“Dad, how come we should F$CK the White House?”
“Grandpa, how come they are saying F$CK Trump? Isn’t he our president?”
“Grandpa, how come they are not going to the White House? Isn’t the White House for all of us?”
“Dad, since you like President Trump, are we not included in their celebration?”
Those are just some of the questions I would think Dads / Grandpas around the country are having to answer because … that is what our children are hearing.
I accept the risk when I write this blog entry, people will turn away from me. Not my intent to have people turn away from me; get upset with me. I am going to guess neither was it Ms. Rapinoe’s intent to turn millions of people away from her rhetoric (language designed to have a persuasive or impressive effect on its audience, but often regarded as lacking in sincerity or meaningful content). People are going to read something through their “eyes” / experiences.
I would encourage people to read this with most objective “eyes” as possible. VERY DIFFICULT CHALLENGE.
Irony – the expression of one’s meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect.
Ms. Rapinoe’s message: (From glamour.com When asked whether she was excited to go to the White House (if the team does indeed take the tournament) by a reporter from the outlet Eight by Eight, she responded, “I’m not going to the fucking White House.” She then added, “We’re not gonna be invited…. I doubt it.”
The irony is she gives the reason for not going to the “FUCKING WHITE HOUSE.” From THE GUARDIAN: Asked by CNN’s Anderson Cooper what she would like to say to the American leader, Rapinoe said: “Your message is excluding people. You’re excluding me, you’re excluding people that look like me, you’re excluding people of colour, you’re excluding Americans that maybe support you.”
Do you “see” the irony in Ms. Rapinoe’s statement? She is excluding the President of our country for the celebration of the USA’s victory! Ms. Rapinoe is behaving in a similar way she is condemning! And few people are calling her on it. Few people are calling her on it because if we do then, we are bad. We are wrong. We are bigots. We are insensitive.
I can meet her with her understanding of President Trump. May disagree with Ms. Rapinoe, but I can do my best to empathize with her thoughts / feelings. Ms. Rapinoe gives me specific examples that lead to her opinions, then I will better understand her opinion.
But, what I cannot understand is missing the REAL moment for her to prove to our nation / the world: TWO WRONGS DO NOT MAKE A RIGHT.
She is really doing a “great” example of – what we don’t like in others, we don’t like in ourselves.
She could have demonstrated how strong she is by saying (expletives and all…), “Considering President Trump’s message excludes me, people that look like me, excludes people of colour, and possibly excludes Americans that maybe support you President Trump, I want to include you President Trump.” SHE FAILED!
She had a chance to teach our children and grandchildren a CHRISTIAN ETHIC… or even a SANE-HUMAN ETHIC (for those agnostics / atheists).
No.
Ms. Rapinoe became who she “hates” and I will call her on it.
I know this (missing a chance to be the “bigger person”) because in FIFTY-THREE-YEARS of living, I have made hypocritical mistakes. I have missed similar moments that Ms. Rapinoe has missed.
I would encourage all of us to adhere to the GOLDEN RULE:
Christianity
Do to others what you want them to do to you. This is the meaning of the law of Moses and the teaching of the prophets.
Judaism
What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow: this is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation; go and learn.
— Shabbath folio:31a, Babylonian Talmud
Islam
None of you [truly] believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself.
— An-Nawawi’s Forty Hadith 13 (p. 56)[34]
Bahai Faith
Blessed is he who preferreth his brother before himself.
Traditional African Religion
One who is going to take a pointed stick to pinch a baby bird should first try it on himself to feel how it hurts.
— Yoruba Proverb
It is the one “rule” found in all religions / cultures in THE WORLD.
Ms. Rapinoe, you and your team are literally CHAMPIONS of the world. Use this one rule to unite the world. Teach, possibly RE-TEACH, President Trump the rule.
Stop with the hate.
Stop with the “us vs. them” mentality.
You still have time. As you sit on the chartered plane from New York (speaking of costs of parades; costs to the environment with all the trash / paper; the harm to the environment … I digress with my sarcasm… SORRY.) to Los Angeles to attend the ESPYs tonight and we get to hear the same message again … you can change the tone of your message. You can show contrition. You can be the better HUMAN!
I wonder what it would be like for our nation’s children to hear the captain of the CHAMPION OF THE WORLD – USA WOMEN’S SOCCER TEAM hear her say,
“After much thought and reflection, I need to say the following… Despite my personal displeasure and animosity towards a man who I feel / who I know has done damage to many people, I need to show love and compassion … because I believe in love and compassion. President Trump, if you are watching this show – and I doubt it… please know, we – my teammates / coaches / staff will be more than willing to meet with you and celebrate, as Americans, our victory and our love for our nation. Immediately following that public moment, we would love to meet with you – team and you – to discuss what we are seeing from you and feeling from you. No cameras. No reporters.
It is time for us to put aside our differences, while at the same time, remain honest to ourselves. I still believe you exclude people like me, people that look like me, exclude people of colour, and possibly exclude Americans that maybe support you, President Trump. Because, I want to demonstrate my belief and understanding of the world’s GOLDEN RULE, I want to include you President Trump.”
That is my response to my children’s / grandson’s EVEN STUDENTS’ questions.
May it be a similar response from many of you as often as you can make it / need it.