Mariann Edgar Budde: 'The President did not pray when he came to St John's', Remarks to CNN about Bible photo shoot - 2020

2 June 2020, Washington DC, USA

I want to thank you for allowing me on here, to be part of this conversation
Let me just be clear,
The president just used a bible, the most sacred text of the Judaea Christian tradition, in one of the churches of my diocese, without permission, as a backdrop to a message antithetical to the teachings of Jesus, everything that our churches stand for.
And to do so, as you just said, he sanmctioned the use of tear gas by police officers in riot gear, to clear the church yard.
I am outraged.
The President did not pray when he came to St John’s.
Nor did he acknowledge the agony of our country right now.
And in particular, that of the people of colour in our nation, who wonder if anyone ever … if anyone in power will ever acknowledge their sacred work, and who are rightfully demanding an end to four hundred years of systemic racism and white supremacy in our nation.
And I just want the world to know, that we in the diocese of Washington, following Jesus and his way of love, do not … we distance ourselves from the incendiary language of this president.
We follow someone who lived a life of non violence and sacrificial love.
We align ourselves with those seeking justice for the death of George Floyd and countless others who died performing the sacred act of peaceful protest, and I just can’t believe what my eyes have seen tonight.

Bishop Budde later appeared on PBS to further explain her position.

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson: 'Where is he?' Remarks following death of George Floyd - 2020

4 June 2020, Los Angeles, California, USA

Where are you? Where is our leader? Where are you? Where is our leader at this time? At this time, when our country is down on its knees, begging, pleading, hurt, angry, frustrated, in pain, begging and pleading with its arms out, just wanting to be heard. Begging and pleading and praying for change. Where are you? Where is our compassionate leader who’s going to step up to our country who’s down on its knees and extend a hand and say, “You stand up. Stand up with me. Stand up with me, because I got you. I got you. I got you, I hear you, I’m listening to you, and you have my word that I’m going to do everything in my power until my dying day, my last breath, to do everything I can, to create the change that is needed, to normalize equality because black lives matter.”

Where are you? It’s that same compassionate leader who has to come back and readdress the country to give important context, to give important perspective on the comments that were just made. Of course all lives matter. Every single one. All lives matter because we as Americans, we believe in inclusivity, we believe in acceptance, we believe in human rights, we believe in equality for all. That’s what we believe in. So of course all lives matter, but in this moment right now, this defining, pivotal, explosive moment where our country is down on its knees, the floorboards of our country are becoming unhinged in this moment, we must say the words, black lives matter.

Where are you? Where are you, because here’s what happens when you extend a hand and you reach out to Americans who are in pain, and they stand with you. They stand with you, here’s what happens, the country, the entire country, the entire country stands and rises as well. There is military force that has been deployed on our own people. Looters, yes. Criminals, absolutely. But our protesters, who are begging and pleading, our protesters, who are in pain? You would be surprised how people in pain would respond when you say to them, “I care about you.” When you say to them, “I’m listening to you.” You’d be surprised how people would respond, how Americans would respond if you say to them, “I care about you, I am listening to you, this is our country, you are all my people, and I take full responsibility and full accountability for something that has been hundreds of years of systemic disease. Why am I taking full accountability? Because I am your leader. I’m your leader and I’m going to do everything I can to make this right. I’ll tell you what, you give me some trust, you give me some time, you give me some effort, you give me some love. I’m right there with you and together, we’re going to make this right. Together we’re going to create that change. Together we’re going to normalize equality. We’re going to do it but we’re going to do it together.”

You’d be surprised how Americans and how human beings would respond. They would rise up with you. We would rise up with you. The world would rise up with you. I want to take a moment to thank the world. I want to take a moment right now to thank the world for standing up with us in our fight for equality, to normalize equality. I want to thank all these countries around the world, incredible, inspiring, beautiful displays of solidarity, and I want you to know something, and I feel confident speaking on behalf of your American brothers and sisters, us, through our fire, through our smoke, through our debris, through our noise and everything that we’re going through right now, because there’s a lot happening around us as we’re taking our lumps. Don’t think for a second that we don’t see you. We see you. We see you, we thank you, we love you.

Look, I am like the majority of Americans. I’m not a politician and I’ve never clearly been elected to office and I am not the President of the United States, but I am a man and I am a father who cares so deeply about my family, about my children and the world that they will live in. I care so deeply about our country and every single person in it. That’s who I am. I am a man who is frustrated, I am disappointed, I am angry, but I am also doing my best to stay focused and as calm as I can possibly be in the pocket to make the best decisions for my family and make the best decisions for our country. So as we continue to wait for that leader to emerge, as we continue to wait for that leader to emerge, I would recommend to all of you that we must become the leaders we’re looking for. We become our own leaders. Because we’re doing it now. We’re doing it now. We must become the leaders we are looking for.

I’ll ask it one more time. Where are you? Where is that compassionate leader who steps up and takes accountability for his country and all of the people in our country? Where are you? Because I’ll tell you what, we’re here. We’re all here. We are all here. We’re all here, and the process to change has already begun. The process to change has already begun, you can feel it. You can feel it, you can feel it, you can feel it across our country. Change is happening. It’s going to take time, we’re going to get beat up, we’re going to take our lumps, there’s going to be blood, but the process of change has already begun. You guys stay strong. We got this.

Where are you? Where is our leader? Where are you? Where is our leader at this time? At this time, when our country is down on its knees, begging, pleading, hurt, angry, frustrated, in pain, begging and pleading with its arms out, just wanting to be heard. Begging and pleading and praying for change. Where are you? Where is our compassionate leader who’s going to step up to our country who’s down on its knees and extend a hand and say, “You stand up. Stand up with me. Stand up with me, because I got you. I got you. I got you, I hear you, I’m listening to you, and you have my word that I’m going to do everything in my power until my dying day, my last breath, to do everything I can, to create the change that is needed, to normalize equality because black lives matter.”

Where are you? It’s that same compassionate leader who has to come back and readdress the country to give important context, to give important perspective on the comments that were just made. Of course all lives matter. Every single one. All lives matter because we as Americans, we believe in inclusivity, we believe in acceptance, we believe in human rights, we believe in equality for all. That’s what we believe in. So of course all lives matter, but in this moment right now, this defining, pivotal, explosive moment where our country is down on its knees, the floorboards of our country are becoming unhinged in this moment, we must say the words, black lives matter.

Where are you? Where are you, because here’s what happens when you extend a hand and you reach out to Americans who are in pain, and they stand with you. They stand with you, here’s what happens, the country, the entire country, the entire country stands and rises as well. There is military force that has been deployed on our own people. Looters, yes. Criminals, absolutely. But our protesters, who are begging and pleading, our protesters, who are in pain? You would be surprised how people in pain would respond when you say to them, “I care about you.” When you say to them, “I’m listening to you.” You’d be surprised how people would respond, how Americans would respond if you say to them, “I care about you, I am listening to you, this is our country, you are all my people, and I take full responsibility and full accountability for something that has been hundreds of years of systemic disease. Why am I taking full accountability? Because I am your leader. I’m your leader and I’m going to do everything I can to make this right. I’ll tell you what, you give me some trust, you give me some time, you give me some effort, you give me some love. I’m right there with you and together, we’re going to make this right. Together we’re going to create that change. Together we’re going to normalize equality. We’re going to do it but we’re going to do it together.”

You’d be surprised how Americans and how human beings would respond. They would rise up with you. We would rise up with you. The world would rise up with you. I want to take a moment to thank the world. I want to take a moment right now to thank the world for standing up with us in our fight for equality, to normalize equality. I want to thank all these countries around the world, incredible, inspiring, beautiful displays of solidarity, and I want you to know something, and I feel confident speaking on behalf of your American brothers and sisters, us, through our fire, through our smoke, through our debris, through our noise and everything that we’re going through right now, because there’s a lot happening around us as we’re taking our lumps. Don’t think for a second that we don’t see you. We see you. We see you, we thank you, we love you.

Look, I am like the majority of Americans. I’m not a politician and I’ve never clearly been elected to office and I am not the President of the United States, but I am a man and I am a father who cares so deeply about my family, about my children and the world that they will live in. I care so deeply about our country and every single person in it. That’s who I am. I am a man who is frustrated, I am disappointed, I am angry, but I am also doing my best to stay focused and as calm as I can possibly be in the pocket to make the best decisions for my family and make the best decisions for our country. So as we continue to wait for that leader to emerge, as we continue to wait for that leader to emerge, I would recommend to all of you that we must become the leaders we’re looking for. We become our own leaders. Because we’re doing it now. We’re doing it now. We must become the leaders we are looking for.

I’ll ask it one more time. Where are you? Where is that compassionate leader who steps up and takes accountability for his country and all of the people in our country? Where are you? Because I’ll tell you what, we’re here. We’re all here. We are all here. We’re all here, and the process to change has already begun. The process to change has already begun, you can feel it. You can feel it, you can feel it, you can feel it across our country. Change is happening. It’s going to take time, we’re going to get beat up, we’re going to take our lumps, there’s going to be blood, but the process of change has already begun. You guys stay strong. We got this.

Source: https://www.rev.com/blog/transcripts/the-r...

Cory Booker: “When ignorance and bigotry is allied with power, it's a dangerous force in our country”, response to Kirstjen Nielsen amnesia about Trump’s ‘shithole’ remarks - 2018

16 January 2018, Washington DC, Senate Committee, USA

I wanna just turn, though, and you'll have to forgive me. Listening to the testimony has changed my line of questioning a bit, because this is very personal to me. I sit here right now because when good white people in this country heard bigotry, or hatred, they stood up.

Cory BookerMoving into my home community, we were denied housing because of the colour of our skin. There was white Americans from Burgon County who banded together to fight against racism, to fight against hate speech. To fight against people who had broad brush generalities about people based upon their ethnicity, based upon their origin, based upon their religion.

What went on in the White House, what went on in the Oval Office, is profoundly disturbing to me. I'll tell you this, I heard about it when I was in Puerto Rico, when it happened. Here I was, there, trying to help a community dealing with savage challenges. I can't tell you how many Puerto Ricans brought up that conversation in the White House.

I returned to Atlanta, to go to the King Centre Awards. And from the greatest luminaries from the Civil Rights Movement, down to average Americans, this was on their mind.

I returned to Newark New Jersey, and I talked to African-Americans, from Africa. I talked to Central American Americans. I talked to regular Newarkers. This was top on their mind.

Yesterday I talked to the Ambassador from Haiti. And to see all that they're doing as a result of this conversation. I've been in the Oval Office many times. When the Commander in Chief speaks, I listened. I don't have amnesia on conversations I had in the Oval Office going back months, and months, and months. I've had individual meetings with the President, and I've had group conversations where there was, as you said, crosstalk.

Why is this so important? Why is this so disturbing for me? Why am I, frankly, seething with anger? We have this incredible nation, where we have been taught that it does not matter where you're from. It doesn't matter your colour, your race, or religion. It's about the content of your character. It's about your values and your ideals. And yet, we have language that from Dick Durbin, to Lindsey Graham, they seem to have a much better recollection of what went on.

You're under oath. You, and others in that room that suddenly cannot remember. It was Martin Luther King that said, "There's nothing in this world more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity." And so here we are in the United States of America, and we have a history that is beautiful, and grand, and also ugly. Where from this nation to others, we know what happens when people sit by and are bystanders and say nothing.

When Oval Office rhetoric sounds like social engineering, we know from human history the dangers of that. Our greatest heroes in this country spoke out about people who have convenient amnesia, or who are bystanders.

King said, "A man dies when he refuses to stand up for that which is right. A man dies when he refuses to stand up for justice. A man dies when he refuses to stand."

Elie Weisel says, "We must take side. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented."

Gandhi said, "Silence becomes cowardice." Cowardice, when we the occasion demands speaking out like Lindsey Graham did, and acting accordingly.

This idea that the Commander of Chief of this country could, with broad brushes talk about certain nations, and thus cast a shadow over the millions of Americans who are from those communities, and that you could even say in your testimony, the Norwegians were preferenced by him because they're so hardworking.

K. Nielsen I didn't say-

Excuse, let me finish.

K. Nielsen Happy to.

Let me just draw a connection of why that matters. I'm sure you remember the six words from our President, the six words that he said after Charleston Virginia, last summer. People marching with tiki torches and hate. When he said, "There are very fine people on both sides." "Very fine people on both sides."

When the Commander in Chief speaks, or refuses to speak, those words just don't dissipate like mist in the air. They fester. They become poison. They give licence to bigotry and hate in our country.

I know you're aware of a 2017 GAO report that found, and I quote, "Out of the 85 violent extremist incidences that resulted in deaths in September 12, 2001, far right wing violent extremist groups were responsible for 73%." When I go through the Black Belt in the south, Atlanta, black churches in Newark, they're concerned about Jihadist Islamic Terrorism. We watched the Twin Towers from Newark go down. But since 9/11, 85 violent incidents, 73% were with people that hold bigoted, hateful ideas about minorities.

One American, killed in Charleston Virginia, dozens injured. Nine Americans killed in a church shooting in Charleston South Carolina by a white supremacist. An American killed, and another wounded in Kansas after a white supremacist targeted them for their ethnicity, saying, "Get out of my country." Six Americans killed, and four others wounded in Wisconsin, where white supremacists targeted individuals for their religion.

The Commander in Chief, in an Oval Office Meeting, referring to people from African countries, and Haitians, with the most vile and vulgar language. That language festers. When ignorance and bigotry is allied with power, it is a dangerous force in our country.

Your silence and your amnesia is complicity. Right now, in our nation, we have a problem. I don't know if 73% of your time is spent on whit supremacist hate groups. I don't know if 73% of your time is spent concerned about the people in fear in communities in this country: Sikh Americans, Muslim Americans, Black Americans.The fact pattern is clear of the threats in this country.

I hurt. When Dick Durbin called me, I had tears of rage when I heard about this experience in that meeting. And for you not to feel that hurt, and that pain, and to dismiss some of the questions of my colleagues, saying "I've already answered that line of questions," when tens of millions of Americans are hurting right now, because of what they're worried about would happen in the White House. That's unacceptable to me.

There are threats in this country. People plotting. I receive enough death threats to know the reality. Cond receives enough death threats to know the reality. Maisie receives enough death threats to know the reality. And I've got a President of the United States, whose office I respect, who talks about the country's origins of my fellow citizens, in the most despicable of manner.

You don't remember. You can't remember the words of your Commander in Chief.

Source: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1733277