Let me preface this blog entry by conveying that it is absolutely acceptable to criticize ideas, politicians, and anyone you support. Similarly, one should be open to criticism and should be constantly reexamining their own beliefs. Without this, there is no growth.
Yesterday Freshman Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), when speaking to supporters at an event on the night of her swearing in, said:
“when your son looks at you and says ‘mama, look you won, bullies don’t win.’ And I say ‘baby, they don’t’ because we’re gonna go in there and we’re gonna impeach the motherfucker.”
Dropping the motherfucker bomb was a colossal mistake.
I have been known to drop fuck bombs often, but I don’t do that at work (unless I am in a private conversation with a close colleague). I have two voices: my professional voice and my personal / artistic voice, the one that has no problem saying the word fuck. I also don’t have a problem with women dropping fuck bombs. I have been a fan of Madonna for over thirty years and can’t think of any other entertainer, male or female, who has dropped more fuck bombs. But note, she is an entertainer, not a politician.
I have come to realize, in my middle age, that the overuse of swear words is just a lazy way of expressing yourself or the individual simply does not have a good command of the language—something Trump demonstrates everyday whether in front of the camera or on Twitter. In essence, what Tlaib did what stoop down to Trump’s level. She also gave him what he wanted.
Trump and other conservatives will now use Tlaib’s motherfucker bomb as an endless talking point to steer the conversation away from the real pressing issues. And of course, the bigots are going to endlessly EMPHASIZE the fact that she is a Muslim. The rules for a politician of color are not the same; Obama would never have been elected if his credentials were as paper thin as Trump’s.
Earlier today, I commented on a Twitter posting that supported Tlaib that this was a mistake and people responded with comments that she conveyed what we were thinking. One person responded that intelligent people swear more and that I should Google the studies. How do you explain Trump? Also, some additional context is needed beyond that overshared article and meme. One ridiculous post actually said that no one should criticize Tlaib because Trump sat there smiling while Kanye dropped the fuck bomb in the Oval Office. Again, Kanye, like Trump, is an entertainer. The most vexing were the ones that tried to justify her behavior by saying that Trump does it. No. I agree with the line of thought that we cannot normalize Trump’s lack of decorum, which Tlaib did by acting like him.
Our politicians are not entertainers and should be held to a higher standard. Speaking eloquence is not required, but expletives are always inexcusable. The most scandalous thing I want the politicians I support to do is to wear a tan suit.
Edwin Roman 