by Jack
First Ladies traditionally adopt some worthy cause to support while their husbands are in office and Mrs. Trump is no different. She picked encouraging children to read, child literacy, nice right? So, she donated 10 Dr. Seuss books the Cambridgeport, Mass. school library. What could go wrong with that? Well… lemme tell you! Seems those books went against a leftist agenda the school’s librarian approved.
Instead of accepting the gift, school librarian Ms. Liz Phipps-Soeiro, wrote to Trump saying, “we will not be keeping the titles for our collection.” She said her school is relatively wealthy and its library shelves are well-supplied. Then she went on to call Seuss a racist and his characters reflect a racist agenda.
When the letter became public one miffed Fox reporter noted, ”A librarian’s role is to curate a collection that represents a diverse set of viewpoints over an extended period of time so that readers can see the widest possible picture of the literary past and present.” Apparently behaving like a book-burning Nazi is not on the list of ideals her school should be embracing. The school district said it has “counseled” Soeiro on its policies. It says her letter “was not a formal acceptance or rejection of donated books.”
Soeiro’s letter to the first lady also included a list of 10 books that reveal her own leftist agenda, if not the schools. They include the tale of a Chinese-African-Cuban girl who breaks a taboo against female drummers, the saga of a Pakistani boy’s victory over a bully in a kite battle and a story starring a Haitian American mother incarcerated because she is undocumented.
The mayor of Springfield, Massachusetts – the hometown of Dr. Seuss (born Theodor Geisel) – was not amused.
“‘One fish – two fish – red fish – blue fish’ – I think her comments ‘stink’ and are ridiculous towards our beloved Dr. Seuss.”
She should have just said “Thank you.” And while Seuss did do some anti-Japanese propaganda cartoons that were fairly stereotypical (though typical at the time) a lot of his stuff is overtly anti-racist, like “The Sneeches” and these cartoons:
https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-dr-seuss-satirized-america-first-decades-donald-trump-made-policy
Fox News:
And let’s not disparage Dr Seusse
Wikipedia:
Teaching Children Philosophy.org:
Absolutely correct this time, Tina.
OH MY! Tina gets a gold star! This time.
Melania needs bright people on her staff, but bright people don’t want to be there. Bright people would have, if she let them, dress her for Harvey. And bright people would have moderated her gift giving.
Although, I have to say, that silly librarian has plainly never read Yertle.
I feel for our first lady, I really do. Actually, no, I don’t. She and The Donald are of a piece. They really are. When will they both wise up and shut up?
Melania’s gift was entirely appropriate:
Dr Seuss is a world renowned children’s book author:
For what it’s worth, Suess was apparently a Democrat.
Why can you never take the actual point?
There is nothing horribly wrong with Suess.
There is something quite dim, though, about sending free books to a rich school. And a person in Melania’s position has to be very careful about that sort of thing, hence the need for the bright staff.
She sent the books to many schools across America.
Rich school? Your bigotry is showing. Geez, must you wage class warfare even on grade K-3 grade schoolers?
Given your cheesy remarks I’d say you’re not bright enough to determine whether Melania or her staff are bright. (Doubt if you even know who they are)
Melania hired Lindsay Reynolds as her chief of staff in February. Reynolds has “more than 14 years” experience working in “political fundraising and event management.” She also worked in the WH under GWB.
Also on staff for Melania are her social secretary, Anna Cristina “Rickie” Niceta Lloyd, senior adviser and chief strategist Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, and communications director Stephanie Grisham.
Melania’s senior adviser and chief strategist has a very impressive resume. She has a degree in communications and graduated magna cum laude from Loyola University. Her experience in event planning comes from her work at Sothebys, the Met, and Lincoln Center. She worked for Vogue prior to starting her own creative agency, SWW.
Michelle Obama meant well when she created that expensive school lunch program that the kids wouldn’t eat. I didn’t hear you griping about the lack if brilliance in members of her staff.
“There is something quite dim, though, in sending free books to a rich school.”
No, there isn’t.
Melania has definitely made some gaffes, Libby, but this was not one of them. If we criticize everything she does, regardless of if it’s actually wrong, then we lose credibility when we criticize things that actually are wrong.
I suppose it all depends on what you think the government is for. I thought we had a private sector to reward the rich … and believe me … it does.
My government is for encouraging and enabling the poor.
As a proxy for my government, Melanie blows this, and she is going to hear about it.
“My government is for encouraging and enabling the poor.”
It absolutely does not!!!!
Your big government welfare and educational system has kept the poor STUCK in poverty!
Besides, that isn’t the purpose of our government.
Your idea of big government as nanny and step father stands in exact opposition to the ideals this nation was founded upon…personal liberty, choice, responsibility, self-reliance. It stands in direct opposition to the notion of equality. It destroys opportunity by sucking all the resources from the private sector and it creates greater dependence… generational dependence…a milder version of the plantation. Your government union workers depend on the furtherance of poverty for their cushy jobs even as the education unions prevent better educational opportunities in poor neighborhoods.
It’s arrogant to think that the only hope for the poor is institutional government dependency…disgusting.
A better educational system (which democrats fight) and greater job opportunities (which big government destroys) offer more hope than hand outs and redistribution could ever give.
We tried your way and it’s a complete failure!
If your big government program idea actually worked we wouldn’t have so many needy people fifty some years down the road!
Chris, just curious what you think about Michelle’s gaffe?
Is it your opinion too that women think first with what’s between their legs instead of their ears?
Michelle Obama: ‘Any woman who voted against Hillary Clinton voted against their own voice’
I think if she had said “Any woman who voted for Donald Trump voted against their own voice,” I would have no problem with the statement. Trump is and always has been a world-class misogynist, and his public comments about women as a group, as well as specific women ranging from Carly Fiorina to Miss World contestants who challenged him to his own daughter are repulsive. I don’t think it’s unfair to say that a member of a group shouldn’t vote for someone who routinely expresses bigotry against their group.
But as is, her statement does indeed imply that women should have not only voted against Trump, but for Hillary simply because they are women. I disagree with that statement strongly.
Seuss was a democrat? Ha! What irony.
Google “suess cartoons”. There was a resurgence online over The Donald’s first travel ban.
Not by Dr Seuss…he died in 1991.
She meant a resurgence in sharing the cartoons, Tina. Libby is referring to Seuss’ disdain for the “America First” movement, which was isolationist, opposed to fighting WWII, and sympathetic to Hitler due to their shared racism and anti-Semitism.
The school in Massachusetts where Soeiro works would benefit from switching her to a Janitor job. Barring that, a dunce cap and having her sit on a stool in the corner . . . . for a couple of years.
LOL
I love it when democrats show what hypocrites they are and how mean and hateful they can behave. Both Barack and Michelle Obama love Dr. Seuss books.
I agree with Chris a simple thank you note should have been sent and the books given to a school or local library that would have appreciated them.
FLASHBACK: Michelle Obama: ‘We Love Dr. Seuss in Our House’:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BA4xYheq_AM
Yeah, but Peggy, was Michelle wearing the right shoes when she read those books to children? 😉
Being that Michelle wore $540 tennis shoes to feed the poor she probably didn’t wear them again to read to the kids. That wouldn’t be keeping with fashion etiquette to wear the same shoes twice in public.
http://ijr.com/the-declaration/2017/08/960910-lets-not-forget-michelle-obama-wore-540-shoes-feed-poor/
I have it on good authority that “The Cat In The Hat” is an allegory for Hitler’s “Mein Kamph.”
The librarian, of course, could have graciously accepted the books and then organized a book raising fair with the students to have them and other books gifted to schools less fortunate.
But she didn’t, because she is a typical silly leftist twit, full of hubris, with a chip on her shoulder. If she drops dead tomorrow I doubt anyone will miss her.
From the internet. Why Trump won and Hillary lost.
——-
I like the way this is phrased because it recognizes that the political class are “bought and paid for”. I believe that the basic premise is correct: If you listen to Trump, he is hitting many of the hot buttons of the electorate. But you have to listen to him and not be distracted by his showmanship and obnoxious behavior.
I like the list of 13 things that I, as a senior American citizen, want.
Trump is at least talking about issues that most Americans are concerned about. My mantra about Trump is this: Truthfully, We are usually in agreement with most of what he says but wish someone else was saying it. We are offended by his brash manner. We are getting older and our tickers aren’t what they used to be, but what matters is that he covers most of the 13 things we as seniors want – at least I do for sure.
1. Hillary: held accountable for her previous wrongs!
2. Put “GOD” back in America !
3. Borders: Closed or tightly guarded!
4. Congress: On the same retirement & healthcare plans as everybody else.
5. Congress: Obey its own laws NOW!
6. Language: English only!
7. Culture: Constitution and the Bill of Rights!
8.. Drug Free: Mandatory Drug Screening before & during Welfare!
9. Freebies: NONE to Non-Citizens!
10. Budget: Balance the damn thing!
11. Foreign Countries: Stop giving them our money! Charge them for our help! We need it here.
12. Fix the TAX CODE!
….and most of all.
13. “RESPECT OUR MILITARY AND OUR FLAG!”
“1. Hillary: held accountable for her previous wrongs!”
Not only has Trump not taken any steps to do this, he admitted after he was elected that he never had any intention of doing so, and only said he would do so because it worked with the crowd.
“That plays great before the election — now we don’t care, right?”
http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/09/politics/donald-trump-hillary-clinton-lock-her-up-chant/index.html
“2. Put “GOD” back in America !”
Trump is not and never has been a man of God, and in fact is a caricature of the seven deadly sins, primarily lust, greed, envy, and pride.
“3. Borders: Closed or tightly guarded!”
He certainly stands for this, though his more outlandish promises, such as a wall built by Mexico, will never come to fruition. But I can at least see why someone who wanted this would vote for him.
“4. Congress: On the same retirement & healthcare plans as everybody else.”
Never gonna happen.
“5. Congress: Obey its own laws NOW!”
Trump doesn’t even do this. Multiple staffers have been using private email. He’s committed fraud through Trump U. His campaign broke election laws. His campaign broke campaign finance laws. There is zero reason to believe Trump will motivate Congress members to obey the law.
“6. Language: English only!”
America does not have an official language and that is not going to change.
“7. Culture: Constitution and the Bill of Rights!”
This is meaningless, and Trump has threatened the first amendment in numerous ways, from his campaign promise of a “complete shutdown” on Muslim immigration to his threats to “open up the libel laws” to sue journalists who report bad news about him to his verbal attacks on private citizens, calling for them to be fired for speech he disagrees with.
“8.. Drug Free: Mandatory Drug Screening before & during Welfare!”
This is proven to be a stupid waste of money.
“9. Freebies: NONE to Non-Citizens!”
This is already the law.
“10. Budget: Balance the damn thing!”
Impossible for Trump to do; he is in no way up to the task. He believes he is going to build a giant wall and make Mexico pay for it; does that sound like someone with a good sense of how to budget?
“11. Foreign Countries: Stop giving them our money! Charge them for our help! We need it here.”
This is never going to happen.
“12. Fix the TAX CODE!”
Impossible for Trump to do, as his recent failures show.
“….and most of all.
13. “RESPECT OUR MILITARY AND OUR FLAG!”
Trump has insulted POWs for being POWs, said he knows more than the generals, and has said he would compel the military to commit torture and other war crimes. Years ago he compared his experience of getting STDs as a young man to the experiences of the men who fought in Vietnam. Why on earth do you believe he respects the military?