Three weeks out from the first votes of the 2016 presidential election, Republican front-runner Donald Trump is better-positioned than ever to win his party’s nomination.
Dismissed as little more than a sideshow just a few months ago, the long-predicted Trump collapse has failed to materialize, and political professionals increasingly view Trump as a possible, perhaps even likely, general election candidate.
The magnate attributes his success to support from a “silent majority,” but Trump backers are neither.
Earlier this week, fed up with Trump’s hateful rhetoric, I traveled to Lowell, MA to protest at a Trump rally.
What I saw horrified me. The crowd packed into the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell resembled nothing so much as a physical manifestation of blinding rage.
Generally speaking, people waiting to enter a political rally are happy and excited, eager to see their favorite candidate. But from the moment I encountered them, Trump supporters seemed to wear a permanent scowl, trading dim-witted barbs about “libtards” and other enemies.
Countless numbers wore shirts attacking Hillary Clinton, often reading “Hillary for Prison 2016.”
Once inside, as we waited for the rally to begin, an announcement played over the PA asking rally attendees to refrain from attacking people who disagreed with Trump. Folks around me laughed menacingly, and remarked that the Trump campaign was asking too much.
But I had no idea what I was in for when a few minutes into Trump’s rambling speech, I held up a sign reading “America’s Already Great.”
It didn’t take long for the glowering people around me to take issue with my sign. A nasal voice behind me told me to put down my sign or else.
I turned to ask the voice’s source, a balding, fat man older than my father, if he disagreed with my sign—which again, contended that America is already a great country.
“You think America’s not great?” I asked. “You think I should hurt you?” he responded.
WATCH: Trump supporters rip up sign of Kiernan Majerus-Collins and friend at Lowell, MA rally.
Things went downhill from there.
Another man, who could have been the goatee-clad brother of my first critic, told me “You’re at a Trump rally? Ditch those,” referring to my sign. “Do you disagree with this?” I shot back. “Yeah. Ditch ’em,” he responded, and at that moment, both of the men grabbed for my sign and tore it up.
The crowd around me began to loudly call for my removal, which was shortly accomplished (although not before the first man hit me on the head and tried to grab me).
The next day, a video of the encounter shot by a friend of mine who’d accompanied me, went viral, and in the days since I’ve become even more familiar with the special brand of thuggery and intimidation Trump’s supporters practice.
My family and I received death threats, and messages poured in calling me every name in the book (although typically, the names were misspelled).
If this was an isolated incident, it would be awful, but it wouldn’t have any greater meaning.
But I’m sad to say my experience is part of a pattern.
Trump is running a campaign fueled by the anger of poorly educated, racist white people, the kind of people who love to criticize “PC culture,” but became offended to the point of violence when I held a sign asserting that ours is a great country.
And as Trump soars in the polls, these people are becoming emboldened. The billionaire blowhard has convinced millions of Americans that not only is their bigoted hatred of Mexicans, Muslims, African-Americans and others justified, but that it is the key to making America “great again,” as if it wasn’t great already.
It’s possible that Trump’s fall, so long awaited, will finally come. I certainly hope so. But Trump’s political demise will not undo the damage he has done to our politics, or to America’s reputation in the world.
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Cover Photo Credit: Kiernan Majerus-Collins/ Facebook
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#NoBillNoBreak- John Lewis Leads Dozens Of Democrats In Historic Sit In On House Floor
UPDATED: 1:47 PM EST
Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) and dozens of elected Democrats are currently “occupying” the floor of the House of Representatives
Democrats said that they will not leave the House chamber until the body takes a vote on a proposal that would ban people on the no fly list from purchasing a weapon.
“We truly believe that if there was a vote, then we would win the vote,” Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said in a press conference on the steps of the Capital.
“No fly, no buy” seems to be the rallying cry for supporters of the movement.
The Atlantic reports that at least 70 Democratic House members are participating in the protest.
Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL) spoke to gathered reporters on the Capital steps about his personal connection to the issue of gun violence. His son was murdered with a gun.
“Only a mother could scream, that primal screen, I will never forget the primal scream of my son’s mother,” Rush said. “Shot down in cold blood on the streets of Chicago.”
The sit in started just shy of noon Wednesday.
Rep. John Larson (D-CT) gave an impassioned plea as fellows members started to sit on the floor around him.
“We have to occupy the floor of the House until there is action,” Larson said. “Rise up Democrats, rise up Americans, this cannot stand.”
Soon after, the C-SPAN cameras in the House chamber were turned off.
The only video coming out of the chamber is from members themselves via the use of cell phones and other mobile devices, a violation of House rules.
According to C-SPAN, the House is scheduled to break for the Fourth of July holiday on July 1.
WATCH:
This is a developing story. Stay with RISE NEWS.
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Cover Photo Credit: Elizabeth Esty/ Twitter
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FEEL THE BERN: Sanders Now Leading Clinton In Iowa
In a shock poll out today by Quinnipiac, Vermont senator Bernie Sanders leads former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Iowa.
Sanders leads Clinton by one point- 41% to 40%.
It is the first time that Sanders has been ahead of Clinton in a major polling survey in the Hawkeye state.
“Sen. Bernie Sanders has become the Eugene McCarthy of 2016,” Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll said in a press release today. “He is the candidate of the Democratic left, against his own party’s bosses and their prized presidential candidate, Secretary Hillary Clinton.
9-10-2015 Quinnipiac Poll:
Sanders- 41%
Clinton- 40%
Biden- 12%
O’Malley- 3%
Webb- 1%
Chafee- 0%The new Iowa survey was conducted between August 27 and September 8 and sampled 832 likely Democratic caucusgoers.
From the press release:
“There is a wide gender gap among Democrats today as Sanders leads Clinton 49 – 28 percent among men, with 16 percent for Biden, while Clinton leads Sanders 49 – 35 percent among women, with 9 percent for Biden.”
Cover Photo Credit: Phil Roeder/Flickr (CC By 2.0)
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The First Rule of Parliament Fight Club
The first rule of Parliament Fight Club is that you don’t talk about Parliament Fight Club.
There are parliaments all over the world and whilst they might be different in structure, language or composition it seems as though they are all bat-shit crazy.
Remember, parliament is where the ruling party or governing coalition meets with the opposition in order to discuss and draft laws as well as oversee the executive (government).
The presence of a functioning parliament is also a vital sign of a healthy and participating electorate, even North Korea held its first Congress in 36 years three weeks ago.
So if parliament is where citizens are represented by elected officials in order to make laws and ensure that government is not overstepping its boundaries, then why are the people there acting like toddlers?
In Turkey, Members of Parliament who belong to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the People’s Democratic Party (HDP) clashed over a proposed bill that would strip MPs of their immunity from prosecution. It was a literal clash:
The bill has now been passed by 376 deputies in the 550-seat assembly in Ankara.
It came after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, accused the HDP of being an instrument of outlawed Kurdish militants.
The bill thus clears the way for the prosecution of HDP pro-Kurdish MPs on terrorism related charges. It seems then that tensions boiled over and the fight itself was just two sides tired of doing what politicians do; talking.
Meanwhile in Kosovo, Prime Minister Isa Mustafa had to have his bodyguards swoop in with an umbrella, like a really strong Mary Poppins to protect him from a torrent of eggs.
He had just begun his speech when the torrent of eggs came pouring down from the opposition, who were protesting an EU deal that would give more legislative and financial rights to the Serb minority in the majority Albanian country.
The United Kingdom’s House of Commons resembles a high school classroom where the loudest one gets the most attention.
An MP in an arm-brace even, was not enough to quiet the House and show some courtesy to their fellow law-makers.
Another MP decided to treat the House like children and take their shiny toys away.
Even the Prime Minister gets into the banter from time to time.
Considering how important the job parliament is doing, precious time is being wasted when parliament is not working efficiently.
In the United States, The Civil Rights Act of 1957 was opposed by pro-segregation Democrat senator Strom Thurmond who conducted the longest filibuster ever.
The Senator spoke for 24 hours and 18 minutes to try and stall the bill, although it was unsuccessful.
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It was reported that Thurmond recited the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights and his grandmother’s biscuit recipe.
Thus politicians wasting time in parliament is not a new thing.
However as more parliaments and congresses across the world become televised for the public, we are starting to see it for ourselves.
I am not sure anybody likes what they see.
Most of the fights in Parliaments across the world end up just being fisticuffs and throwing water bottles.
However there have been serious incidents which resulted in injuries to really old men who should only close a fist when they’re sneaking butterscotch hard candies.
There was even a Jordanian MP who fired an AK-47 in the hallway of Parliament.
These are the things that happen when politicians are left to their own devices and those devices are the same ones we trust to create and debate serious laws.
Should we really trust politicians or should we feed them a bottle and send them to bed.
RISE NEWS is a grassroots journalism news organization that is working to change the way young people become informed and engaged in public affairs. You can write for us.
Cover Photo Credit: Özgür Gün TV /Flickr (CC By 2.0)
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6 comments on “America’s Already Great”: What It’s Like To Be Roughed Up By Trump Thugs
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I didn’t understand the support Trump was getting. Your article helps show why some if not a large majority are supporting him. I see Trump as a threat to our nation and not the answer to freedom and constitutional governance
Please see: http://fixamerica-fredmars.blogspot.com/2015/11/trump-is-pathological-narcissist.html
General rule, you go into the middle of somebody else’s rally and tell everybody around you how little you think of their beliefs you aren’t going to be treated well. That’s not condoning ripping up your sign, but it’s just a fact of mobs that has nothing to do with Trump. Go to a Black Lives Matters rally, go right out in the thick of them, and hold up a sign that says Black Lives Don’t Matter and see how they react. As to Republicans making libtard jokes, again, you will be at a Sander’s rally for 2 minutes before you here people making ‘Merica and derp jokes. Its easy to provoke a reaction out of people no matter what their race or political affiliation, and it’s disingenuous to go provoke a reaction and then scream racist and uneducated comments. Especially as you are as white as the people you intentionally provoked, and I didn’t hear you poll any of them on their education level.
What a joke , just a spoiled brat who needs some attention. This guy is on a pretty high horse, walking around judging and condemning these people like some ultimate arbiter of good. It’s because of people like you does a candidate like Trump seem appealing. Without your kind, there wouldn’t be a need for a Trump.
>Trump is running a campaign fueled by the anger of poorly educated, racist white people, the kind of people who love to criticize “PC culture,”
For a Bernie supporter who probably gets high off of standing up for the “working man”, you seem to have a very negative view of them. Also, I’m sure you wouldn’t say the same thing about black people, who are not as educated as whites.
>And as Trump soars in the polls, these people are becoming emboldened. The billionaire blowhard has convinced millions of Americans that not only is their bigoted hatred of Mexicans, Muslims, African-Americans and others justified, but that it is the key to making America “great again,” as if it wasn’t great already.
Why should the Republican base, which is 99% white, be happy about being displaced with people who don’t vote like them? Do I have as much of a right to live in China as a Chinese person? To be clear, 3rd world immigration didn’t start until 1965.
>But I had no idea what I was in for when a few minutes into Trump’s rambling speech, I held up a sign reading “America’s Already Great.”
What exactly are your views? … *minute later* I see you support Bernie Sanders. Correct me if I’m wrong, but the mainline liberal views on America are
>guilty of slavery (even though whites ended it and put pressure on African and Arab countries (many of whom ended it as late as the 1960s- 80s)
>evil for committing genocide against the Native Americans and conquering this land
> doesn’t pay its workers a “living wage”
> killed 1M + people in the Iraq war + millions in past, unjust wars
> home of evil corporations
>didn’t let women vote and pay them 23 cents less per dollar (which is a total lie. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUNHMoWBy2A)
> not as advanced as Nordic countries because we don’t have universal healthcare
>late to the gay marriage game in comparison to some european countries
I can add more positions by request and you can clarify what you support, but even if you support half of these positions (many of which would be enough to disassociate yourself from someone who disagreed with you), how could you think America is great? The Bernie campaign refers to itself as a “political revolution” (more like simply shifting the left’s overton window to accept Nordic socialist esque programs) and wants to radically change America? It doesn’t make sense.
Also, how hard were you hit over the head? Who give a shit if they tore up your sign?
When you show up at a venue rented for a candidate’s event to hijack it by having your own counter-protest inside the hall that they have paid for, you should expect opposition and ejection.
To quote the great Bugs Bunny…..What a maroon. Go to a rally any rally and take up the opposite position and see how long it is till you get bounced. Especially when you’re an entitled elitist.