Beltway Insider: Trump/BLM, BLM Campaign, COVID-19, GOP Convention, Election: Biden’s VP

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President Trump, who has been accused of failing the Black Lives Matter Movement with his hardline stance and his refusal to defund police, is expected to unveil a proposal this week aimed at addressing the issues raised.

The President's job approval rating, according to the website fivethirtyeight.com, which tracked polls of likely or registered voters for the period ending June 14, 2020, decreased by 2.0 percentage points to 41.1% of those polled who approve of his effectiveness as President and those who disapprove of his effectiveness increased by 1.3 percentage points to 54.6%. A slight 3% of the population polled have no opinion. Ratings are calculated weekly.

Black Live Matter Campaign Statement

The Black Lives Matter Movement, BLM's #WhatMatters2020, an international and global organization, "focus on issues concerning racial injustice, police brutality, criminal justice reform, Black immigration, economic injustice, LGBTQIA+ and human rights, environmental injustice, access to healthcare, access to quality education, and voting rights and suppression."

Renaming Military Bases

President Trump responded to the outcries of many who demanding societal adjustments, in the wake of the Black Lives Matter demonstrations that call for the removal of references to America's Civil War history.

Read by Press Secretary Kaleigh McEnany, Trump said, "It has been suggested that we should rename as many as 10 of our legendary military bases, such as Fort Bragg in North Carolina; Fort Hood in Texas; Fort Benning in Georgia."  And the list goes on.  "These monumental and very powerful bases have become part of a great American heritage and a history of winning, victory, and freedom.  The United States of America trained and deployed our heroes [here]…and won two world wars.  Therefore, my administration will not even consider the renaming of these magnificent and fabled military installations.  Our history, as the greatest nation in the world, will not be tampered with.  Respect our military!"

Black Lives Matter and The Civil War

The attempt at rewriting history is something every person does every day. America is comprised of people, many of whom say, "If I could only go back" and mentions a time, or place, or moment, which years later has become pivotal in the rear-view of hindsight and determined as "the moment," when paths turned and became the fork in the road.

Returning to the Civil Rights era, more than 160 years ago, and explaining to the world it was an egregious time in American History and especially for the Negro. All would agree. It was an egregious time in history and especially for the Negro.

Attempting to negate history to erase these moments in our turbulent, and convulsive, history equates to failing to learn from our history.

The American Civil War, between the Northern States and the Southern Confederate States depicts a time where many issues caused a decisive split in the fabric of this nation and caused leaders to rise up to build two nations, with the south determined to secede from the United States, much like modern California where voters want to divide the nation's largest state into six smaller states.

To negate this time would result in negating the accomplishment of the sixteen African Americans distinguished Civil War veterans who served in the Northern States Army and received the Medal of Honor as well as the nearly 200,000 who fought, served as support, held ground, and provided food, shelter, and medical supplies for the Union Army. 

"A large contingent of African Americans served in the American Civil War. 186,097 black men joined the Union Army: 7,122 officers, and 178,975 enlisted soldiers. Approximately 20,000 black sailors served in the Union Navy and formed many ships' crews. Many regiments were recruited and organized as the United States Colored Troops, which reinforced the Northern side substantially in the last two years. Both Northern free blacks and Southern runaway slaves joined the fight. Throughout the course of the war, black soldiers served in forty major battles and hundreds of more minor skirmishes; sixteen African Americans received the Medal of Honor," Wikipedia states.

To demand the removal of historical references to the Civil War negates the accomplishment of those exceptionally brave men who answered to call, which appeared to be a sure death.

History, in hindsight, is at times cruel. Each nation has its days, times, seasons, and events that it wishes could be erased, LA92, Kent State, The Vietnam War, World War II, The AIDS epidemics. Each of these times, are shadows and cast a pall over the land from which we learn, grow, change, and reach beyond our selves to unite for something greater.

Forcing change fosters ill will, treachery, and pushback.

Black Lives Matter Demonstration

BLM movement has continued over a second week, since the world unified against police violence, spilled into the streets of 146 US cities and nations around the world joined in solidarity.

The movement has spawned many changes, many of which appeared to be attempts to address the what has been perceived as the agenda of the Black Lives matter movement, by pushing through legislation that would bar all obstructive measures used by police forces throughout the nation.

Other issues such as removing references to America's slave history, pulling down statues of leaders, appeared to border on the tactics used when Germany split, and the Berlin Wall was erected. Eastern Germany, at the end of its thirty-year imprisonment, needed its educators, who were restricted in teaching, to be reeducated as pivotal points across thirty years had been withheld and restricted leaving gaping holes in the education of many.

Eliminating statues of questionable leaders does nothing to stop the modern policies adopted by law enforcement departments nationwide. Essentially it is a non-victory, an air kissing placating pretend move to feign solidarity. Working off a solid agenda moves this movement forward. It allows the movement to work within a system, right or wrong, in its good moments and in its most challenging, of democracy which will always be the foundation that our nation is founded upon.

BLM and The Voting Population

Therefore, as many again take to the streets this week there is only one question that will be on the minds of the politician and that is, "Are they voters?"

In 2016, the percentage of African American voters fell to 59.6% from a high of 66.6% in 2012. The issue with those demographics is the percentage that do not vote; 40.3% of African American voters did not cast a ballot in 2016.

With 40% of the demographic not voting, the demands are less likely to be considered a priority. If 40% of African Americans fail to cast a ballot, then the demands of protesters fall on deaf ears. And to those who say, "We will make more noise. Take to the streets, burn buildings, demand justice by committing crimes." Those actions reinforce a branded behavior that has been seared into the minds of many, a people bent on violence, full of rage, with a hatred of the white establishment and therefore uncivilized, without common sense to understand the movement advances through the system.

The age of enlightenment, which sees many minorities working within what is called "the white system" have been labeled assimilators.

The System is Unfair

The system is unfair. It is unfair to whites, to blacks, to Asians, to minorities, to women, to the LGBTQ community, yes, the system is unfair. Unfair to the educated, to the uneducated, full of nepotism, full of discrimination and we all must work together in the system we have to change the system of unfairness and discrimination or what is obviously wrong with society will only increase.

Destroying history, blaming long dead leaders from a 160 years ago, who were working within an allowable system, does not fix the issues of today. It detracts from the credibility of the movement.

For African Americans, people with felony convictions tripled, from 7.6 % of adults in 1980 to approximately 23% in 2010 and continues to increase. This number represents the non-voting demographic.

To increase the credibility of the Black Lives Matter Movement a united front facing movement which focuses on gathering voters to become a strong, determined, and necessary demographic, holding voter registrations; forming a grass roots coalition across university campus' (when classes resume) holding online voter registrations, showing politicians the numbers of voters collected for this election, 2020, and they will begin to hear, loud and clear.

Remembering the lessons of the past, the Montgomery Bus Strike forced change by forcing leaders to recognize the economic value of the Negro population.

Albert Einstein Addresses Racism

"In this photograph, Albert Einstein is giving a lecture about his theory of relativity to black students at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. He traveled to the university in 1946 to teach at the first school in America to grant college degrees to black students during the desegregation. In his powerful speech, Einstein stated that racism is "a disease of white people." Additionally, he said: "I do not intend to be quiet about it." Living in Europe in the 1940s and a member of the Jewish community, Einstein understood firsthand the horrors of racism," stated the caption in Mydailymagazine.com.

Coronavirus Totals

The infection rates of the coronavirus have continued to rise around the world. With a weekly global increase of 909,000 confirmed cases, brings the total of confirmed cases worldwide to 7,818,600, with 430,867 deaths, an increase of 30,622.

Infections rates in the United States are also on the rise. A weekly increase of 151,495 confirmed cases over the totals for the week ending May 31, 2020 brought the total confirmed cases to 2,096,236 with 115,611 total deaths, a weekly increase for the week ending June 14, 2020 of 5,334. (Data from The New York Times).

GOP Taps Jacksonville Florida For Convention

North Carolina, which had been chosen for the Republican National Convention, refused to allow President Trump and the GOP to host a full convention with upwards of 40,000 people in attendance inundating Charlotte with delegates, candidates, speakers, party planners, media and the sheer volume of people coming into contact with the local population through hotel, hospitality, dining and entertainment, which North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper explained would put his state at risk.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, said "Florida is honored to host this special event where we will celebrate the re-nomination of President Donald J. Trump," DeSantis said in a statement Thursday. "Jacksonville is a great city that will showcase Florida's energy, facilities, entrepreneurship and commitment to bring together the delegates of the Republican Party at a historic time in our nation's history."

Election: Biden's VP Choice Narrows

Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden, who after two attempts to secure the democratic presidential nomination has, for all intents and purposes become the party's candidate, after clinching the necessary delegates, through the recent primary elections.

The next major decision his campaign will make is his choice for his running mate. It has been long rumored he plans to have a woman on the ticket. At this point, with the convention scheduled for August, the vetting process, which began with many of the known female standard bearers in American politics including many of those who participated in the debate process and others who have risen above the recent Black Lives Matter protests as able to be a voice of reason in the midst of chaos.

Former Democratic presidential challengers Senator Elizabeth Warren, Senator Kamala Harris, and Senator Amy Klobuchar as well as former President Obama National Security adviser Susan Rice, and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, and Afghanistan war veteran, Senator Tammy Duckwood of Illinois, have all been asked to submit for the vetting process.

Several of the choice would leave a senatorial gap. If Senator Elizabeth Warren is the choice, her vacancy would open the door for Joseph Patrick Kennedy III, a current representative, to run for her seat.

A senatorial vacancy in California, should Senator Kamala Harris the choice would open the door for Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, currently serving on Biden's vetting advisory committee, or former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaragosa to run for the open seat. While she is considered, her scathing attack on Biden during the campaign debate cycle as well as her inability to secure the thresholds presented by the Democratic National Committee, are factors. Delivering California is essentially non-issue as it is considered a democratic stronghold.

Rising political stars in Illinois, should Senator Duckwood be chosen, would include Governor J.B. Pritzker and in Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar's former senate rival GOP contender Jim Newberger would run for the open seat should she be the candidate of choice.

Although the choice is narrowing, political balance and party majority are also considered when choosing a candidate. Securing the majority of both houses furthers future policy, ensuring the party's majority will go a long way in determining the next candidate.

 

For more information on President Donald Trump www.whitehouse.gov.

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