Thursday, May 26, 2016

Stephen King and other American writers post open letter expressing their concern over Donald Trump.

Courtesy of the Literary Hub:

 AN OPEN LETTER TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE 

Because, as writers, we are particularly aware of the many ways that language can be abused in the name of power; 

Because we believe that any democracy worthy of the name rests on pluralism, welcomes principled disagreement, and achieves consensus through reasoned debate; 

Because American history, despite periods of nativism and bigotry, has from the first been a grand experiment in bringing people of different backgrounds together, not pitting them against one another; 

Because the history of dictatorship is the history of manipulation and division, demagoguery and lies; Because the search for justice is predicated on a respect for the truth; 

Because we believe that knowledge, experience, flexibility, and historical awareness are indispensable in a leader; 

Because neither wealth nor celebrity qualifies anyone to speak for the United States, to lead its military, to maintain its alliances, or to represent its people; 

Because the rise of a political candidate who deliberately appeals to the basest and most violent elements in society, who encourages aggression among his followers, shouts down opponents, intimidates dissenters, and denigrates women and minorities, demands, from each of us, an immediate and forceful response; 

For all these reasons, we, the undersigned, as a matter of conscience, oppose, unequivocally, the candidacy of Donald J. Trump for the Presidency of the United States.

If you click the link at the top you can see a vast number of writers who have signed this open letter, including Stephen King,  Cheryl Strayed, Dave Eggers, Junot Diaz, Amy Tan, Mary Roach, Tobias Wolff, Richard Russo, Michael Chabon and Roy Blount, Jr.to name a few.

King of course has been quite vocal in expressing his opinion of Trump.
Which is just one more reason to admire him.

30 comments:

  1. Anonymous2:24 AM

    Oh wow!
    Thrilled!
    Thank you learned people!
    MaryRoach - truly love her work. Girl crush> Have you ever read her? Science baby! Fucking science writer with wit. If you love science and want to know "How to pack for Mars" or the science of digrstion "Gulp", what happens to people who donate their bodies t science "Stiff", the biology of sex "Bonk" and Spook about exposing people who say they cmmunicate with the dead....and she has a new one out in June.
    Anyway, sorry to digress, but so happy to see my favorite female author who loves Science speaking out.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous8:21 AM

      Donald Trump = Greg Stillson

      Delete
  2. Anonymous2:38 AM

    Hopefully this platitude works in the general election this November:

    The pen is mightier than the sword.

    These writers with pens in hand are giving the reasonably sane among us permission to do the right thing for American and beyond. Get ID'd up and ready to vote against the insane orange-tinged ill-tempered thin-skinned short-fingered vulgarian (and those politicians who support him).

    dowl

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  3. Anonymous3:51 AM

    Trump is such a vulgar vulgar person. A vulgar fascist mentality racist.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous3:51 AM

    I hope the country listens. King is an expert in horror and dark tales. He knows this scenario well!

    Notice the comedians aren't speaking up?

    Mildred

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous5:57 AM

      @Anonymous 3:51 AM

      Notice the comedians aren't speaking up?
      *************************
      @aholes recognize @ssholes.

      Delete
  5. Anonymous5:23 AM

    Barack Obama says Donald Trump is 'rattling' world leaders
    http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/may/26/barack-obama-says-donald-trump-is-rattling-world-leaders

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous6:02 AM

    Anonymous5:23 AM

    He told China to go eff themselves. What kind of world leader would say something like that to another country and it's leader!? It is undignified, vulgar, thuggish, and un-presidential.
    Can you imagine how the media and the Repubs would react if President Obama were to say something like that?!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Leland6:56 AM

    I went to the site highlighted and read the thing again. I also read the comments posted by readers. The amount of hatred and bile thrown at the writers is amazing. Those are disgusting people who think their vitriol will force people like writers to back off.

    I wonder what color the sky is in their world - and how they crossed over into ours. Maybe if we figure that out we can blow it up and stop their immigration!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous7:33 AM

      Well if the writers are going to have public political opinions, what exactly do they or you expect? Who anointed them kingmakers. They are writers not gods.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous8:42 AM

      Maybe if we figure that out we can blow it up and stop their immigration!
      ---------
      I wish! And quick, they're multiplying like rabbits as we speak!

      Mildred

      Delete
    3. Leland9:17 AM

      @ 7:33

      What do I expect? Very little since the bitch was running and the Tea Party got so much power.

      On the other hand, I would LIKE to see some sort of civility when discoursing. We are all entitled to our opinions, but I prefer having someone else's opinion be defended by the opinion-holder with a decent amount of politeness and couth, not to mention manners enough to allow the other person to speak when presenting their views.

      Those who scream and shout and curse those who disagree are insulting their own ideas and thoughts - even if they ARE parroting someone else.

      And Donald Trump is the worst of them.

      As for who anointed the writers? No one. That is YOUR idea, not theirs.

      Writers usually spend a HUGE amount of time researching what they write about, so are generally more capable of recognizing dangers and threats. Things like history are generally important to most writers and their knowledge of that subject led them to the above open letter.

      Trump IS a threat and WILL get us into a MAJOR international war that will kill millions if he is elected. His temper will force it. Anonymous 6:02 said it the best when he reminded us here that Trump told the Chinese to go eff themselves.

      And exactly how do you think China would react to the PRESIDENT saying that to them? At the very LEAST, they could call our debt and then what? Think we can pay off over seven trillion dollars?

      No, they aren't kings or gods. But they have a right to their opinions and the main point of what I stated in my comment was the poison thrown at them was disgusting. I would not be surprised if one or more of the threats and screams was attempted by the Trump lovers.

      Delete
    4. These writers are citizens and have just as much of a right to speak out.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous11:27 AM

      That is right 10:38, and they have just as much a right to get their asses handed to them for trying to instill fear as a voting tactic.

      Delete
    6. Anonymous11:31 AM

      leland:

      "Trump IS a threat and WILL get us into a MAJOR international war that will kill millions if he is elected. His temper will force it. Anonymous 6:02 said it the best when he reminded us here that Trump told the Chinese to go eff themselves."

      Oh are you predicting the future now lol? That is a ridiculous assertion.

      On the flip side, the Chinese and Russia have been ramping up and leaning in militarily more and more over the last 8 years because we have a weak foreign policy president who does not lead, and they are taking advantage of the weakness.

      Delete
    7. Leland12:38 PM

      @11:31

      Nope. Not predicting the future. Rather, I am basing my thoughts on past history and this damned fool is following the same tactics that
      Hitler and other Fascists did to come to power. Spewing hate and blaming OTHERS for the problems SOME people see and giving only vague promises to take care of it. He is using the divide and conquer tactics that other would-be power hungry bastards have used.

      Point the finger of blame at someone else and get the masses worked up about it. With Trump, it's women, Mexicans, Muslims and blacks - and ANYONE who contradicts him or exposes him for what he is. With Hitler, it was the "traitorous" Jews who caused the failure of the German army (among other things).

      The man WILL say or do something to the wrong person as President (IF he gets elected) and all hell will break loose.

      But getting back to the original reason for this exchange, I have no problem with people disagreeing with something someone says or posts. I just wish the reactions weren't hate filled and poisonous.

      Remember the old saying: You get more flies with honey? Spewing hate and racism only gets people's ire up.

      Delete
    8. Anonymous2:08 PM

      Oh ok, that explains it, you are one of those simple minded Godwin's law Hitler people.

      Of course.

      Delete
    9. Anonymous5:01 PM

      Bravo Leland!

      Delete
  8. Anonymous6:56 AM

    Well if you and Stephanie King are soooo scared of a Trump presidency, maybe you shouldn't have allowed the DNC to ramrod such a weak and damaged goods democratic candidate down everyone's throat.

    Too bad. Looks like that is on you, DWS, and the DNC.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous7:29 AM

      Stephanie King? Mysogeny much?

      Delete
    2. Anonymous7:37 AM

      lol. Spell much dumb woman?

      Delete
    3. Leland12:41 PM

      @7:37

      MUST you be so aggressive in your put-downs. It only makes you appear ignorant - especially since it was YOUR spelling 7:29 commented on.

      Delete
  9. Anonymous7:11 AM

    Getting through the next five months of the presidential campaign is going to be tough on all of us. My saving grace is that eventually Donald Trump will be a loser. That will make it all worthwhile.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous7:16 AM

    Donald Trump Actually Admits to Using Aliases: ‘You Have to!

    http://www.mediaite.com/tv/donald-trump-admits-to-using-aliases-you-have-to/

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous7:17 AM


    Embracing the ‘Clinton Crazies,’ Trump Becomes AM Talk Radio’s Nominee for President



    Rolling out a 1996-era campaign that primarily targets Bill Clinton instead of Hillary, Donald Trump continues to wallow in all kinds of conspiracies that were once eagerly promoted by right-wing “Clinton Crazies“ two decades ago. Those were the hardcore Clinton haters who spent the 1990s absorbing AM talk radio’s chronic toxicity and obsessing over the president’s possibly murderous ways.

    By digging up long-forgotten ‘90s attack lines and pushing them today, Trump seems content to focus his campaign on the distant past, and on the Clinton who isn’t running for president in 2016. In doing so though, Trump has emerged as right-wing radio’s dream Republican nominee, someone eager to debase public debate and to wallow in not-even-half-baked conspiracy theories.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eric-boehlert/embracing-the-clinton-cra_b_10129482.html

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous7:34 AM

      lol. Huffpo reference.

      Delete
  12. Anonymous7:25 AM

    Trump’s New Manager Admits The ‘Muslim Ban’ Idea Was To Reel In The Whackos

    ...He starts those conversations on the “outer edges” because that’s where the lunatics hang out. Once you’ve secured them with a good dose of fear, hate and lies it’s OK to move more towards the center, where people who live in the real world tend to be. It’s not a new tactic for Trump; it’s his status quo. His campaign began with a speech pandering to white supremacists. The wall he’s never going to build whether he’s elected or not will become legendary fodder for decades of election cycles to come.

    Manafort says the change will come at Trump’s discretion, because “you don’t manage Donald Trump.” Trump has already begun the move towards the center, saying recently that the ban he has said he would institute was actually “just a suggestion.”

    Trump’s “suggestions” leave little room for doubt on their translation. Was he also pandering to the far-right when he applauded torture and called for the U.S. to kill the families of known terrorists? Was he embellishing when he said that Mexico is “sending us” their worst criminals? Trump has and will say whatever he needs to say to keep those auditoriums stocked with hateful a-holes willing to get violent with protestors for free media coverage.

    Manafort seems to have the ideal personality to work for Donald Trump; he is completely delusional.

    http://addictinginfo.org/2016/05/26/trumps-new-manager-admits-the-muslim-ban-idea-was-to-reel-in-the-whackos/

    http://addictinginfo.org/2016/05/26/what-trump-just-said-the-gop-will-become-if-hes-president-will-send-shivers-down-your-spine/

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous7:31 AM

    Jimmy Kimmel corners Trump on his Clinton flip-flops: ‘So, you were full of sh*t when you said that?’

    http://www.rawstory.com/2016/05/jimmy-kimmel-corners-trump-on-his-clinton-flip-flops-so-you-were-full-of-sht-when-you-said-that/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous8:51 AM

      Sh*t is all Trump is full of. He fools the fools.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous12:43 PM

      And there was such a knowing laugh from the audience when Trump refused to give his personal opinion on the bathroom gender issue nut kept going to his cowardly answer of leaving the matter to the states.

      Delete

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