Three Families Respond To Trump's "Second Amendment People" Remark

John F. and Robert Kennedy's sister and nephew, Jean Kennedy Smith and William Kennedy Smith:

By now, we have heard enough dark and offensive rhetoric from Trump to know that it reflects something fundamentally troubled, and troubling, about his candidacy. Trump’s remarks frequently, if not inevitably, spark outrage, which is followed by a clarification that, in lieu of an apology, seeks to attribute the dark undertones of his words to the listener’s twisted psyche. This fools no one. Whether you like what he is saying or, like a growing segment of the electorate, you reject it, it is easy to grasp Trump’s meaning from his words. But what to make of a candidate who directly appeals to violence, smears his opponents and publicly bullies a Gold Star family, a decorated prisoner of war and a reporter with a disability, among others? To borrow the words of Army Counsel Joseph Welch, directed at another dangerous demagogue: “Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?” 

The truth remains that words do matter, especially when it comes to presidential candidates. On that basis alone, Donald Trump is not qualified to be president of the United States.

Ronald Reagan's daughter, Patti Davis:

“I am the daughter of a man who was shot by someone who got his inspiration from a movie, someone who believed if he killed the President the actress from that movie would notice him,” Davis wrote in a Facebook post published late Wednesday. 

She reminded the real estate developer and former reality TV star that his supporters take his words seriously, even he doesn’t. 

“Your glib and horrifying comment about ‘Second Amendment people’ was heard around the world,” Davis said. “It was heard by sane and decent people who shudder at your fondness for verbal violence.”

Dr. Martin Luther King's daughter, Dr. Bernice King:

As the daughter of a leader who was assassinated, I find #Trump's comments distasteful, disturbing, dangerous. His words don't #LiveUp. #MLK

— Be A King (@BerniceKing) August 9, 2016

Today's Cartoon - "Potential Threat. Swarm! Swarm!"

(click on image to enlarge)



(Mike Luckovich, Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Disturbing Trump Quote Of The Day

“If she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do folks.  Although the Second Amendment people, maybe there is.”  -- Neo- fascist demagogue Donald "Rump" Trump at a rally today in North Carolina, giving a wink and a nod to any unhinged gun- humping goober out there who thinks Hillary Clinton shouldn't be permitted to appoint Supreme Court judges.  This is a new low (so far -- it's only Tuesday), and goes beyond Rump's and his campaign's corrosive nonsense about "rigging" the election.  This is Rump channeling his mentor, Russian despot Vladimir Putin, a thug who thinks nothing of having his political opponents murdered (allegedly!).  This is so far beyond the pale, even for a lunatic like Rump.

Unstable.  Unworthy.  Unfit.  Un- American.

BONUS:  Charles P. Pierce asks,

Is that The Line? 

You know, The Line, the one that He, Trump has to cross before the entire Republican Party, not to mention a good portion of the human race, finds him too revolting for their delicate stomachs? What say you, Paul Ryan? Is that the line? John McCain? Mitch McConnell? All you clowns in the tricorns and the Watering The Tree Of Liberty tank tops? What say you all? Do you stand by this? 

How about the elite political press? Is this enough to push you over the line to admitting every day in your coverage that this is not a normal election because the Republican Party has nominated a public sociopath for President of the United States?

We await, though not holding our breath ...

BONUS II:   It didn't take long for the idea to penetrate one Stormtrumper's empty head:

One guy just yelled “Kill her! Kill her!” at the Trump rally in NC.

— Christina Wilkie (@christinawilkie) August 9, 2016