be on wolves. But wolves serve a purpose. The GOP (Guardians Of Putin) serve no purpose whatsoever. VOTE BLUE NO MATTER WHO!
I would love to see a veterans organization like VFW go on the record to not only condemn Trump but also Republican veterans like Tom Cotton and Lindsey Graham who are enabling Trump to carry out this and other disreputable actions.
I got this text from VoteVets today:
ICYMI from Major General Paul Eaton, U.S. Army, Retired:
Every year, my wife and I go to Arlington National Cemetery to pay our respects to the fallen.
Among them are my father and his co-pilot, shot down over Laos during the Vietnam War. Missing in action for decades, now at eternal rest in Arlington.
I've stood with my dear friend, Karen Meredith, at the grave of her son, 1LT Ken Ballard, in Section 60 where the fallen from the Global War on Terror are buried.
To hear that Donald Trump descreated this place, he took photographs and video among the graves of the fallen, mugging for the camera.
That an Arlington official attempting to enforce the law and defend the dignity of Arlington was assaulted, verbally and physically, by Trump's staff...
I can't begin to comprehend it. I've never seen anything like it before. And I am absolutely disgusted.
Donald Trump cannot become Commander in Chief again. I am proud to work with VoteVets to make sure that does not happen. And I am asking you to make a donation to them today to ensure it.
Please, use this link: https://votevets.afy.ai/lwyLh
Thank you.
Paul Eaton
Senior Advisor, VoteVets
Major General, U.S. Army, Retired
Don’t hold your breath. As I have noted before, I am amazed and saddened that the veteran’s organizations in my area(New York) love Trump. I can’t explain it but I suspect it has to do with ignorance and racism.
Amen to that!
Love Guardians of Putin! I'm keeping that one.
Let's follow Michelle's advice and "Do Something!" I'm writing 500 postcards to Dem voters in Michigan through the Progressive Turnout Project (https://turnoutpac.org/). I'll be door-knocking in Michigan, too, though it's a 2-hour drive each way. They focus only on battleground states. Taking the fight right to the streets, to maximize the vote!
Thanks for all you're doing, TimPrentiss! It helps when each of us does something to get our the vote for Democrats up and down the ballot: postcards to voters, door-knocking, text-banking, talking to our neighbors (the Democrats' Neighborhood Leader Program), etc., etc. When Democrats and like-minded others vote, we win.
Have been postcarding since early spring to GA, FL, and NE. Will not stop until we're past the "sell by" date!
Lisa, you're "playing through the whistle," as Coach Walz says!
I'm writing letters to swing States through https://votefwd.org/campaigns.
You can sign up too and print them out at home. Instructions on this site:https://votefwd.org/instructions
I'm writing letters through their program, too. Great organization.
Me too! They now have the opportunity to write for swing DISTRICTS as well as states!
Unfortunately i just found out they are done accepting requests.
Lots of other opportunities out there! Check out Activate America!
I was just going to say the same thing. Go to ActivateAmerica.vote and they will email you names and addresses and a script. You get to choose which campaign you'll write for. I but these postcards from Amazon. You can have them delivered in one day. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D1DLWC47?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title
We are doing this too, sending 350 postcards from Pennsylvania to voters in Ohio.
Activate America
Postcards to Swing States
Get Out the Vote
So many more!!
Jebus the corporate media has let us down so bad. nbc et al can't dry up and blow away soon enough for me.
I see what you did there by referring to "corporate" media as opposed to "mainstream" media. I like it! Doing that points out the blatant power plays being made by NYT, WAPO, etc. by the people with too much money and too few meaningful thoughts.
The thing that continues to amaze me (as a non-veteran) is what the "community of veterans" who are Trump supporters SEE IN THIS GUY? Why does he have so much support from the police and retired military? As your work makes clear, he should have NONE!!
Every TV in every base on the planet has been tuned into Fox lies for decades.
It would be nice to see the Fairness Doctrine reinstated, not that I'm holding my breath.
Between Rupert or Donnie it's hard to figure which one is the biggest menace. I tend to think that Donnie boy is the amateur.
This is a problem: I call it "siloing". I use that term to describe falling into group-think subcultures and screening out everything else. As we silo ourselves, our nation drifts toward becoming another Weimar Republic. The really bad thing is, it is hard to reach anyone inside a silo with information that does not confirm to information inside the silo.
Like you, I would love to see the Fairness Doctrine updated for today's technologies and to be reinstated.
Ralph—Feds have jurisdiction over only broadcast (public airwaves) media, so even if the fairness doctrine could be revived they couldn't do a damn thing about Murdoch et al. cable. We can only hope that relatives in his generation can subdue Lachlan.
As a couple of people pointed out here yesterday, MM, shared (perceived) enermies.
You wrote "We are a proud family with roots that date to the founding document of this country, the Declaration of Independence. " Me too! Like you, I have deep roots going back to the 1600s, and 6 direct-line ancestors who fought in the Revolution, and one Representative to the Continental Congress. Trump is appalling. Ironically, his Project 2025 makes a big deal about returning to historically conservative, constitutional principles. BUT like everything else Trump, it's a phony smokescreen for the real agenda. The people behind Project 2025 want to move us to a country of "Christian" Nationalism, privileging a certain kind of religion in violation of the First Amendment. People need to wake up. Thank you for everything you are doing, bon courage!
Me too. My roots go back to between 1633 in Plymouth and 1754 in Philadelphia, and they all came for freedom of worship. Even some of the ancestors who came from Germany around 1750 fought. Only the Quakers didn't fight. I'm related to most US presidents except those whose ancestors were immigrants after 1800.
I should think that it would be personal to all veterans, myself included. The disgraceful behavior is a stain upon those veterans and active duty people who visited violence on J6 and desecrated the capitol. I can't abide that for one millisecond.
You don’t have to be a veteran to have the desecration that was done at Arlington by fpotus be a personal affront. That area is hallowed ground for those who served, and served for us.
fpotus’s conduct is beyond reprehensible and an insult to every sane American.
The pathological liar has, to my knowledge, in the last years, NEVER opened his mouth without half truths, falsehoods, BS, out and out horrible hurts against others, spewing forth. In addition to Arlington he posts a picture of Kamala and Hillary telling the world about BJs. OMG. This kind of ugly misogynist, sexual predator might be president once more. Pray not!
I truly cannot understand any intelligent, well read, decent human supporting this creature.
Well read is the key phrase here. The Trumptards don't read, they watch Faux Noise and Newsmax and believe whatever they hear. And they do their own "Research" on YouTube.
The family was interviewed on cnn. It sounds as tho they wanted to help Trump and castigate Biden despite saying he was invited. The whole thing is suspicious and sordid.
+100. Exactly
Sordid is the word!
Thank you for this. It's personal for me, too. I wasn't military, but both sons are vets, one a service academy grad. I will never understand how anyone can't see what an abomination he is in all matters, but especially military.
I have ancestors who fought in the Revolution and the Civil War. My roots go back to New Amsterdam in the 17th century and Virginia and North Carolina in the 18th. One uncle was with the 1st Marine Division at Guadalcanal and another landed at Utah Beach on D-Day. I hate this feral hog with all my heart and soul. Who the hell is he to talk about "real Americans"? He is scum.
Don't hate, organize, GOTV, and vote.
Already on it.
My ancestors and family fought in everything from the Revolution to Afghanistan except the Mexican War. My cousin once removed, Kristen Griest, graduated from West Point in 2011, and has deployed to Afghanistan twice. She was one of the first two women to graduate from the Army Ranger course and is now a major, I believe.
Glory Hallelujah, Lucian! Your writing is as brilliant as a bolt of lightning. Now, reload.
And the Orange monster is only their face. The corporate oligarchy that owns our media is trying once again, as they have since the 1920s, to control our world for themselves. They were untouched at Nuremburg. Here they come again. Their depravity runs deep and it is only US that can stop them.
Lucian, I undertand. Many graves of my family, from the late 1600s through the1700s are in the cematery on the bliuf overlooking the Sound at Guilford. My family was not soldiers, but many fought. Shipping was their thing. Maine clipperships in the China tea trade.