Some readers who have followed our commentaries for several years will have fond memories of the Crappie Awards. We do not give out these awards frivolously. They are reserved for particularly egregious political pronouncements to the media—mainly in the category of Consolidated Reports on Approved Policies (CRAP).
But today’s Crappie award goes to a Kingston, New York concern calling itself the Trends Research Institute. Why it thinks a commentator’s daily comment would be classed as media is questionable to begin with. What the organization sent us was a scurrilous attack on Michele Obama.
And while the Institute claims it is non-partisan, the only beneficiary of such garbage would be the dismal final days of the losing campaign of Republican candidate Donald Trump.
There are some faint memories of having received missives from this American address before. The name is familiar from our daily dump of spam while trying to rescue treasured e-mails from readers. Since we have never reported on anything from their previous missives, no harm, no foul.
But for them to attack the First Lady of the United States is absolutely disgusting. And to expect a Canadian to participate in their plot, deplorable.
This attack was supposedly to counter Michele Obama’s appearances in support of Hillary Clinton’s campaign for the presidency. This news release had the nerve to say that while Mr. Trump’s statements about women were offensive, “they pale in comparison to the loud chorus of rapper’s filth and denigration of women that Michele and Barack Obama have continually promoted, championed, wined and dined at the White House.”
To say that the President and his wife promote that language is disgusting and fallacious. While some of us might disagree, rap is considered an art form. Like many other music genres, rap has often succumbed to using crude and sexist language to try to shock the listener. It is a sad reflection on society.
But the point is that people who are successful in the arts and in sports are routinely honored with a visit to the White House. It is the same as the entire winning team of the World Series being invited for a photo opportunity on the White House lawn.
Most of these invitations are routine and White House staff try to work them into the President’s calendar. Frankly the same people choosing to honor these rappers are probably the same people choosing the turkey to be pardoned for Thanksgiving.
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Copyright 2016 © Peter Lowry
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