Tuesday TruthNewsNetwork published an Op-Ed penned by Liz Peek. We share others’ writings from time to time to give our readers a perspective primarily on politics other than ours’. The title of our story yesterday that included Liz Peek’s Op-Ed is “Another Perspective From Another Writer: Diversity in Thought!” If you did not read that story, I recommend before moving forward here today, you take a few moments and go back and read it. (here’s a link to the story: https://truthnewsnet.org/11737-2/
I post on my Facebook page a short snippet of each day’s TruthNewsNetwork.org story with a link to the page. Yesterday was no different. One of my Facebook friends, Willie Sheppard, Jr., commented on the Op-Ed that we published. Willie Sheppard, Jr. is an African American who is native to South Louisiana, played football at Louisiana Tech University as a defensive back around the turn of the century. Willie lives in Florida now and is a businessman. He and his college sweetheart have a son who recently left Mandeville, Louisiana, where he had a stellar high school football career and is finishing his freshman season playing football at Vanderbilt University in Nashville.
To be clear, Willie and I had a Louisiana Tech University connection of sorts. At the time he played, I was the Color Analyst on the Louisiana Tech Football Network. I “analyzed” Willie’s on-the-field play in the context of a football game. But, honestly, I can say our interactions were scarce. I am not certain, but I believe Willie played for the Arena Football Team, the Bossier-Shreveport BattleWings a year or two before I bought the team.
Willie is a Democrat who, based on his Facebook page, is not fond of Donald Trump. From time to time, he comments on stories we publish about politics. Needless to say, he seldom is complimentary of Donald Trump: personally, professionally, and certainly not as President. Often people who read those Facebook posts and his comments are not very kind to Willie. But he always takes their responses in stride and is seldom mean or crude. I like that!
What you see below is Willie’s comment on my Facebook page in response to the Op-Ed Liz Peek wrote that I’m certain you read before starting this. Willie’s response to her Op-Ed illustrates much about the current state of American politics. I thought it would be good to discuss this post and analyze, at least in part, where our political environment is today.
Willie Sheppard, Jr.
(This comment is regarding the substance of Liz Peek’s Op-Ed; punctuation is Willie’s)
Lol. I tried to read it with an open mind as usual. She lost me at “nitwits”. I could return a few choice nicknames her way but when do we decide to be adults? Smh. She talks of “nastiness” then name calls. lol. I cannot make up this level of hypocrisy.I used to think “they really don’t see it”. Now I believe that they do and simply don’t care. It’s all good though. Since I was a young teen, one of my greatest pleasures has always been seeing bullies get theirs. That’s what we saw with this election and that’s what I’m enjoying with the people who are struggling with the results. You ignored a nasty bully that said any and everything he felt he was big and bad enough to say…Even applauded him for it. And the American people punched him in the eye and fired him.He continues to act like the spoiled, entitled child he has been all his life, and now with him being 1-35 (The 76-77 Tampa Bay Bucs are shaking their head at that record) in post-election litigation, the courts are giving him the spankings he didn’t get in life and should have while the world watches and applauds. The man is spitting on our democracy and he said he would do it if this election didn’t go his way. It continues to not go his way and I’m invigorated by it all.
A couple of extra article-based comments:
-The audacity to think that a man who came into the White House after bragging about sexual assault…Making fun of handicap…. Calling the mothers of NFL players (ALSO AMERICANS) who were Peacefully Protesting “bit*hes” and dozens more egregious things should get some sort of applause when he does his job is beyond rational thinking to me.– Please…please PLEASE Donald Trump(or any Trump run again in 2024. Make it easy for us.
-If that’s who conservatives want to be their voice, then this divide is here to stay because it shows that what I said above. Little is cared for in regards to truly bringing this country together. Not just the Conservative Americans but all Americans. The divide and almost gang-like mentality is wanted. That’s cool. I told you where the numbers are going regarding the 2 sides.
Have a great day. After the General Services Administration bittersweet announcement yesterday, I know I will.
Sweet because it’s going to hush some folks and we are finally going to get this thing rolling…Bitter because I was enjoying the public worldwide acknowledged spankings Donald J was receiving. Bullies almost always get theirs in the end.
Comments
- Willie’s level of hypocrisy drips from his Facebook response;
- He “assumed” whoever he’s speaking of “really didn’t see IT,” without saying what “IT” is. Then another assumption, “They do (see it) and simply don’t care.” Wouldn’t it have been enlightening for us all to know what Willie was referencing? Maybe then an honest conversation could ensue. It’s hard to know what people think unless they tell us. My wife of 45-years proves that to me daily;
- He enjoys seeing bullies get theirs. Willie perceives bullies to be of the conservative ilk and that no one that thinks politically like Willie is a bully. Oh, and there has NOT been any bullying from “their side.” I guess those with whom Willie identifies are all above bullying anyone, and only conservatives do that;
- “People who are struggling with the results.” Willie missed the entire basis for the angst 75 million or so Americans have right now over this election. “It ain’t over, Willie!” No presidential election is over when the media declares someone a winner. There is NO “Office of the President-Elect” in the United States! NONE exists nor ever has. And NO ONE is elected until the electoral college meets in December. That’s what those Americans are struggling with: how can Democrats ignore the U.S. Constitution, the Rule of Law, and just declare their candidate the victor?
- No one punched Donald Trump in the eye. Remember: one famous American said, “It ain’t over until it’s over.” If Willie thinks the ring official raised Joe’s hand in victory, it hasn’t happened;
- How old were you, Willie, when you met Donald Trump? Where did you study his life? You haven’t! How do I know that: he did NOT live as a “spoiled, entitled child.” He worked his butt off in Queens growing up. Yes, his father helped him get started in his own business. The success after that point was instigated over a 50-year career by Donald Trump. If you’ve never started a business, it’s hard to relate to entrepreneurship. And anyone who claims to have an ability to factually label someone who has done so as being “spoiled and entitled” reveals only something about themselves;
- Willie’s insults for what he describes as “sexual assault” and making fun of “handicap” is classless. Everyone reading this today knows the context in which those occurred. And if Willie expects anyone to believe that he has never said anything he regrets, he’s sorely mistaken. Regarding the “making fun of handicap” person has been disproven dozens of times. It’s just an easy talking point for liberals to use as a weapon against Trump. And they’re proficient at that;
- Please, Willie, point to the speeches, the actions, the conversations in which President Obama, by more than just a talking point, did anything to bring this nation together. At the end of the Obama Administration, this nation was far more divided — and purposely so — than ever in my 63 years. And if anyone is so blind as to look at Trump’s accomplishments for people of color, women, Latinos, Asians, and all classes of white Americans and will still state what you did about division, they have no ability nor desire to reach any educated or objective conclusion. “Unity” is not a talking point for Mr. Trump as it was with Obama and is for Joe Biden. Biden has, during campaigning, sown far more seeds of divisiveness than he has of unity — even name-calling;
- “Gang-like mentality?” You mean, like ANTIFA, Black Lives Matter, rioting, looting, destruction of public and private property, terrorizing private citizens, destruction of historical monuments: you mean like that? Not many conservatives are guilty of that. There IS a Mob: the Leftist Mobsters whose chief weapon is to ignore their issues while screaming about others’;
- By the way: the GSA doesn’t have the authority to declare anyone President, and they didn’t do so. Mr. Trump met with the head of the GSA and said he would go ahead and approve dollars and cents for Joe to prepare his transition.
Summary
When put in context with what we are facing today, Willie’s reply fits well in our political landscape: left v. right, liberal v. conservative, all fueled by anger and unwillingness to find consensus. Name-calling seldom achieves any consensus. Demeaning someone certainly will not. Pointing out differences for the sake of pointing out differences achieves nothing.
To move America down the road, we don’t need Joe Biden or Donald Trump. We don’t need Barack Obama or George W. Bush. We need today’s Americans to join together for one common goal: to find ways to work together to make this nation the best we possibly can.
Here’s the problem: there are too many people unwilling to lay aside differences to find consensus, swallow hard to join with others of different perspectives, and work together. And as long as there are Facebook posts like this one, as long as there are people who feel the only way to win is to not just defeat an opponent but to then stand over them and scream insults again and again, we will never be a united America.
One final note: I’ve reached out to Willie and invited him to join me on “TNN Live” today at 9 AM to discuss this Facebook post and this story. As of the writing of this (Tuesday evening at 6:00 PM) I’ve not heard from him. I won’t speculate at this point; I hope he joins me. Why don’t you tune in. at 9 AM Central just click on this link: https://www.elasticplayer.xyz/truthnews That will take you right to the show. It’s two hours, interactive with phone calls, and we discuss the very important matters of the day.
By the way, on our Wednesday show, we wade into the latest news and information about what’s happening in resolving these election results. There’s new information out there!
Here is a link to the timeline of events following election day 2000. It took 37 days to complete election results that named George W. Bush as the 43rd president. Feel free to download if you wish.
2000 Election Timeline: https://truthnewsnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/2000-Events-Timeline.pdf
