I was one of the thousands who offered their own jokes about President Donald Trump's statement
about American troops taking over airports during the Revolutionary War.
On Facebook, I published one of my "No Truth to the Rumor" posts. "The National Archives did not discover a message from George Washington to the Continental Congress saying, "We have taken their airports. The British are ours."
Maybe I am idealizing the past, many of us do, but I seem to remember a time when if a president of either party made such a silly error, there would have been jokes aimed at him from both sides.
Having a laugh at the expense of our presidents is a tradition in this country that dates back to George Washington.
In the past, we have prided ourselves in living in a country where you can make such jokes and where you can have views diametrically opposed to the president's and not fear that you will be imprisoned or punished.
And to be fair, I note that many of my pro-Trump friends laughed along with me (or were being polite). It wasn't a great joke by any means, but people who know me, know I have a hard time resisting this kind of opportunity.
Unfortunately, we now have people who equate any joke or criticism that comes at the president'e expense to disrespecting the office of the president.
That is not what I was doing and there was a time when only an occasional crank would even think so.
We should all have a high regard for the office of the president.
There has almost never been a time in our history when you could not find at least 30 to 40 percent of the population who did not have a high regard for the person who was holding that office.
With this president, the polls indicate that percentage is much higher.
Of course, these are the same polls that said Hillary Clinton would be elected president.
What do you think?
Book Signing at The Book Guy
I will be at The Book Guy, 708 E. 15th Street, Joplin, 10 a.m. to 12 noon Saturday, July 20.
Copies of my latest books, Lost Angels: The Murders of Rowan Ford and Doug Ringler and Newton County Memories will be available, as well as my earlier books, including 5:41: Stories from the Joplin Tornado.
The Book Guy is also having its ninth anniversary sale Friday, July 19, and Saturday, July 20. You can buy one used book and get free and there will be an outdoor tent where you can fill up a bag with books and pay only $5.
I will have more information about my signing and the sale coming in the next few days.
This week's most visited Turner Report, Inside Joplin and Inside Joplin Obituaries posts and links to each of them are featured below.
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Thanks for your contribution to the Turner Report/Inside Joplin/Inside Joplin Obituaries. Contributions may be made at the PayPal buttons below or can be sent to Randy Turner, 2306 E. 8th, Apt. A, Joplin MO 64801.
The Turner Report
1. Lamar mother offers update from Children's Mercy Hospital on 10-year-old injured in UTV accident
2. Jasper woman pleads guilty, receives probation, for tampering with witness in child molestation case
3. One-year anniversary of Sarah Burton disappearance nears, candlelight vigil planned
4. Road rage killer pleads guilty, sentenced to 15 years in prison
5. Joplin R-8 Board hires five teachers, eight classified employees
6. Injured Lamar boy's mother reports positive signs, prayer vigils planned in Lamar, Seneca
7. Newton County Jury finds former Diamond School Board member not guilty of statutory sodomy
8. Hawley: Nike is a symbol of everything that's wrong in the corporate economy
9. NAACP urges caution for African American travelers over holiday weekend
10. Attorney General: Lawsuit settlement ends speeding ticket quotas in Diamond
Inside Joplin
1, Prayers requested for 10-year-old boy who was life-flighted to Children's Mercy Hospital following crash
2. Carl Junction man drowns in Center Creek
3. Highway Patrol Arrests July 2-3
4. Highway Patrol report: Carl Junction man drowned on Center Creek after leaving boat for unknown reason
5. Armed Joplin man arrested in stolen truck near Riverton
6. Noel woman killed in head-on collision on 90
7. Joplin Police Department Weekend Arrests
8. Joplin Police Department Arrests July 3-5
9. Jasper County Dissolution of Marriage Petitions
10. Joplin Police Department Arrests July 2-3
Inside Joplin Obituaries
1, Angel Kellett
2. Jace Smothers
3. Carol Tupper
4. George Nelson
5. Michael Long
6. Deanna Tubbs
7. Kay Porfiri
8. Martha Felland
9. Charlie Gilstrap
10. Chris Body
I suspect he meant sea ports.
ReplyDeleteHow cruel of you and others like you about this. But, of course, you and yours have never misspoken. I have certainly misspoken, misquoted, mispronounced and fully expect to the rest of my life.
Lampooning our public figures is a centuries old tradition and is just a burden of the office itself.
ReplyDeleteIt is.
DeleteBut it is funny how nothing was made of Obama commenting on there being 51 states.
"I suspect he meant sea ports..." LMAO...No, he means what he say's, isn't that why people voted for him? He speaks his mind...that's what makes him so scary...his actual words. I hope he never mistakes "lunch" for "launch."-Joe Johnson
ReplyDeleteSee the Obama comment above.
Delete@1:59 If nobody made comments about Obamas goofs, how is it you know about them? That's right, it was endlessly reported on, and nobody else cried foul, because we can take a joke.
ReplyDeleteTrump and his thin skinned cronies can't.
7:54 I believe that the point that was being made was that all presidents have made goods, it just seems Trumps are magnified because of media coverage. And if you think the media coverage was the same with Obama's goofs as they are with Trump's, then you may not remember correctly. The media leans left and I am not sure anyone really denies that anymore.
DeleteAs for having thin skin, read this and then we will talk thin skin. (As well as it shows what the media covers and what they don't):
https://humanevents.com/2012/01/30/barack-obama-our-thinskinned-president/?utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F
Yeah, endlessly.
ReplyDelete@ 11:33
ReplyDeleteIt is laughable that you complain about the media leaning left, while quoting a source, “humanevents.com”, that is a right wing leaning organization tied to RedState.com and supported the Vietnam War, supported apartheid in South Africa, and considered Nelson Mandela a threat to peace in South Africa. See Wikipedia’s description of HumanEvents.com on that topic. Any news organization that ridicules a leader’s thin skin is not a reputable news organization. There are organizations that put out news that satisfies your confirmation bias in your political leanings, but there are few that are truly apolitical. According to the Pew Research Center, the least biased sources of news is the Wall Street Journal and Yahoo News, believe it or not.
https://www.businessinsider.com/what-your-preferred-news-outlet-says-about-your-political-ideology-2014-10
It is funny, isn't it? But is the article untrue?
Delete@ 5:29
ReplyDeleteThe article is no more true than most of the nonsense coming from sites like human events.com. Now it is true that Trump has never used self deprecating humor, which is linked to overall psychological well-being, one could also argue they are doing so to conceal their Insecurities.
Funny. Lefties who are convinced their poo don't stink... but everyone else's does. And then you talk about self deprecating humor. The above poster says the post was funny and then asks on but is it true and you act defensive....
Delete@ 12:47
ReplyDeleteI’m not sure you can even comprehend English, but there was nothing in my comment that was making fun of “righties”, lol. I’m pretty sure my poo stinks too, just as badly as a right wing nut job. The commenter I responded too found my post funny, and I answered his question by noting the story was false. There was nothing defensive in the answer, but you seem awfully defensive of your ability to comprehend self deprecating humor. I’ll be waiting for your example of Trump admitting he has ever been wrong or teasing himself as he does others. If you can’t provide such, you shouldn’t ramble on about things you don’t understand, which by your comprehension are legion.
Christ, I am not one to do this normally and I am not the one you are talking to, but Google Trump making fun of himself. There are many examples. The guy is a lot of things but he isn't above taking the piss out of his own image. There are plenty of things to take him to task that are legit. Read up on some of the stuff he says about himself, he can be funny.
Delete@ 12:47
ReplyDeleteFirst off, my name is not Christ. Secondly, if you google Trump’s self deprecating humor, you are given 1 (one) example at a Gridiron dinner, which his effort included demeaning Jeff Sessions and the son-in-law Jared. If you have other examples, please cite them for all to see. Trump truly believes he doesn’t make mistakes and doesn’t know the definition of self deprecating humor, much less practice it.
3:11, your Google must be broken, Sugar.
DeleteIf you scroll past the numerous left leaning media hits when you Google "Trump self deprecating humor" that all have the same headline about the Gridiron dinner, you will find stories about him mocking his own hair, about not drinking alcohol, about his tan, etc. There are a few YouTube videos, too.
ReplyDeleteNow, let's discuss your superhuman ability to know what other people believe and what they know. How do you know if Trump believes he makes mistakes? Because he is confident? Because he is arrogant? Does this mean he really believes he doesn't make mistakes? How do you know? Even more, how do you know that he doesn't know the definition of self deprecating humor? How did you develope this ability to know these things about a person you don't know? Did you read it on the internet? Perhaps you can post an example of him saying he doesn't know what the meaning of self deprecating humor is for all to see.
Just 1 (one).
@5:03
ReplyDeleteYou say so but post zero evidence. It’s not superhuman to understand Trump is a moron that speaks at a fourth grade level. His own words as an example...”I make the best deals, you’ll get tired of winning because we win so much, I have kept more promises than I ever made, Puerto Rico is tough to get help to because it’s an island surrounded by water, big water, ocean water, believe me, people don’t know, I’ve got the best words, I’m a very stable genius, can you believe it? Bigly”
Trump makes fun of the bald spot he does a combover to hide, you’re right he’s hilarious. Do you ever pause to think why it is that most of the media seems to back liberal causes and identify with the more intelligent of the two parties? Is it possible that racism is wrong or national healthcare is a bad idea? Nope, your side thinks it’s a plot by all media, Hollywood, and athletes to communize the United States. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to discover that Trump is a pathological liar with serious psychological issues. Thin skin is the least of his problems.
You are absolutely daffy. Down right delusional. You say no examples are given then you go on to try and debunk examples given. It is bizarre how you bash Trump for his over confidence then you rant how people with your believes are more intelligent than others. You continue to make accusations like knowing what President Trump knows or what "my side" is, when you in fa t simply assume things that you "know". Not one time has the President ever said he doesn't know the meaning of self deprecating humor, yet you say he doesn't. So in your mind that is fact. I have never said that I have a "side". Yet you assume that I do because I called you out on your irrational Trumpaphobia post. Go back and read, Sugar. I told you there are other reasons to dislike the guy. I am not a supporter. I am just rational and understand that just because I may not agree with something doesn't mean my belief comes from the only viewpoint. The world is full of gray areas and people who only live in red or blue areas are fools.
DeleteEnjoy your blue area, fool.
People on the left preach inclusiveness and diversity. What they want is people who look different not people who think different. They hate... HATE people with differenting points of view.
Delete4:43, that is obvious from the posts on this blog.
Delete@ 5:42
ReplyDeleteBwahahaha, oh rational one that doesn’t support red or blue(he just likes to bitch about both sides), and gets angry and calls the source of his anger “Sugar” (how rational) but admits he’s not a supporter but looks at the world through his gray lens. Do me a favor, get a backbone and commit to something, anything, and don’t be a wispy washy little grump that bitches for the sake of bitching. By the way, our supreme leader is exhibiting his stable genius again today on Twitter for all to see. Is this red, blue, or gray?
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-rails-against-fake-news-in-bizarre-tirade-warns-industry-will-fold-when-he-leaves-office