Even as we’ve battled the pandemic, we’ve continued to neglect the longer-lasting epidemic of gun violence in America. Although the shooter’s motive is not yet clear, the identity of the victims underscores an alarming rise in anti-Asian violence that must end.
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) March 17, 2021
Yesterday's shootings are another tragic reminder that we have far more work to do to put in place commonsense gun… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
—
Barack Obama (@BarackObama) March 17, 2021Michelle and I pray for the victims, their families, everyone grieving these needless and devastating killings—and… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
—
Barack Obama (@BarackObama) March 17, 2021As if these things aren't related and based on centuries of sexualized and submissive stereotypes of Asian women. White supremacy is rooted in misogyny and racism. https://t.co/C42KyqTGIP
— Millie Tran (@millie) March 17, 2021
When men frame a murderer's actions in terms of him "having a bad day" I can't help but hear them telling the world that they themselves are one bad day away from murdering women, & demanding empathy & recognition for that fact.
— Amal El-Mohtar (@tithenai) March 17, 2021
He had a really bad day. Women die because men have bad days. https://t.co/E8Wn2qocva
— Tressie McMillan Cottom (@tressiemcphd) March 17, 2021
White supremacist classist patriarchy is dangerous because it insists on dominance. It leads white men to think we all have to pay for their “bad day.”
— brittany packnett cunningham is on extended break. (@MsPackyetti) March 17, 2021
Because apparently the racist, misogynistic fetishization and abuse of Asian women is just a white dude having a “bad day.”
It’s not economic anxiety, diabetes, or sex addiction. It’s racial hatred. Stop playing on my phone.
— Openly Black Studs Twerkel. (@thewayoftheid) March 17, 2021
The Obama Diary 
Good Afternoon Family! 💃🏾💃🏾💃🏾
🙂 🙂 And you have the energy to dance like this? 😉 This is mighty reassuring; I can’t wait to qualify.
LOL! Feeling pretty good so far! 🤞🏾
Your time is coming! 😁
/grinning/ I can hardly wait, especially if it will allow me to move like this.
Good to know you (& mom) are feeling good, both physically and mentally I’d bet.
Yes, thanks! I’m hoping this holds up for us. My sister-in-law had a mild allergic reaction that went away after she took Benadryl. On the other end of the spectrum my Dad’s nursing aide has been sick for a week. 😣
{{{D-ette}}} Yea, the varied reactions are sometimes scary, but we still have to try.
Indeed! I’m just relieved to not have to worry about touching or breathing on my parents and putting them at mortal risk.
Hi Hi, VC!
Tick tock
Tick tock
👀👁👁👀
⏳
So relieved for you and your mom!
Thanks Judith!
Congrats Dudette!!!!!!
Thanks COS!
Wonderful news Dudette! 💃🏾💃🏾🙋🏾♀️
Thanks ggail! 😁
Fantastic news, Dudette!
Thanks tnmtngirl! ☺️
Wonderful news!
Thank you J! ☺️
Yay!! 👏🏼💕👏🏼💕👏🏼
Bravo! Well done, Dudette and Mama!
Still yawning and stretching, back in a bit, if I can get in!!
Thank you, NW, every single day..
{{{TOD}}}
Thanks Pamela! ☺️
fab news Dudette! Hi to your Mom and congrats.
Thanks brp! ☺️
Good Evening! 🙂
United States on pace to administer one hundred million vaccine doses tomorrow,
reaching President Biden’s 100-day goal six weeks ahead of time: “Keep the faith. Keep wearing the mask. Keep washing your hands. And keep socially distanced. We’re going to beat this. We’re way ahead of schedule, but we’ve got a long way to go.”
yup….this is where we are at…i suspect that we have been here for quite awhille…folks were in pretense mode…After Donald Trump…they no longer have to pretend..
I’ve so lost my Webster’s. MoFo to the Lindsey! 😣😠
Keep the CSpan camera rolling, $2 sez he’ll be lying on the floor within 20 minutes.. wipe..
‘Montana Senate advances bills targeting transgender youth’
‘The measures would ban gender affirming surgeries for transgender minors and ban transgender athletes from participating in school and college sports.’
“This is one of the most hateful heinous bills this session has ever considered, and I’m ashamed of us,” Democratic Sen. Diane Sands said Thursday…”
(https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Montana-Senate-advances-bills-targeting-16035895.php)
Thank you for posting this. I have been so unspet about this. Ive made may calls about this. We have such bigoted people here.
thanks mtmarlyn, dehumanizing is what trump gop do best.
GOP needs a ‘bad guy’ to scapegoat (Asians, people of color) and the trans community is vulnerable and defenseless. imo when you meet a young trans person you cannot believe how sweet a human being can be. Hopefully judges block this…in view of Title 9 these bills don’t seem legal. There is no bottom with these gop legislatures (78 anti-trans bills nationwide). If they got their way we would be a third world country with prison or death for LGBTQ. We must pass the Equality Act.
Asian Americans.
👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
Boom!
We now have an impeccably qualified US Trade Rep.
Hope am not double posting:
RIP Yaphet Kotto. Here’s his tribute in Pidgin English, and it made me smile! (As an aside, when you can, check out BBC’s Pidgin, take your time if not familiar w/ lang, but you’ll find astute & humorous commentaries.) Felt sad that Yaphet Lotto passed, then had to smile when I read tribute below! 😂😇
BBC News: Yaphet Kotto: Death of James Bond villain, Idi Amin actor, Live and Let Die actor.
https://www.bbc.com/pidgin/world-56431832
P.S. Don’t blame if you get hooked on BBC/Pidgin channel/tab! 😂💃💞
Uggh auto correct: *Kotto*, not Lotto.
Good Morning to an inportant reminder!
POTUS and VP in Atlanta today!!!
Wooot! She’s gonna end up on the Supreme Court. I just know it! 🙏🏾
Good! DC and Puerto Rico both please!
More good news!
I know that’s right! 👏🏾
yeh she’s great.
SOON…
Also: https://abcnews.go.com/live/video/special-live-4
“Congress holds first hearing on Asian American violence in decades amid ‘crisis point’” (yesterday)
Transcript: (https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/congress-holds-first-hearing-on-asian-american-violence-in-decades-amid-crisis-point)
Later after the hearing, Congressman Ted Lieu and Katie Phang talk to Hayes.
(short excerpts)
Congressman Ted Lieu:
“There has actually been a long history of discrimination against Asian-Americans.
In the past when America felt threatened, sometimes you would have discrimination against ethnic groups. So, we had the whole yellow peril hysteria, followed by the Chinese Exclusion Act. You had the internment of over 120,000 Japanese Americans with the rise of Japan in 1980s, and fears of that. You had Vincent Shen who was murdered. And now you have this pandemic causing a surge in Asian-American hate crimes. And many in the community have experienced this and they were expressing it nationally at this hearing. And that was a good thing for people to understand.”
Katie Phang:
“Well, the spokesperson for the Atlanta PD Chris did the right thing versus,
what we heard yesterday during that press conference with the Cherokee County Sheriff`s Department, where they basically dehumanized the victims, humanized the shooter, and basically parroted what could potentially be a false narrative from the shooter in this case. But Chris, it`s really important for everybody to understand that hate crimes are notoriously difficult to prosecute. You know, you think if it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, it must be a duck. And we get it. We have eight victims of murder, six of whom are Asian and women.
And the good news about the Georgia Hate Crime statute, which by the way, was only enacted last year. Last year, Georgia was one of only four states in the United States that did not have a Hate Crime statute on its books. And effective July 1st of 2020, spurred in part because of the Ahmaud Arbery murder that happened in February of last year, Georgia finally got its Hate Crime statute back on the books.
They had one before. It was declared unconstitutional and struck down in 2004. But that Hate Crime statute actually doesn`t just cover race and religion and national origin, it covers gender. So, for the Cherokee County Sheriff`s Department to say, you know what, race wasn`t a factor according to the shooter. Well, boy, that`s a convenient thing for the shooter to say…that’s why it’s important for a deep dive to happen in the guy’s social media. We know that he has a history. Well what is that history…look at all of the evidence.”
Lieu:
“At the hearing today, the expert witnesses testified that their research shows there is a clear link between rhetoric and hate crimes. And when you have the former President of the United States saying racist phrases like ‘Kung Flu’ you can see that there was also a surge in hate crimes against the Asian American community. In fact, the data shows that in the 16 largest cities in America, it was nearly 150% increase in hate crimes in 2020. So, I just call on my Republican legislators to please stop using ethnic identifiers in describing a virus. I am not a virus, so stop using these ethnic identifiers because you`re harming the Asian-American community.”
Phang:
“…as Congressman Lieu says the words matter, rhetoric matters, and that is what is emboldening a lot of the people that we`re seeing that are attacking Asians now.”
Congresswoman Judy Chu,
Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific Caucus talks to Maddow:
Maddow:
“The hearing today was emotional in lots of ways…This is the first congressional hearing on this subject in more than 30 years. I just have to ask if you feel like it was effective, if the right things are being talked about, if the right audience is listening.”
Congresswoman Judy Chu:
“It was a major step forward to have this hearing. We are finally getting attention to this terrible rise in anti-Asian hate crimes, something that`s been happening for a year now. And in fact, for a year we the Congressional Asian Pacific Caucus, have been try getting to a meeting with the Department of Justice to address this issue. But under President Donald Trump we were totally ignored. This has been the situation for this entire year. And it didn`t change until President Biden took office, issued his executive order and directed his Department of Justice to meet with the Asian American community to come up with solutions for combating anti-Asian hate crimes. So it is a completely different scenario right now.”
Maddow:
“In addition to those actions that you have praised from the president and from the administration, I know you have talked about wanting to see bold action from Congress to address not just the violence, but also discrimination toward Asian Americans that we have been seeing. What are you looking for from Congress?”
Congresswoman Chu:
“I am looking for legislation,
for the passage of bills like the No Hate act and the COVID-19 Hate Crimes act.
These are bills that would fix some great deficits in this country. For instance, the collection of hate crime data is very, very flawed in this country. In 1990 there was a federal law that mandated the collection of this data. But actually, the FBI has to rely on local law enforcement. And many of our local law enforcement agencies do not collect this data. At least there’s tremendous inconsistencies in how they collect it.
Actually, three states don`t even have a hate crimes statute!
So the No Hate Act would provide uniformity for this collection of the data. And it would also provide for grants. So that local law enforcement could actually start a hate crime program, get training for their law enforcement officers, and finally do outreach to the community. It also provides for state hotlines, so that the community can immediately call an enforcement agency who could help them with their hate crime or hate incident. And finally, there would be oversight by the U.S. Attorney General who would look on an annual basis at where we are with hate crime reporting. As well as hate crime programs that are in these states to see whether they are effective or not. And they would provide that report to Congress.”
https://politicalwire.com/2021/03/19/colorado-hemorrhages-gop-registrations/
Always had anxiety about those darn stairs. Take your time, Pres Joe. We luvs you! 💞💞🎉
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms:
“joins The ReidOut to talk about precautions the city has taken in the wake of the shootings
where six of the eight victims were women of Asian descent.”
Hear here: (https://www.msnbc.com/the-reidout/watch/keisha-lance-bottoms-on-what-atlanta-is-doing-to-protect-its-asian-american-community-108783685930)
Rolling Stone:
“Rep. Grace Meng Gives Powerful Rebuke to GOP Roy’s Racist Remarks”
“Grace Meng strongly denounced Texas’ Republican Rep. Chip Roy’s earlier remarks where he spoke glowingly
of his state’s history of “lynchings” and whined about political correctness getting in the way of using racist language.”
(https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/grace-meng-asian-americans-chip-roy-1144054/)
Congresswoman Meng:
“You’re putting “a bullseye on the back of Asian-Americans across this country, on our grandparents, on our kids”,
Senator Tammy Duckworth joins Hayes to discuss Atlanta shooting and ongoing Asian hate crimes.
Senator Duckworth:
“This whole idea of police officer violence with those officers who have been turned by white extremistists
is really scary to me. And I know it’s got to be scary for the other police officers as well….the Capitol police for example to look out and realize that hey – these were their brothers in blue – some of whom actively attacked them that day.”
Pls help me here.
TWELVE republicans voted not to honor police officers who defended themselves and the Capitol.
Ask them why is that?
Do they hold on to a fantasy that trump will return?
Are they stamping their little feet because their friends, the insurrectionists, failed?
Or because these battered police officers actually survived after preventing trump from ‘Stopping the Steal’?
‘What Are We Waiting For?’:
Why Filibuster Reform Should Happen Sooner Than Later”
“Adam Jentleson, former deputy chief of staff to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid,
talks with Maddow about why it’s a good idea for Senate Democrats to reform the filibuster and pass popular legislation ahead of wrestling with the infrastructure bill.”
Adam Jentleson: “I think it would be wise for senators to start thinking very seriously about whether or not we should just go ahead and do the reform now because what are we waiting for? We don`t need any further proof that Republicans are going to obstruct, assuming they do obstruct these things. You might as well get it done and spend the next year and a half passing popular things that are good for America and that you can run on in 2022.”
Senator Ossoff earlier this week: “Mitch McConnell doesn’t scare anybody these days.”
I heard him say that in an interview … my ears perked right up!
love to you jo’b !!!!
And love right back to you!
Woot! Hot Damn! 💃
“Navajo Nation Spring Day of Prayer: Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland”
“Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland addresses the Navajo Nation Spring Day of Prayer event
on March 19, 2021.
Haaland was introduced by President Jonathan Nez, who spoke from Window Rock, Arizona, the capital of the Navajo Nation. “She is our fierce leader,” he said, citing Haaland’s accomplishments as one of the first
two Native women elected to Congress and now the first Native person in a U.S. presidential cabinet.
Haaland, a citizen of the Pueblo of Laguna, joined the event from her office in Washington, D.C.
She became the leader of the Department of the Interior on March 17.
“I love the Navajo Nation,” Haaland said. She expressed remorse for the lives lost on the reservation to
COVID-19. “This pandemic has caused so much pain for so many people across the United States, but I know it has hit the Navajo Nation very hard,” she said.
(Indianz)
Soundcloud: (https://soundcloud.com/indianz/navajo-nation-spring-day-of-prayer-secretary-of-the-interior-deb-haaland)
Congrats on Friday to all…!!
friday: being good. until after the vaccine (probably be 2) no swimming, no swimming….got it.
Staying at a temple
with my own true face.
(bashõ)
My favorite response seen today!
Totally agree with this post Jacqueline. I am sure that anyone who have rooms upstairs have tripped several times. Tripping over treason is also my choice. 🙂
Love it, COS!
Trust me, you haven’t lived until you’ve fallen out of bed while sleep. It happened to me twice within one month’s time for the first time in my life.
😂 Don, did you have one of those dreams where you were flying, all by yourself? 😇😷
Flying, nope.
Did they get that on camera, Don? 🙂
My bedroom is the only room in the house that doesn’t have a camera trained on it.
🙂
❤️💜
I concur!
So sweet!
I love the love in their family!
😍
Soon – President Biden delivers remarks in Atlanta – https://abcnews.go.com/live/video/special-live-3
🚨 THREAD 🚨
It’s official! 100 million shots!
Dudette, I love your Senators! Go GA, yay for US! Just watched Sen. Warnock on Joy, & got all kinds of hope again! 😇 As an aside, Rev. Barber is going to preach at his church on Sunday!
The whole deal!
🙏🏾😔Please share.
❤️😍😍😍😍😍😍❤️
Evenin’ Todville.
Is this cutie pie real or is she a doll. Cutest ill baby ever … ☺
Dudette … congrats on getting the 2nd dose 🤗
LOL! 😁
New post.
https://obamadiary.wordpress.com/2021/03/20/record-breaking/