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Political Hypocrisy Should Come with a Political Price
When serving as then-President Donald Trump’s attorney in 2018, Rudy Giuliani was a guest on the Sunday morning show Meet the Press. During the interview with host Chuck Todd, Giuliani gave what appeared to have been a contradictory and confusing comment that explains how supporters of the former president view the subject of truth. Giuliani […]
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When serving as then-President Donald Trump’s attorney in 2018, Rudy Giuliani was a guest on the Sunday morning show Meet the Press. During the interview with host Chuck Todd, Giuliani gave what appeared to have been a contradictory and confusing comment that explains how supporters of the former president view the subject of truth. Giuliani said that “truth isn’t truth” when explaining that he would not allow special counsel Robert Mueller to rush Trump into testifying because he doesn’t want investigators to trap the president in a lie. Meaning Giuliani recognizes a Trump lie when he hears one.
The same can be said about former Vice President Mike Pence, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Unlike lying to MAGA supporters, having Trump lie to special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigators carried legal consequences that the Trump team sought to avoid.
On the one hand, where Giuliani brought confusion regarding truth, former FBI Director James Comey brought clarity when he responded via Twitter:
“Truth exists and truth matters. Truth has always been the touchstone of our country’s justice system and political life. People who lie are held accountable. If we are untethered to truth, our justice system cannot function and a society based on the rule of law dissolves,” Comey tweeted.
Justice, as we know, must be based on the truth of what happened. The competing viewpoints illustrate how basic truth is under attack within our political and judicial systems. The one-sided culture war has distorted the truth. Elected lawmakers and appointed judges who place power, position, and prestige over the U.S. Constitution have blurred the truth.
“Truth isn’t truth” is why some believe the pandemic was a hoax. “Truth isn’t truth” is why people believe critical race theory (CRT) is taught in K-12 schools and needs to be banned. “Truth isn’t truth” is why questions of ethics and conflicts of interest over Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas are characterized as a witch hunt. Republican Congressman George Santos, indicted by a federal grand jury on 13 charges ranging from wire fraud and money laundering, also played the witch hunt victim card.
Distorting the truth by playing the victim allows current and future lies, misinformation, corruption, and injustice to thrive within sympathetic echo chambers. Playing the victim in Santos’ case becomes a form of manipulating and misleading others by highlighting how much you are harassed and wrongly treated. Yet, you leave out your own corruption that led to the scrutiny in the first place.
Donald Trump has become the ultimate “victim.” In Trump, we have a former president twice impeached, found liable for sexual abuse, his company found guilty of tax evasion, and now he faces a 37-count federal indictment for retention of classified documents and conspiracy with a top aide to hide them from the government and his attorneys.
“The ridiculous and baseless indictment of me by the Biden administration’s weaponized department of injustice will go down as among the most horrific abuses of power in the history of our country,” said Trump in his remarks to supporters in Georgia.
Ironically, the criminal charges remind us that protecting classified material was part of Trump’s political platform in his 2016 presidential campaign against Hillary Clinton. The hypocrisy is simply part of the overall corruption of a man who knows how to manipulate the emotions of his MAGA followers.
Political hypocrisy should ultimately come with a political price of personal accountability. Therefore, if there is a willingness to avoid lying to a special counsel, there should be a willingness to avoid lying to the American people. Consequences should be paid in both cases. Trump has already vowed to stay in the race even if convicted. As a nation, we shouldn’t be put in that situation. Even Richard Nixon had enough decency left within himself to resign, go away, and spare the country further pain.
We don’t know how a federal indictment of a former president running for re-election will impact the upcoming presidential election. This is new territory for our nation. Despite how one political party has gone to great lengths to deliberately set the stage where confusion over the clarity of the truth is the ultimate goal, no one could have predicted a former president being this corrupt, resulting in being charged with what amounts to treason. And yes, he is innocent until proven guilty. Now it leaves us to question if Aileen Cannon, the Trump-appointed judge assigned to preside over the case, will maintain allegiance to the man who placed her on the bench or allegiance to her duties to administer blind justice.
Trial judges have a tremendous amount of power. They can impact the timing of cases, rule on motions to dismiss counts and decide what evidence is admitted or excluded.
Can the American people trust Cannon’s objectivity, or is she a “Truth isn’t truth” appointee?
Cannon has previously made controversial rulings in Trump’s favor during the investigation into his possession of classified government documents. You must admit, Mitch McConnell knew what he was doing when he made packing the courts and confirming conservative judges a primary focus.
David W. Marshall is the founder of the faith-based organization, TRB: The Reconciled Body, and author of the book God Bless Our Divided America. He can be reached at http://www.davidwmarshallauthor.com.
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IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78
NNPA NEWSWIRE — Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, activist Ramona Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.
The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia
Once upon a time, Black Americans were simply known as colored people, or Negroes. That is until Ramona Edelin came along. The activist, renowned for her pivotal roles in advancing civil rights, education reform, and community empowerment, died at her D.C. residence last month at the age of 78. Her death, finally confirmed this week by Barnaby Towns, a communications strategist who collaborated with Dr. Edelin, was attributed to cancer.
Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.
Edelin’s contributions to academia and activism were manifold. She was pivotal in popularizing the term “African American” alongside Rev. Jesse L. Jackson in the late 1980s.
Jackson had announced the preference for “African American,” speaking for summit organizers that included Dr. Edelin. “Just as we were called Colored, but were not that, and then Negro, but not that, to be called Black is just as baseless,” he said, adding that “African American” “has cultural integrity” and “puts us in our proper historical context.”
Later, Edelin told Ebony magazine, “Calling ourselves African Americans is the first step in the cultural offensive,” while linking the name change to a “cultural renaissance” in which Black Americans reconnected with their history and heritage.
“Who are we if we don’t acknowledge our motherland?” she asked later. “When a child in a ghetto calls himself African American, immediately he’s international. You’ve taken him from the ghetto and put him on the globe.”
The HistoryMakers bio noted that Edelin’s academic pursuits led her to found and chair the Department of African American Studies at Northeastern University, where she established herself as a leading voice.
Transitioning from academia to advocacy, Edelin joined the National Urban Coalition in 1977, eventually ascending to president and CEO. During her tenure, she spearheaded initiatives such as the “Say Yes to a Youngster’s Future” program, which provided crucial support in math, science, and technology to youth and teachers of color in urban areas. Her biography noted that Edelin’s efforts extended nationwide through partnerships with organizations like the National Science Foundation and the United States Department of Education.
President Bill Clinton recognized Edelin’s expertise by appointing her to the Presidential Board on Historically Black Colleges and Universities in 1998. She also co-founded and served as treasurer of the Black Leadership Forum, solidifying her standing as a respected leader in African American communities.
Beyond her professional achievements, Edelin dedicated herself to numerous boards and committees, including chairing the District of Columbia Educational Goals 2000 Panel and contributing to the Federal Advisory Committee for the Black Community Crusade for Children.
Throughout her life, Edelin received widespread recognition for her contributions. Ebony magazine honored her as one of the 100 Most Influential Black Americans, and she received prestigious awards such as the Southern Christian Leadership Award for Progressive Leadership and the IBM Community Executive Program Award.
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Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues
NNPA NEWSWIRE — Recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.
The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia
Tennessee State University (TSU), the state’s only public historically Black college and university (HBCU), faces a tumultuous future as Gov. Bill Lee dissolved its board, a move supported by racist conservatives and MAGA Republicans in the Tennessee General Assembly, who follow the lead of the twice-impeached, four-times indicted, alleged sexual predator former President Donald Trump. Educators and others have denounced the move as an attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) and a grave setback for higher education.
Critics argue that TSU’s purported financial mismanagement is a manufactured crisis rooted in decades of underinvestment by the state government. They’ve noted that it continues a trend by conservatives and the racist MAGA movement to eliminate opportunities for Blacks in education, corporate America, and the public sector.
Gevin Reynolds, a former speechwriter for Vice President Kamala Harris, emphasizes in an op-ed that TSU’s financial difficulties are not the result of university leadership because a recent audit found no evidence of fraud or malfeasance.
Reynolds noted that the disbanding of TSU’s board is not an isolated incident but part of a broader assault on DE&I initiatives nationwide. Ten states, including Tennessee, have enacted laws banning DE&I policies on college campuses, while governors appointing MAGA loyalists to university trustee positions further undermine efforts to promote inclusivity and equality.
Moreover, recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.
The actions echo historical efforts to suppress Black progress, reminiscent of the violent backlash against gains made during the Reconstruction era. President Joe Biden warned during an appearance in New York last month that Trump desires to bring the nation back to the 18th and 19th centuries – in other words, to see, among other things, African Americans back in the chains of slavery, women subservient to men without any say over their bodies, and all voting rights restricted to white men.
The parallels are stark, with white supremacist ideologies used to justify attacks on Black institutions and disenfranchise marginalized communities, Reynolds argued.
In response to these challenges, advocates stress the urgency of collective action to defend democracy and combat systemic racism. Understanding that attacks on institutions like TSU are symptomatic of broader threats to democratic norms, they call for increased civic engagement and voting at all levels of government.
The actions of people dedicated to upholding the principles of inclusivity, equity, and justice for all will determine the outcome of the ongoing fight for democracy, Reynolds noted. “We are in a war for our democracy, one whose outcome will be determined by every line on every ballot at every precinct,” he stated.
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Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy
May 24, 2023 – Walker West Music Academy gets an early start on expansion. Join us for a Wednesday episode of The …
The post Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
May 24, 2023 – Walker West Music Academy gets an early start on expansion. Join us for a Wednesday episode of The …
The post Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
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