Posts by Gary Pearce
Trump’s F-Bomb
On the White House lawn Tuesday, Trump told reporters that Iran and Israel “don’t know what the fuck they’re doing.” Rather than repeat the word, The New York Times decorously referred to his “expletive-laced remarks.” BBC did it this way: “Trump said neither side ‘knows what … they’re doing’ – unusually using an expletive while…
Read MoreConflicts of Interest
When I covered the legislature for The News & Observer, we reported on a House member who sponsored a bill that directly benefitted his business. We asked him, isn’t that a conflict of interest? He was defiant: “This bill doesn’t conflict with my interests.” This week, Lucille Sherman reported in Axios, “House Rules Chairman Rep.…
Read More“Rank Hypocrisy”
It was poor judgment for Democratic state Rep. Julie von Haefen to post a picture of a “beheadings” protest sign. She had the character and courage to admit it and apologize on the floor of the House (photo). Republican Speaker Destin Hall professed outrage over the post and admonished House members to “hold yourselves to…
Read MoreTrump’s War
Trump did what he said he’d never do: get us in a war. He lied again. Last weekend, he was embarrassed by his less-than-impressive military parade – the squeaky tank, the ragged marching and the soldier carrying a drone like a toy airplane. This weekend, he decided to play War President. For him, it’s a…
Read MoreFrantic and Agitated
Talking to the media about a possible American strike on Iranian nuclear sites, Trump said, “I may do it, I may not do it. I mean nobody knows what I’m going to do.” Finally, he’s not lying. Nobody knows what he’ll do. Including him. John Bolton, his former national security adviser, said that in situations…
Read MoreCooper Must Run
“It’s not that Roy Cooper should run for Senate,” my friend Sam said over lunch. “He has to run.” He’s right. America’s house is on fire, and we all have to pick up a hose or a bucket. Governor Cooper has the best chance to unseat Senator Thom Tillis next year and become the decisive…
Read MoreResist. Read.
“There is a reason that fascists burn books. They are afraid of critical thinking. They are afraid of thought. What you have learned here at Wesleyan is how to read…. Reading is the most subversive thing you can do.” That bright ray broke through the clouds of commencement-speech cliches. It’s from the writer Percival Everett’s…
Read MoreRain on His Parade
Trump got his parade, but not the pictures he wanted. The Army put on a grand show, but the weather was dreary, Trump looked dejected at times and the crowd was unimpressive. More impressive were the millions of Americans who turned out in sunshine and rain in thousands of communities to proclaim “No King.” Meanwhile,…
Read MoreTrump to Vets: Drop Dead
Trump uses troops as political props, orders them to parade before him on his birthday and deploys them to “quell” protests against him. Meanwhile, he’s gutting healthcare for veterans. He treats veterans like – his words – “losers” and “suckers.” The Guardian reports that the Veterans Administration, which provides healthcare to more than 9 million…
Read MoreHonor
My friend Redge Hanes of Winston-Salem, who served with honor in the Army in Vietnam, wrote this about Trump and Los Angeles: “The National Guard, called out under doubtful and possibly illegal pretenses by the man who occupies the White House, is set to ‘quell’ the protests in LA. Quell is an interesting word when…
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