It is not new that Presidents are routinely responsible for the deaths of thousands, resulting from war, insufficient interdiction in famine, external strife, and just plain incompetence. The reaction from the United States President following the estimated 99.9% confirmation of the ordered death of Jamal Khashoggi by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia was, “maybe he did, maybe he did not.” Before flying off to Palm Beach, Florida and waving his pardoning hand over two turkey’s named, Carrots and Peas, Donald Trump answered a question that has plagued the world for eons; “how much is a human life worth?” For Donald Trump apparently, the mythical number of “450 billion dollars” (sic) is it.
Like most things in Trump world the numbers are exaggerated, the reasons are convoluted, and the conclusions are at best specious. I can imagine that after the massacres partially due to the Clinton Administration’s failure to interdict in Rwanda, he cried. I am sure George W. Bush had many sleepless nights over his poor judgment that has kept us in war since 2003, and he cried. Barack Obama shed tears at the deaths of 20 small children in Connecticut because he felt he failed to strengthen the nation’s gun legislation. Following those miserable hours of decision making, I bet comme ci, comme ça was never uttered in the aftermath. The current President reveled in the pool of his own ego on the White House lawn, holding court and sparring with reporters who clamored to be the first to find his soul.
Hiding behind some misplaced view of protecting America with the help of the same country that was the home to 18 of the 20 terrorists who came to the United States on 9/11, I could feel the pain of the Khashoggi family and friends because of my humanness. I had friends who lost their children in Iraq—I felt the pain, my oldest son played taps for his shipmates after the bombing of the USS Cole in 2000. For those of you who feel a little tug at your heart, I am glad you are part of the human race that Mr. Trump avoids.
Yesterday was just the latest display of his almost pathological detachment from the people whom he was elected to serve. I heard a Trump surrogate admit, that had Khashoggi been an “American” the reaction and response would have been different. That candid admission tells us exactly what the Trump administration and his supporters feel about those who look different. Money trumps life when you are brown, black, yellow or express your humanity with an accent. Although that thought was espoused by one of his TV mouthpieces, this President has even put that conservative standard in question.
On August 12, 2017, a 32-year-old woman was marching for a return to sanity. A White Nationalist mowed her down in his car and killed her. She was a stranger to him and a stranger to Donald Trump. A few days later the President of the United States did not emphasize the abhorrent thinking that caused her death instead he validated the killer by implying he could be one of, the “very fine people...on both sides.” In essence, inferring that maybe Heather Heyer’s behavior should be questioned and that she may have contributed to her own death.
Vote in 2020 for Change.