Category Archives: Women

Watch “Full Speech: Hillary Clinton Anti-Trump Speech in Reno, Nevada (8/25/2016) Hillary Rally in Reno” on YouTube

Thank you Hillary Clinton for the speech you delivered at your really in Reno, Nevada! It takes a lot of courage for someone to make a speech that exposes the racist underbelly of the United States of America. During Hillary’s presidential campaign and throughout most of her public life, she has reached out to, worked with and supported black Americans. In her early career, she went door-to-door in my hometown in Massachusetts while working with the Children’s Defense Fund. Her methodical indictment of Donald Trump’s rhetoric and marriage to the white supremacist hate movement in America was powerful and effective.

Last August, I wrote a piece called Dangerous Donald, and my assertions could not have been more prescient. Many in the press, and in politics did not take Donald’s run for the presidency very serious. But, here we are a year later, and he’s the Republican nominee. He’s destroying the GOP with every racist word and misdeed, and it is well-deserved.

I applaud Hillary Clinton for making this speech at this particular moment in her campaign for the presidency especially since ‘thedonald’ has made his so-called  “pivot” in an effort to soften his image while disingenuously courting the black vote, and picture this, to all-white audiences using every stereotypical, dog-whistle talking point that he can muster. I repeat, Trump is dangerous, and not just to black Americans, but all Americans, and to the world at large.

Now the media and scared GOP politicians want to sanitize the white supremacist mob that has taken over their Party with the ascendancy of their nominee. In doing so, they use the term Alt-Right. The Southern Poverty Law Center defines the alternative right

The Alternative Right, commonly known as the Alt-Right, is a set of far-right ideologies, groups and individuals whose core belief is that “white identity” is under attack by multicultural forces using “political correctness” and “social justice” to undermine white people and “their” civilization.

What I know, racism and hate under any name is still racism and hate. We need to call out this evil, divisive hate whenever it rears is ugly head. I’m glad that we have at least one responsible, qualified presidential candidate in Hillary Clinton to speak out against white supremacists as they attempt to stage their coup against the American people. 

Head for the Hills! 

The irrational hatred of Hillary Clinton boggles my mind. After all, this woman is quite accomplished in her long career of public service. I have come to the conclusion that she is disliked primarily because she is a woman whose strength and unapologetic determination is regarded as lacking in feminity. It is fundamentally an unhealthy case of “sexism”. Attributes such as strength and courage are rarely celebrated when found in a woman. I think it is also partly the reason Hillary has related so well to black women and other minority groups. 

During Hillary’s campaign for the presidency, she has consistently reached out to black women. Let’s not forget, she began her long and impressive career working with a black woman, Marian Wright Edelman, founder of the Children’s Defense Fund. I had this thought again while watching the Democratic Convention and listening to the speeches delivered by the ‘Mothers of the Movement’. I discerned a very real connection between Hillary and the black mothers who had lost children to gun violence.

As I read through the Slate article, The Hillary Haters, I noted  one common thread, most, if not all, of the vehement haters were white people. Maybe Hillary is becoming our first black female president after all..

“It may be that the moment she starts to claim more power, it elicits a negative response,” 

Republicans and the corporate news media, have done effective damage to the image of Hillary Clinton. This media bias is very real and borne out by the research data. Right wing propaganda, conspiracy theorists and GOP talking points have smeared, maligned and vilified Hillary Clinton to the American people with vicious consistency. Who can withstand a constant barrage of negativity? Yet this woman, against an onslaught of hate-filled propaganda, has persevered. I give her much credit for that.

For example, when I watched Hillary testify for 11 hours straight during the Benghazi hearings, that Republican circus, I knew then that she was the best choice to succeed Barack Obama for president. Her toughness and stamina, her calmness under pressure and her intelligence in responding to the relentless questioning demonstrated her character and strength for leadership. In my opinion, the treatment of Hillary Clinton, and the level of hatred that is heaped upon her is similar to that of the hatred I have seen heaped upon black people in the United States of America. It’s peculiar. It’s sport. It’s insane.

I like Hillary, and Barack Obama for that matter, for their pragmatic approach to politics. Pragmatism doesn’t always enjoy popular support. In some cases it turns people off entirely. It’s not sexy. It doesn’t titillate. Pragmatism in politics is a workhorse, and it makes the effort to reach across the aisle.This is something that Hillary and Obama seem to have in common. Politics, after all, is the art of compromise. So, it makes perfect sense that the first black president will likely be succeeded by the first woman president. This is the real ‘revolution’, and both Hillary and Barack are and will be held to a very different standard.

I predict Hillary will win in November, but if Donald Trump were to take the White House, heaven forbid, the blame will lie squarely on the backs of hateful GOPers, low information voters, Hillary haters, Third-Party supporters and Bernie-or-Bust cultists.Truth be told, Libertarians are disgruntled Republicans, and the Green Party folks are disillusioned Democrats. Let’s face it, a vote for Third-Party candidates, Jill Stein or Gary Johnson is a vote for Donald Trump. As for me, I’m headed for the Hills! #StrongerTogether!

Obama’s Cabinet Diversity

I agree with Alan Colmes Liberaland blog that the issue of diversity in Obama’s second term is no issue at all. It has been trumped up by Republican haters and pie-in-the-sky Progressive liberals. Let’s not forget that President Obama is a black man and must always be included when considering the diversity issue in his cabinet. I’m growing very weary of the far right and far left these days. The far right demonizes and the far left deifies Obama. He is neither devil nor God. Cut the brotha’ some slack. If Republicans like Lindsey Graham and John McCain had not politically lynched Susan Rice, we would not be having this conversation. Besides, women are not the only people that elected Barack Obama, but are quite vocal right now. African Americans voted for Obama at a rate of 93% in the 2012 Presidential election. I, for one, an African American woman, will be most satisfied when I see another African American woman appointed to a noteable cabinet-level position or its politically visible equivalent. In fact, if the opportunity presents itself, I would advocate that President Obama appoint an African American woman to the Supreme Court. To criticize Obama for a lack of diversity is totally ridiculous. His record on issues pertaining to diversity stands on its own. Better yet, criticize the GOP club of white men who constantly block the first black POTUS in every way, shape and form. Criticize the dubious attacks against Eric Holder by the GOP. Criticize the GOP for Van Jones departure. And here’s another forgotten African American victim of Obama haters, Desiree Rogers, former White House Social Secretary. I have heard enough on this fake issue.

Ambassador Susan Rice Withdraws

Rice WithdrawalIn my time, I’ve seen most women, especially minority women Democrats rejected, verbally attacked and the content of their character assailed by these right wing Republican “Dixiecrats”. Senators like Lindsay Graham defends that slave-owning rag they call the Confederate Flag. It took the nomination of Barack Obama for President before John McCain claimed he was wrong for 25 years in voting against the Martin Luther King national holiday resolution passed through the Senate. They attacked Anita Hill and assailed the content of her character just to place an unqualified “Uncle Thomas” on the US Supreme Court. They went after a very qualified Lani Guinier for Attorney General because she is a Civil Rights Activist. They verbally attacked Hillary Clinton as First Lady because she championed causes and spoke out and dared not to act like a Republican Stepford Wife.

Both Lindsay Graham, John McCain and others put Sonia Sotomayor through the mill for saying “I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn’t lived that life”. What did Justice Sotomayor say that wasn’t true, especially considering they are the very same white males of which she speaks? Condoleezza Rice was nothing less than inept as secretary of state, yet the very same “Dixiecrats” dare attack a scholar like Ambassador Susan Rice. And now, that Ambassador Rice has withdrawn, we get both John McCain and Lindsay Graham hypocritically wishing her well and respecting her decision – those dirty bottom dwelling bastards. I’m not going to stand on eloquence to express how loathsome these bigoted bastards really are. I’m going to call them for what they are, dirty women hating (expletive deleted).

This post contributed by Victorio Loubriel 12.13.2012

Read about the Republican response at http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/13/15889339-republicans-give-measured-response-to-rice-withdrawal?lite

 

Meteorologist fired after defending her ‘ethnic’ hair

rhondalee1

This story strikes a serious nerve with me, because I have personally been the recipient of similar comments noted in this piece. I like natural hair, and lately I have been thinking about going back to my “roots” so to speak. I wore my hair natural for over 10 years receiving mixed reviews from black and white alike. Station KTBS in Louisiana is so wrong for firing Rhonda Lee, and the commentary from some of their viewers, just plain ignorant. Kudos to Melissa Harris Perry for her ethnic hair too. I hope Rhonda Lee gets picked up by a more progressive market.

Read the full story at http://tv.msnbc.com/2012/12/12/meteorologist-fired-after-defending-her-ethnic-hair/

Tommy Sotomayor interviews Rhonda Lee on his radio show at the following links.

Rhonda Lee Interview Pt 1 (Fired For Having Black Hair) : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tt5m-UwFcuY

Rhonda Lee Interview Pt 2 (Fired For Having Black Hair) : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTa_D21Qmi4&feature=player_detailpage

Rhonda Lee Interview Pt 3 (Fired For Having Black Hair) : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysW_5vBymig&feature=player_detailpage