GOP – Can’t Catch a Break – From Cruz to the Confederate Flag

It appears that negative is the key word of the day for what is sometimes referred to as the “drive by media” when it comes to 2016 GOP candidates. For starters (there are so many so one must choose two for brevity) there is the AP Photograph of one Ted Cruz – the photo with Cruz standing next to a poster of a gun, was taken, most likely by someone who was not particularly skilled, to appear as if the gun on the poster was directly pointed at the Senator/candidates head. The photographer apparently missed that lesson where one is never to take a photo whereby there are objects that might detract from the main theme, a tree, for example might appear to be growing from someone’s head. Unfortunately, this particular photo has shocked some, and they are conservative, yet, instead of having a sense of humor, or giving a critique on the lack of skills employed by AP photographers, yelling from the rafters that this was intentional! (Yahoo News). It may or may not have been, and in all cases of the media, with few exceptions, one might suggest that it was intentional, but there are so many pertinent issues at hand that it seems rather small. Give the left a pass on this one.

That said, there is no excuse for the ridiculous assertion by a Politico piece that the GOP 2016 candidates played it “safe” on the confederate flag issue. The flag, a battle flag which historically stood for southern pride, (if one lived in the South), is now the cry of racisms (or has been since the carpetbaggers decided to get religion). Being the flag under discussion was in South Carolina and the removal or non-removal would be up to the state government, one would think it would be a 10th amendment issue. One would also think that smart and savvy candidates who profess to be lovers of the Constitution would not immediately weigh in, since, unless they lived in the State itself, it would be non-Constitutional for them to do so. Furthermore, what made this an issue was the usual hue and cry of the professional rabble-rousers, rather than any true passion, one the shooting at the church took place, and the pathetic individual appeared with a Confederate flag, among other items which stood for apartheid, was apprehended and photographs appeared. Instantly one had a guns issue (take them away!!) and a race issue (remove the flag!!) and perhaps the sky was falling. Meanwhile, families of victims of the shooting were espousing forgiveness and trying to grieve, while the aforementioned rabble-rousers descended upon the state. (The background). Frankly, one might have given the families some time, one might think to digest the fact that some who was on the face of it racist, but also taking medications known to cause suicide and or murder in hundreds of cases, might have been a little over the ledge, making this less of a shooter of hateful racism and more of a crazy person off or on their medication. Not a peep in that regard. Yet, according to Politico, many of those who weighed in after pressure from the media, or out of good conscious have most likely blown an election because they did a) too little to late) and b) most likely pissed off their base. (In simple language).

The situation is “caught between a rock and a hard place” – leaving those candidates (all who have weighed in which is an opinion on the GOP side), prey to those who will be producing opposition videos for Bernie Sanders or Martin O’Malley or least likely to achieve the nomination, Hillary Clinton. It was never about the families or the flag, it was about politics and a pre-election year where any event can turn into a massive protest, and one might bet their bottom dollar this will continue to happen. What is so sad is that a mental health issue and multiple families’ grief were thrown to the side in the name of the Holy Gail of politics. Addressing racism is one thing, in a proper context, as in this young man was a racist, who when on or off his meds, could not control himself. See Sandy Hook and other recent shootings where race may not have played a factor, yet another person who was on these medications or off went over the ledge in a picture perfect moment for some politicians and the true issue was swept under the bed – again in the name of politics. – Yet all is silent when murder after murder is being committed in major us cities, black on black, white on white, regardless of race, the youth of the nation are literally wasting their lives – yet no action, no outcry, no marches. No articles of disgust and dismay!