Just before ringing in 2020, a reporter asked Melania Trump what she wished for in the New Year, and her answer was “piss on the world” (peace on the world).

Normally, I wouldn’t use the literal pronunciation/poke fun at a person’s dialect – I don’t speak any other languages so have no room to talk – but this one was particularly ironic. You’ll recall Melania is also a promoter of a public awareness campaign called “Be Best” which focuses on well-being for youth, and advocating against cyberbullying and drug use. First Lady Melania Trump is married to the Bully-In-Chief who is reportedly addicted to stimulants, including Adderall. Whatever he’s on, reporters, doctors, and commentators speculate as to what all it could be every time he mumbles and slurs his way through a public speaking event.

The thing about what the First Lady said, though, the peace thing? In that moment, Trump was in the process of assassinations of two leaders in Iran that would likely get us into a war with another nuclear power. That is after he had backed out of the nuclear weapons treaty with them. He’s looking for war.

And Trump wonders aloud why he didn’t get a Nobel Peace Prize. Again.

Trump does not value human life. He doesn’t feel a need to plan actions. To him, human beings are pawns in a game. He uses people like we use things. We’re a means to an end until we’re no longer useful. And, accordingly, the “president” is nonchalant in his ideas about how and when to use nuclear weapons.

He literally suggested “nuking hurricanes” to prevent them hitting America.

Every day since Trump told his first official lie at the swearing-in, the one about “faithfully executing” the Office and “protecting and defending” our Constitution, Americans have wondered how long we have. How long until he nukes someone over an imagined slight, an insult about his little hands or his hair or the fact that he’s not a billionaire? How long until he gets us nuked?

In 1964, LBJ had an attack advertisement that was aired one time (before it was pulled). This “Daisy Girl ad” was for Lyndon B. Johnson’s campaign against Barry “In your guts, you know he’s nuts” Goldwater. Goldwater was known as far right for the times and tended to lean toward aggressive/military tactics to fight communism. In a May 1964 speech, Goldwater suggested that tactical nuclear weapons should be treated more like conventional weapons and used in Vietnam.

“Compared to Trump, Goldwater Was a Sensible Moderate”

Frederik Logevall and Gordon M. Goldstein, 17 September 2016

Sadly, Democrats could use the 1964 television advertisement again today, and it would make sense. Sure, they would have to take out “god’s children” and use something less offensive to refer to all people, and they’d need to have the current nominee (to be determined) do a new voice-over. Still, the message makes sense today even though that little girl is nearly 60 years old.

A link to the advertisement is included below. Unfortunately, this platform doesn’t usually allow me to include video so we’ll see if this lasts:

Daisy Girl Ad, 1964 (link in case the video goes down later)

(Original ad text and description: A freckled, little girl with long hair attempts to count to ten as she pulls petals off a daisy. At “nine,” the camera zooms in to her right eye as you hear a man’s voice counting down from ten. At one, the camera has gotten so close that the screen is black. At zero, a bright light flashes on the screen. We hear and then see in the distance a nuclear explosion and the resulting mushroom cloud. Johnson’s voice starts in as you watch various explosions and fires on the screen. “These are the stakes. To make a world in which all of God’s children can live, or to go into the dark. We must either love each other, or we must die.” The screen then switches to text which is read by sportscaster Chris Schenkel, “Vote for President Johnson on November 3rd.” Then Mr. Schenkel adds in his deep voice, “The stakes are too high for you to stay home.”)

Trump not only wants to use nuclear weapons, he wants to use them to “solve” pretty much everything he’s up against including meteorological problems. With all the tools he has at his disposal, he’s stuck on a couple of them. Granted, his goals don’t align with ours, but still, there are better, sneakier ways to loot our Treasury and please his Russian handler without murdering willy-nilly as a distraction. Unless the end goal is to watch it all burn. (full body shiver) Trump just had a world leader assassinated (and tried to assassinate another) without consulting anyone first and is coming up with lies after the fact in an attempt to excuse his reckless move, his abuse of power. Not his first abuse, I’ll add. One of the Articles of Impeachment the Senate is considering starting today is for abuse of power.

Melania meant “peace on the world,” but she said “piss on the world,” and that is exactly what they’ve been doing for more than three years. The fact that most of us are still here has nothing to do with Trump’s leadership. That tiny, itchy finger has been on the button since he sat down at the desk in our House. It is only a matter of time until the sitter turns his back and Trump launches a nuke on a whim. Or because he meant to hit the “Diet Coke” button. Oops.

The stakes are too high to stay home. And we can’t ignore all of this any longer and hope it turns out “okay.” We already know it’s not okay. We need to get everyone off their couches and to the polls.

If we want peace, perhaps it’s time for some flower power. Choose love. Peace out.

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I can’t thank you enough for your compliments and moral support over the years, and I’d also appreciate your financial support. One thing is definitely true in the “Daisy Girl” ad no matter where you stand: The stakes are too high for you to stay home on election day. See you at the polls. Love, Brooks

Link: “Nuclear war has become thinkable again – we need a reminder of what it means” – by Paul Mason at The Guardian (opinion, 2017)

Link: “Trump Wanted Tenfold Increase in Nuclear Arsenal, Surprising Military” – by Courtney Kube, Kristen Welker, Carol E. Lee, and Savannah Guthrie at NBC News (2017)

Link: “Trump’s loose talk on nuclear weapons suddenly becomes very real” by Aaron Blake in The Washington Post (2017)

Link: Only Love – by E. Brooks of Gray Matters (do not give in to hate or fear, participate in terrorism. Go high. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was right; we need love. Only love can get us out of this one.)

I have not been able to find the copyright on that particular photo of the Daisy Girl, Monique Corzilius (as a two- or three-year-old). If you have it, please let me know.

TL;DR: Considering Trump’s attitude of nonchalance when it comes to murder/assassination and the use of nuclear weapons, perhaps it’s time for the Democrats to freshen up the “Daisy Girl” ad and air it again.

#NoWar #Impeachment

#GMFlowerPower