Diplomacy didn’t work

Equality Michigan is an organization that advocates for LGBT issues at the state level. It also has a victim advocate program for those hurt by people or by the state’s laws. EQMI sent me an email to report that the Michigan Civil Rights Commission voted to adopt an Interpretive Statement saying that discrimination because of sex (already in the law) includes discrimination because of gender identity and sexual orientation. This action was taken because EQMI and many other groups have been pushing the legislature to add orientation and identity to the state’s Civil Rights Act for decades and haven’t gotten anywhere (and won’t as long as the GOP controls the legislature).

It didn’t take long for various lawmakers to shout: You can’t do that!



There was a lot of news a while back about football player Colin Kaepernick taking a knee during the national anthem to protest the way minorities are treated by police. The National Football League has now ruled that teams can “impose discipline for those who protest publicly during the song.” As a compromise athletes may stay in the locker room during the anthem.

Melissa McEwan of Shakesville reminds us this rule is designed to silence black players trying to draw attention to state-sanctioned violence against black people.

After the NFL announcement the nasty guy jumped on Twitter. Part of what he said:

You have to stand proudly for the national anthem [or] you shouldn't be playing, you shouldn't be there, maybe they shouldn't be in the country.

Yes, he suggested that those who object to state violence should have their citizenship revoked and be ejected from the country.

McEwan reminds us that is not an acceptable thing for the president to say. And let’s stop suggesting the nasty guy was joking.



The nasty guy dumped talks with North Korea. Lots of commentary out there, including from NPR. I’ll only paraphrase a tweet from Sen. Chris Murphy, Democrat from Connecticut: Well, gosh, diplomacy didn’t work. We can check off that box and move on to unauthorized military action.



Leslie Stahl reports that she told the nasty guy his attacks on the press are getting old. She said his response was:

You know why I do it? I do it to discredit you all and demean you all, so when you write negative stories about me, no one will believe you.

He’s not joking here either.



The nasty guy’s son-in-law and chief advisor finally got his security clearance. That’s in spite of lying on his security application, which is a crime. That prompted Sarah Kendzior, someone who studies authoritarian regimes, to resurrect a tweet from a month ago:

My litmus test for whether the Trump presidency may end early (and whether criminals will be held accountable) is Kushner. If Kushner is removed or indicted, admin is vulnerable. If he remains, it indicates a consolidation of power by Trump and backers -- a dynastic kleptocracy.