RESIDENTS OF DAYTON & EL PASO SCORN THE PRESIDENT

…This is the 20’ Baby Trump Balloon

The Baby Trump balloon says, “Welcome to Toledo Dayton! Don’t be a baby,  Stand up to the NRA.” (The “Toledo” Trump mistake is purposely crossed out.)

Due to the recent deaths from Mass shooters in California, Ohio and Texas, in two of those cities, a motorcycle backfire and the loud noise of a construction sign falling over, the two loud sounds caused a panic and people were running away thinking it was another mass shooter.

Our president that calls the issues at the southern border “an invasion of Hispanics”, he is now reaping the effects of his verbal attacks against a large contingency within the United States.

The president today is going to two of the three cities, Dayton and El Paso,  that were the target of the anti-immigration mass shooters.

But the mayors of both cities have made it clear, and the have been very vocal in stating that, “he is not welcome here”.

People in the two cities are signing petitions, planning protests and, in Dayton, they are organizing a demonstration featuring the inflated “Baby Trump” that first appeared in Great Britain.  When Trump visited, the balloon was used to express their discontent with the president.  A president whose anti-immigrant rhetoric was echoed by the gunman who killed 22 people in El Paso.

The motive of the mass shooter who killed nine people in Dayton remains unclear, but Trump’s silence on the issue of assault guns has been criticized by local officials who want action to prevent future massacres.

“He [the president] has made this bed and he’s got to lie in it. His rhetoric has been painful for many in our community,” Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley (D) told reporters, adding that she supported the planned protests against Trump. “Watching the president for the past few years over the issue of guns, I don’t think he knows what he believes, frankly.”

“Dayton has been through enough, and we don’t want him here or his hateful rhetoric,” said Megan Baxter, a stay-at-home mother and local activist organizing a protest in the city for Wednesday. “I’m just tired of all the killing.”

The open rejection of a visiting president after a mass shooting tragedy was striking as a growing chorus of critics made clear that Trump would not be welcome during his condolence visits that will take Air Force One from the Rust Belt Ohio to the southern border, El Paso.

This is the same El Paso that the president falsely said had previously been a very unsafe city, but that due to a secure border wall, was now one of the safest cities in the country.

The truth is, that city that is 85% Hispanic, and it has been one of the safest cities for decades.  In addition, it does not have a strong border wall.  In fact, the citizens of the Mexican city of Juarez, across the river, they regularly come across the border to shop in El Paso.  Many of those in the mass-shooting at the El Paso Wal-Mart, with its adjoining mall, they were Juarez Mexicans, shopping for school supplies and clothes for the coming school year.

At a makeshift memorial behind that El Paso Walmart, where 22 were fatally shot, people gathered yesterday to pray, to cry and to try to heal.  Many said Trump’s planned visit was an intrusion on the community’s efforts to process the tragedy and mourn the losses.

“Now’s not the time,” said David Nevarez, who describes himself as a veterans’ advocate. “We do not need a president that fans the flames of hate, anger and racism. There’s enough of that in this world already.”

Maxine Morales, who was born and raised in El Paso, brought her two children to the memorial. She said the president’s rhetoric about immigration and the border have caused deep wounds in the city.  “At this moment, I’m just filled with anger and frustration and sadness,” Morales said, her voice breaking. “My parents were immigrants. And they came here to better their lives and to make sure that we all had better lives. So that really hits home, and it hurts.”

Authorities think the suspect in the El Paso attack, who was a 21-year-old and who has been charged in the case, is the author of an online statement that denounced immigrants and warned of, using Trump’s own words, of a “Hispanic invasion” in Texas.

Trump has now denounced “racism, bigotry and white supremacy,” without acknowledging his own words which has at times warns of “an invasion” across the southern border.  In fact, Trump’s 2020 campaign has purchased over 2000 ads on Facebook where he has used the words of, “an invasion across the border”.  And this “Trump language” has been embraced by the far-right extremists.

The local US Rep. for El Paso, Veronica Escobar, has refused to attend the president’s visit, and she has called these trips as a prop for his disgusting statements about brown people.  She also stated that she has had Hispanic mothers come to her and tell the stories of how the local Hispanic children are afraid to go to school.  These are American born legal US citizens whose children are afraid to attend their own local schools.

In Dayton, residents are struggling with a mix of emotions including sorrow, confusion and rage as they sought to make sense of the event.  They are just now realizing that a gunman was able to kill nine people and injure dozens in less than 60 seconds.  

A young man, Dwayne Cargle stood outside the makeshift memorial where wilting flowers and the wax of melted candles covered the sidewalk.  He was shaking his head because two of his friends were in the hospital after being trampled inside a bar as the man had used an AR-15-type weapon with an 100-round magazines to fire on revelers in Dayton’s Oregon District.  “It don’t make no sense,” Cargle, said. “They try to blame it on everything else. They say it’s video games and all this other mess. It’s just hate, plain and simple.”

Jeffrey Fudge, whose brother Derrick was killed in the early-morning rampage, is calling for limits on the military-style weapon that was used to gun down his brother as he enjoyed a night out with his son.  “My nephew watched his father die in his arms,” he said. “I’m angry. I’m confused. I don’t think the nation will ever heal if this is the path we are going to take.”

Frustrated chants of, “Do something!” drowned out Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s remarks at a vigil in Dayton.  DeWine (R) has since announced proposals in Ohio aimed at curbing gun violence.

Trump should face a similar outpouring of frustration as he visits Dayton and El Paso.

Local leaders in El Paso and Dayton have said they would like the chance to speak with Trump directly for channeling the total frustration of their constituents.

“There’s a lot of anger out there,” said El Paso City representative Cissy Lizarraga.  She is just one of six Latinos on the eight-member city council, wearing black mourning clothes. “What we’re trying to do is to have a unified voice and to try to bring peace and calm in this situation, because that’s what’s going to help to heal our community.”  

Lizarraga said she has been deluged with phone calls and emails about the president’s visit, which many locals oppose.  “I am in mourning, mourning for my community, and unfortunately a lot of people think that the president is responsible for this,” she said.  She said she would welcome the opportunity to “look at the president in the eye so that he could see the pain that our community is suffering.”

Nan Whaley, the Dayton mayor, said she planned to meet with Trump and would “absolutely tell him how unhelpful he’s been.”  She has also called for the president to pursue gun-control measures, including a ban on the military-style weapons and high-capacity magazines used in the attacks.

But the president isn’t the only one that is being hit with these accusations.  Some Republicans are showing an openness to new gun restrictions. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who has so far refused to allow a vote on universal background checks, a bill passed by the House in February.  McConnell said that he was willing to work with the White House and Democratic lawmakers on legislation to address mass killings.

In Louisville, Ky., dozens of people seriously upset with McConnell’s inaction on gun control and other legislation held a protest late into the night outside his house. They banged on pots and drums, and at times even scraped shovels across a sidewalk to make some serious loud noise.

In Dayton, residents at unease with Trump, it was heightened after he misspoke during his nationally televised address on Monday and referred to the Dayton as “Toledo.”  This was said by, Carin Al-Hamdani, who has organized a protest during the president’s visit.

Carin, and Megan Baxter, the stay-at-home mother, started a GoFundMe account to pay for the 20-foot high “Baby Trump” balloon which was shipped from Chicago.  They quickly raised more than $2,000 for the balloon.  Hamdani, a lawyer, said someone volunteered to drive the balloon to Dayton for free, and that the money raised would be donated to victims of the shooting.

The Baby Trump balloon, which will be filled with air rather than helium, will be carrying a sign that says, “Welcome to Toledo Dayton! Don’t be a baby,  Stand up to the NRA.” You will notice that, the word “Toledo” is crossed out.

The balloon was shown on the news coverage this AM, and it is perfect for those that want to send a message without saying a word.  Trump truly is our “Baby President” and he continues to act as the Know-Nothing “Tweeter-in-Chief.”

Copyright G. Ater  2019