Trump’s nightmare: A Latino taking his job

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By: Raul A. Reyes/CNN

 

It may be Donald Trump’s nightmare: a Latino is trying to take his job. Some may consider Julián Castro, who announced his 2020 presidential bid before a cheering crowd Saturday, a long shot. They could not be more wrong. Julián Castro is a hugely important candidate in the Trump era. For Mexican-Americans and other Latinos, Castro is — quite simply — a role model. For non-Hispanics, he is a visible symbol of Latino achievement.

Most crucially, as a candidate, Castro is a living repudiation of the negative rhetoric that President Trump often puts forth about Latinos, who represent a surging demographic that made up about 13% of the electorate in the midterms.
Castro understands all this. Here is how he put it when he announced in San Antonio last weekend: “When my grandmother got here almost a hundred years ago, I’m sure she never could have imagined that just two generations later, one of her grandsons would be serving as a member of the United States Congress and the other would be standing with you here today to say these words: I am a candidate for president of the United States of America,” the former secretary of Housing and Urban Development said.
The grandson of a Mexican immigrant and the son of a community activist, Castro attended Stanford University and Harvard Law School. In 2001, he was the youngest person on the San Antonio City Council. In 2009, he was elected mayor of San Antonio. At 39, he was the youngest person in Barack Obama’s Cabinet. In short, he’s young, accomplished, and Latino — all factors that could matter as he pitches himself to voters.
Castro’s emergence onto the political scene is also a watershed moment for Latinos, because they have not had a national political leader since the heyday of Cesar Chavez. A 2013 survey by the Pew Research Center asked Latinos who was the most important Hispanic leader in the country. The top two answers were “Don’t know” (62%) and “No one” (9%). Meanwhile, three-fourths of Hispanics say their community needs a leader. Castro has a chance to fill that role, at the very highest reaches of the US government, and to serve as an inspiration to young Hispanic Americans.
And his candidacy comes at a particularly fraught time for Hispanic-Americans and immigrants. Indeed, to hear the President tell it (when he was running for President), Mexican immigrants are “bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.” The President has done his best to conflate Latinos with MS-13 gang members and “illegals.” On top of that, Latinos are often portrayed in the media with negative stereotypes. A Latino presidential candidate who is educated, assimilated and successful will remind Americans that Latinos are good citizens with solid values.
Castro says he plans to focus on issues like education, health care and climate change. Such topics may be boilerplate among progressives, yet they carry extra resonance coming from a Latino. Too often, Latino politicians are only afforded a national audience to talk about topics like immigration or the border. How refreshing it will be to hear Castro discuss his plans for a “Green New Deal,” and universal pre-K.
While immigration is no doubt important to Castro, a Texas native, the public needs to see that Latinos are not single-issue voters.
Castro is not the first Hispanic to seek the Democratic nomination for president; former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson ran in 2008, and West Virginia State Sen. Richard Ojeda has thrown his hat into the ring for 2020 as well. But Castro has the potential to go further, as the Democratic Party — particularly in this moment — is increasingly welcoming to diverse candidates.
And it doesn’t hurt that Castro is more than three decades younger than Democratic front-runners Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders.
Because he is not a household name, Castro will have a steep climb to win the nomination. According to the FiveThirtyEight blog, his path to victory lies in appealing to Latinos, millennials, and Democratic Party loyalists. As such, he can potentially attract Latino support in a way that past Latino presidential contenders like Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Marco Rubio, R-Florida, could not.
In the 2018 midterms, Latinos favored Democrats over Republicans by a more than two-to-one margin, with 62% of Latinos saying they identify with or lean Democratic, compared with 27% who affiliated with the GOP. Changes in the Democratic primary schedule, with primaries for California and Texas moved up on the calendar, could also benefit Castro, as these two states are home to the largest number of eligible Latino voters.
Castro is now in the political big leagues. He has a unique opportunity to represent himself and his community to the millions of Americans who will be closely following the race for the White House. Win or lose, Castro’s candidacy is a step forward for him, for Latinos, and for all Americans.
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A Fine Day in America

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Yesterday, was a very special day in America.  For the first time in the history of this great nation. The newly elected members of the 116th Congress looks like the beautiful mosaic that is America.   Latinos, Whites, Blacks, Christian, Muslims, Native Americans, and members of the LGBTQ Community.

It was a moment for me.  It was similar to Barack Obama becoming President.  After the jubilation, a cloud of doubt and fear filled my head.  Like many Black Americans, I worried he and the First Lady might be assassinated during the inauguration .

Yesterday, the cloud returned, after the brilliant Nancy Pelosi was elected as chair.

The Government is shut down. Our President has hunkered down. The opinion of Rush Limbaugh’s and Ann Coulter’s is more important than eight hundred thousand government employees who may not be able make their mortgage and car payments next month.

As a group, the Republicans are better at messaging.  The Democrats  have a history of self destructing.  Within minutes, cracks started to appear as Brad Sherman representing parts of Los Angeles said HE intends to Introduce Articles of  Impeachment against the President. Hours after being sworn in, Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich. says……..(see video)

by the time you read this. This video should be all over conservative media.

Senate majority Leader Mitch McConnell isn’t trilled with the President.  McConnell believed he had a solution to  avoid the shutdown but the President abruptly changed his position (Coulter and Limbaugh ).

McConnell has doesn’t intend to present any new solutions to the president.    In a hallway interview on Thursday, he said he didn’t see a break in the impasse between Trump and the Democrats.  Not going to happen” And I want to get an outcome,”  “That will be determined by the president and Senate Democrats.”  

Unlike, Democrats the Republicans present more of a united front.

   Speaker Pelosi faces several challenges with this new and diverse group.  While the current polls favor the Democrats this will change if the Shutdown continues.

Most American do not fully understand what the shutdown means.   What most Americans understand  is Donald Trump wants a Wall and the Democrat’s refuse to give him one.

Pelosi and company must do more than criticize the President as he is the master of the squeaky wheel.   Wall for Wall, the Democrats will lose.    They must change their messaging.  If I worked for Pelosi, or if I were a Democrat.  My advice would be.  Change the Democrats message to……Boarder security IS important to Democrats and we are very willing to work with the President.   However,  I (Pelosi) believe a non functioning government presents a greater risk to our country.  AND we must take care of  those eight hundred thousand Americans, who through no fault of their own may default on their debt. 

The Majority of the Republicans do not support the President position on the wall. However on camera, they support him.  The Democrats must present a united front (on camera) an area they struggle with.

The 2019 question:  Can this new younger, diverse group of people present one public message?  Details next year

 

CityFella

 

 

 

Arden Fair Mayhem (Social Media Edition)

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Some Policemen and Mall owners have said, The 26th of December the day after Christmas seems to be the one of the most violent days in America’s malls. People are pent up from being with their family,”

Closed schools, social media, the mall and juveniles with nothing to do?   Can be  combustible mix.  The victims: the stores mall owners and terrified shoppers.

Shopping malls have long replaced Downtown’s  as a social gathering place for teenagers.   If its often the place where boys and girls meet for the first time.  It is also the place to settle scores.

For two days, shoppers at Arden Fair Mall, one of the largest malls in the Sacramento Area was terrorized by out of control juveniles in and outside the mall resulting in damages inside the mall and patrons cars in the mall parking lots.

There were many violent events involving juveniles last week in shopping malls across the country.

Some malls across the country have instituted a “Parental escort policy” that requires teens under the age of 18 to be with a parent or guardian who is 21 or over to enter.   Most of the shopping centers have these restrictions only on weekend evenings, but some keep them in place seven days a week.

The “Parental escort policy” used at Shopping Malls in other states may be at odds with  California’s  Unruh Civil Rights Act that specifically outlaws discrimination based on sex, race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, age, disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, or sexual orientation.

Gen Z

 Generation Z (individuals born between 1995 and 2009) spend nearly 50 billion dollars a year and unlike Millennial’s,Gen Z prefer traditional shopping in stores.   Should Arden Fair place a ban on this group they may simply take their dollars to other area Malls.

Social Media and Pandemonium

Before cell phones and social media. some one would make a couple of calls and tell others there is gonna a fight at 14th and Broadway.  Within minutes, nearly a hundred juvenilles show up at 14th and Broadway to witness the fight.   A prankster might push one juvenile into another juvenile and another fight take place.   A mistaken punch, another fight with spectators becoming participants. 

Today, with social media, a single post can reach hundreds with in minutes.   

By all accounts, the security at Arden Fair was overwhelmed.

Anticipation

One example of a prepared Mall 

Cherry Hills, New Jersey is a suburb of Philadelphia.

On Dec 27 2017, Cherry Hill Mall in New Jersey, noticed more teenagers in the mall than usual.     A week before, Police Chief William “Bud” Monaghan appealed to parents not to leave their teenage children unattended at the mall.   The Police Department and mall management had jointly prepared for trouble, often sparked by social media organization. that they had seen in previous years at the mall.

The Police and mall owners had several meetings to discuss how to handle such situations.  The police department assigned additional officers to the mall and the mall added additional Security Guards.

Police said between 700 and 1,000 juveniles were milling in the evening near the food court hen disturbances broke out.    One fight became several.    In the past, there had been many disruptions and damage to the mall.  But police and mall security officers, anticipating trouble this time of year, were present in large numbers, and the teens were quickly corralled. There was no widespread vandalism and only minimal disruption for shoppers, authorities said Wednesday as merchants lifted their gates for the start of another day of business.

Security and local police departments in many malls, monitor activity on social media.  Adding extra security and police during holidays.

CityFella

 

 

 

Facts Fiction and Don Lemon

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CNN anchor Don Lemon on a Wednesday evening segment of CNN Live.

Perhaps there would be less outrage if the story was told by Wolf Blitzer or Jake Tapper.

There are many white men who are OUTRAGED!!!   Here you have a black man stirring the racist pot.    IF a white man said something about a Black man, they’d lose their jobs.    Megan Kelly lost her job over “Blackface’ so here we have a black man calling white men terrorist, he should lose his job is only fair!

There are white men in this rapidly changing world who believe that they are under attack.  It had gone too far and it far more difficult to be a white man in America and this morning advertisers and CNN will  demand that Don Lemon lose his job.

THE OUTRAGE

In the course of a week, 14 bombs were mailed to prominent Democrats.  On Wednesday, a white man attempted to enter a black church in Jeffersontown, Kentucky. Fifteen minutes later, he drove to near by Kroger Supermarket and killed two black people.  As the gunman passed a white shopper in the parking lot he said, I won’t shoot you. Whites don’t shoot whites.”   Saturday, a white man entered a synagogue and killed 11 worshipers and wounded six others including four Police Officers.

Cnn’s Don Lemon said Trump would have people believe immigrants are to be feared, but statistics reveal the biggest threats are home-grown.   He went on to say, we have to stop demonizing people and realize that the biggest terror threat in this country is white men, most of them radicalized to the right, and we have to start doing something about them. So ,have to start doing something about them. There is no travel ban on them. There is no ban — you know, they had the Muslim ban. There is no white-guy ban. So what do we do about that?”

“the biggest terror threat in this country is white men.”

This is what some people heard!   Other’s heard he called for a “white guy ban”               Fox news said Lemon was ranting!   Others called him a racist!

You decide, Listen. 

There are many in this country who supported the Presidents ban on Muslims and individuals from the middle east based on a unsupported belief that, Muslims hate Americans and want to destroy America.    The facts are white men are the principle source of terrorism in the United States and no one is proposing a ban on “white men” this is what I believe Mr Lemon meant.

When its not Fake News

Since 9/11 attacks in 2001, far-right violent extremists have killed 106 people in 62 attacks in the United States, while radical Islamist violent extremists have killed 119 people in 23 attacks.

https://www.gao.gov/assets/690/683984.pdf

From  2008 to 2016, there were almost twice as many terrorist incidents carried out on U.S. soil by right-wing extremists — many of whom are white — than by Islamist extremists.  It showed there were 115 incidents involving right-wing extremists and that those that ended in death were more deadly than incidents carried out by other groups.

https://www.revealnews.org/article/home-is-where-the-hate-is/

An analysis of the Global Terrorism Database by researchers at the University of Maryland published in 2017 shows a “sharp increase”in the share of attacks by right-wing extremists, from 6% in the 2000s to 35% in the 2010s. The share of attacks by religious extremists also increased, from 9% to 53% between the two decades.

https://qz.com/1435885/data-shows-more-us-terror-attacks-by-right-wing-and-religious-extremists/

White supremacists in the United States killed more than twice as many people in 2017 as they did the year before, and were responsible for far more murders than domestic Islamic extremists, helping make 2017 the fifth deadliest year on record for extremist violence in America, a new report states.

https://www.adl.org/news/press-releases/adl-report-white-supremacist-murders-more-than-doubled-in-2017

Politics of Fear

For decades,some members of the GOP have demonized immigrants from Mexico. They were accused of  straining our resources and crossing the border to have babies and to get on welfare.

Presidential Candidate Donald Trump took it further, he said the people coming from Mexico were bringing drugs, bringing crime and-they’re rapist.   There isn’t any subjective data that supports any of these claims.

A point of reference for some against Mexican immigration is the murder of Arizona Rancher Rob Krentz in 2010.   Krentz’s property is near the Mexican border. The Krentz family was accustomed to undocumented migrants crossing their 35,000 acres.  Because of this, many assumed he was killed by one of those undocumented migrants. His widow was convinced his was killed by an illegal immigrant. After an extensive search, no one has been linked to his murder.  Today, many are convinced he was killed by a Mexican national.

Less than a year after the Death of Mr Krentz.  Arizona passed a law requiring anyone suspected of being in US illegally to produce papers to the police.

 

Race Baiting 2018 (Donald Trump’s Evil Caravan)

Before I talk about our president current attempt to inject white fear in the midterms, I want to look back a few years.

But first thing’s first! What is “Race Bating?:    The unfair use of statements about race to try to influence the actions or attitudes of a particular group of people

A look Back to 1986

In 1986, a convicted felon named Willie Horton — who was serving a life sentence for murder — was released from a Massachusetts prison on a weekend furlough program, during which time he escaped and raped a woman. Then-governor Michael Dukakis had supported the prison furlough program, and when he ran for President in 1988, his opponent, George H. W. Bush, used that to his advantage. The “Revolving Door” ad never mentions Horton by name, but the connection was clear and the ad received considerable news coverage.

Bush Played on the fears of whites who were terrified of blacks.

2018, President Trump,  has told his base a Caravan is coming, filled with thugs, bad people, including people from the middle east.   He has a few days to convince his base these horrific people filled with diseases  (so says Fox News) will be here at any moment.  In a world where facts don’t matter.  These terrible people are walking and they only have 800 miles to reach our borders.  Tuesday, if you believe the president. Bringing lawless people who will kill the men and rape the women. (a small exaggeration)

The footage is several years old and his story about Democrats allowing illegals in is patently false.  Donald Trump is doubling down on his attack on brown skinned people using fear to get them to the ballot box.

Luis Bracamontes was first deported to his native Mexico in 1997, during the Clinton administration, after he was busted selling drugs. But, according to U.S. Immigration officials, Bracamontes managed return to the United States by 2001, when he was deported a second time for being in the country illegally. That was during the first year of the Bush administration.

Bracamontes was back in America again by 2002. He married a U.S. citizen and remained in the country even as the Bush administration deported people at a record rate, topped only by the Obama administration.

When Bracamontes shot and killed the two Sacramento county deputies in 2014, he had been deported once under a Democratic administration and once under a Republican administration. He had been back in the United States for at least six years during the Bush administration and five years under the Obama administration.  He is currently on death row in San Quentin.

It’s 2018

Perhaps, some white men would have been more comfortable with CNN’s Jake Tapper or  Wolf Blitzer talking about this subject.   One would think, in 2018 we are beyond this. Apparently not.

By the reaction,s only black people should talk about black on black crime in cities like Chicago or Detroit.  Or Hispanics in El Paso or Albuquerque.     Don Lemon ins’t racist, he didn’t attack white men, he talked about the news and the double standard.

I can’t remember a time when a white reporter was dismissed after reading statics about black people or any other persons of color.     I can remember when a reporter or personality was dismissed after saying  spic, called black women nappy headed hoes, fag and other disparaging words or terms on air.   Blackface, hasn’t been acceptable since the 1930’s neither are insulting ethnic impersonations.

 It’s 2018, come on America, come on

 

CityFella

Love in Pennsylvania?

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President Trump loves the road.  If he could just run his administration out of a Luxury Coach, life would be swell.  He could cuss his staff out over the phone, no sour faces.  He could tour states like Montana and Kentucky where they love him   No rules, no you need to say…….  No you have too’s……. No boring teleprompters.  Just entertaining his base.  Being, High school inappropriate, irrelevant.  Working the crowd, ” Lock her up”

At a rally on Saturday, in an airport hanger in Murphysboro, Illionis a small town  (population 8000) over 300 miles from Chicago.  He was a bit subdued.   A few hours to the east, a City and a nation was grieving

The president had told reporters to expect a more muted rally performance.

For the first time, Trump didn’t break out his usual,  “Lock her Up” (a crowd favorite )  His performance WAS muted.   He went after Elizabeth Warren, but it was a mild attack, in which he conceded he couldn’t use his trademark moniker for her since she took an ancestry test. “No, I can’t use ‘Pocahontas’ anymore,”

This was difficult for him.  He knows his audience, this is were he gets the love.  They love the attacks, the insults.  But this night, the handlers said, we need you to be respectful, so bring it down and we mean it!!!

 Remember this date, October 27, 2018

After 10 minutes he told the excited crowd.  “If you don’t mind, I’m going to tone it down just a little bit,” “Is that OK?”   The crowd responded NO!!!

 “I had a feeling you might say that.”, said the President with a small smile.

“Paris is Burning”

The guys who aren’t any fun has told The President he has to go to Paris, or Pittsburgh.  The midterms are a week away, his poll numbers are crashing and could pull the party down.    Unlike, Montana, Kentucky, and Murphysboro there will be fewer people in red hats.   For nearly two years, Trump has avoided blue areas like Pittsburgh, in fact he has avoided most of America.

More than 44,000 people have signed an open letter from progressive Jewish leaders saying President Trump is not welcome in Pittsburgh until he denounces white nationalism.

He isn’t going to denounce white nationalism, after declaring himself a nationalist.  Throughout the day, moments before he addresses the Tragedy in Pittsburgh, his team is looking for a response that they hope will get them through next Tuesday.

There is a mobilization via Social Media.  Pittsburgh is few hours drive from New York, Philadelphia, Chicago and Washington DC.  Is there Love in Pennsylvania for the President?

CityFella

One of the most bullied people in the world

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Earlier this week in an ABC interview by Tom Llamas.  Melania Trump explained how her experience being bullied led in part to her “Be Best” initiative.

“I could say that I’m the most bullied person in the world,”

 She corrected herself,  “One of them “If you really see what people are saying about me.”

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Anita, Miguel, Connie and 29 million Hispanics are eligible to vote in November

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Anita, Miguel, and Connie are dear friends and family members.  TWENTY NINE MILLION HISPANICS are eligible to vote in the midterm elections next month.  If just 40 percent of Hispanics vote in the elections next month it could change the political  landscape of the United States.  And should Hispanics continue to vote in large numbers it will change how politicians view Hispanics.

Just 40 Percent

In an ideal world, everyone eligible to vote should vote.  If forty percent of  Hispanic voters voted in border states of Arizona and Texas it would change the direction of those states and the country.   40% of  Hispanics would determine who would be Governor, who would represent them in Congress and the Senate.

While Hispanics is far in away the fastest growing demographic, voter turnout is low.   Four years ago, only 27% of eligible Hispanic voters participated.  Verses 46% of white and 41% of black voters.

Why is Voting Important? 

Miguel , it’s is the only time when YOU have a say in what happens in your country, in your state, in your city, and who the best people to choose to operate the schools in your school district.   Its not just choosing a president, governor or mayor.   Next month voters will vote on issues that directly effects them in their state, city, town and county.  A single vote could change the direction of your community.

  Choose the party and individuals who best represent your values and issues that are important to you.

Despite the size of the Hispanics community. (The largest non white population in the country)  the community is under represented.  As a result, issues important to Hispanics are not seen as a priority and this isn’t like to change until a larger percentage of Hispanics vote and elect more Hispanics to office.

Anita, there was a time in United States when only white men could vote.  Not women or any person who wasn’t white.   Early on, black voters understood the power of the ballot box. Blacks voting  in large numbers, were elected to boards, councils, became Mayors, elected to Congress, became Governors, elected to the Senate and in 2008, Barack Obama was the first non white individual to become President of the United States.

For years, blacks fought for the right to vote.  People were killed attempting to vote and as the courts slowly agreed that blacks and all Americans could vote.  Communities began making it difficult to blacks to vote.  In 2018, history is repeating itself.  Some communities and states are attempting to suppress the black vote.

“Remember”

 

There are 435 members in the US House of Representatives (Congress)

And

100 US Senators

Hispanics are 18% of the US Population and occupy 46 seats in Congress*

 Senator Marco Rubio, Florida 

Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, Nevada

Senator Bob Menendez, New Jersey

Blacks are 13% of the Us Population and occupy 51 seats in Congress*

 Senator Kamala, Harris California 

Senator Cory Booker, New Jersey

Senator Tim Scott, South Carolina

Asians are 6% of the US population and occupy 15 seats in Congress*

Senator Mazie Hirono ,Hawaii

Senator Tammy Duckworth ,Illinois 

Connie, you and I registered here in Sacramento County in 2016.  If you choose, you can vote today using your absentee ballot.  I would like to suggest a calling your friends and family  via email and social media and make a pac to vote where every one is accountable to each other as it was 2016. We celebrated with a crazy pizza party. 

 Two years ago, we took videos with our (I voted sticker) on and posted those videos on Facebook     I regret not taking your boys.  It’s important that they be apart of the process.  

Remember,even if your guy or issue loses. If forty percent of Hispanics continue to participate in the  elections, there will be less chatter about immigration and deportations.   Other issues that are near and dear to the community will be seen in a new light.   

“I promise”   

(Feel Free to Share this with your friends)

Vote!  Vote!  Vote!

 

Cityfella

(You Know)

   * 2016 Population