Random Thoughts On Biden, Trump, Chicago Violence, And Bronny
More troubling than Biden's poor performance is the reaction and call of some Democrats for a presidential election replacement. To this I say: Stand by your man, like the Republicans stand by theirs.
By John W. Fountain
I REMEMBER WAY BLACK when he floated like a butterfly and stung like a bee—the people’s champion: Muhammad Ali. And I remember witnessing his decline over the years, my cheers turned to tears as I saw my childhood hero’s prowess inside the boxing ring decline. Especially during that fateful 1980 bout against Larry Holmes in which it was clear that the old champ was a shell of his former self.
That is the feeling I was left with—and near tears—after watching the recent presidential debate, as President Joe Biden, 81, floundered and faced proverbial pummeling from an opponent whom in his heyday the kid from Scranton would have clobbered and mesmerized with the Ali shuffle, so to speak. It made me sad to watch, but kept me rooting until the very end for Joe to dig deep and land a haymaker and lay Trump, 78, flat on his orange butt. Instead Trump kept stabbing Joe with his jab of lies.
But at the end of the day, they were who we thought they were. Nothing lost. Nothing gained.
These are my random thoughts. Just random thoughts…
The biggest question at the end of the presidential debate was not as much who won, but why it should have been held in the first place. I mean, who needs a debate in an election between the current president—who, whatever the concerns surrounding his age, is still a good and decent man? This compared to a former president and now a convicted felon, accused rapist who still faces felony charges, twice impeached and who admits to grabbing women by their genitals let alone accused of inciting the Jan. 6 insurrection.
Have we really become this debased or hoodwinked as a nation?
Random thoughts…
More troubling than Biden's poor performance—which I equate to seeing a tried and tested all star athlete have one bad game—is the reaction and call of some Democrats for a presidential election replacement. To this I say: “Damn, y’all. Really? Stand by your man, like the Republicans stand by theirs.”
I heard a history professor sum it up this way: “Republicans have no fear. Democrats have no spine.”
Let the church say, “Amen!”
Just my random thoughts.
Okay, so just one more crack on politics… The nerve of the New York Times, calling for President Biden to step aside as Democratic presidential candidate, citing, among other things, that Biden failed to call out Trump's lies during the debate, writing: “He struggled to hold Mr. Trump accountable for his lies, his failures and his chilling plans.”
Puhleeze…
Dear New York Times, that’s YOUR job as the Fourth Estate, as gatekeepers and purveyors of truth.
How about calling for Republicans to once and for all pull the plug on Trump and MAGA-ism? How about filling the pages of the New York Times from now until November with the truth to help refute Trump lies?
How about calling for America to wake up and smell the Trump doo-doo? And how about surveying your own newsroom for signs of parity and making a commitment to creating a staff that is more reflective of America in its totality? A commitment to hire more Black reporters and editors?
To the New York Times, in my King James Bible voice: “Physician heal thyself.” Or in the words of the gospel music singing Williams Brothers: “Sweep around your own front door before you try to sweep around mine.” Or in this case, Joe Biden’s.
These are my random thoughts…
What’s up with the damn near anthem status of songs by GloRilla and Sexxy Red?
From “Get It Sexxy”:
Big Sexyy blood, love the hoes
Bounce that ass, touch them toes (uh-huh)
Booty shorts, coochie swole
Thong all up my booty hole…
Huh?
From GloRilla’s “TGIF…”
Well, never mind. Suffice it to say that if these songs comprise the soundtrack of our youth, then Lord help us.
Just random thoughts.
Violence continues to plague the city of Chicago. Services were held yesterday (Saturday, June 29) for 73-year-old Larry Neuman, a retired Chicago police officer and pillar of the community who was gunned down June 20 outside his West Side house on a Thursday morning reportedly while paying someone for cutting his lawn. Two young Black men, ages 16 and 17, have since been charged with first-degree murder. Neuman’s murder followed a bloody Father's Day weekend when more than 70 people were shot, at least 8 fatally.
Many here don't want to call Chicago America's murder capital. But you could argue that it is.
While Chicago did not lead the nation in 2023 in homicides per capita (the murder rate which is computed by the number of homicides as a percentage of the city's population), the truth is that Chicago has by far the highest number of murders of any city in America.
Want the truth? The real truth? The numbers?
Chicago, pop. 2.7 million, recorded 604 homicides in 2023. In New York, whose population is three times higher at 8.3 million, there were almost 200 fewer homicides.
With the vast majority of killings and shootings occurring on the West and South Sides of Chicago, little boys and girls in some neighborhoods damn near need bullet proof vests to play outside. Facts.
And fact is: It doesn’t have to be like this.
These are my random thoughts.
Bronny James, eldest son of superstar Lebron James, was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers as the 55th pick in the NBA draft. It marks the first time for an active father-son duo in NBA history. Critics say it is a case of nepotism. Haters!
So what? Looks more like legacy to me and simply the American way. The next thing the haters will say is that Lebron is sleeping with his teammate’s mother, lol.
Cheers to Lebron and Bronny.
Just my random thoughts.
Email: Author@johnwfountain.com
Rest In Peace, brother Neuman.
