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BLACK HISTORY February 15, 2017 Opinion articles do not necessarily represent the views of the Portland Observer. We welcome reader essays, photos and story ideas. Submit to news@portlandobserver.com. MONTH Page 9 O PINION Alt-Right, Alt-Facts and Alternative Reality Lies can have monstrous, mortal costs t om l aurent President Trump has ushered in a new reality for America. His campaign showed us this reality is based on fake facts, untruths and his constant demeaning any per- son or group who challenges him. Truth for him is based on what- ever he says it is at that moment. During his three debates with Hil- lary Clinton, about 60 percent of his facts were false as analyzed by factcheck.org compared to 28 per- cent for Clinton. Trump is an ego-maniac—he has a narcissistic personality, in- by tensely focused on himself as the apex—everyone worth anything follows him with utter loyalty or they are thrown under the bus. Trump’s ego demands that he ap- pear better than everyone else in everything he does. His Electoral College win couldn’t be average. It had to be great, thus his fake landslide win. Trump got 56.9 percent of the Electoral College votes. This is not a landslide. This ranks him 46th out of 58 campaign winners dating back to George Washington (factcheck.org). Trump claims he won the popular vote if you de- duct the millions of people who voted illegally without showing any supporting evidence. His inauguration even becomes a competition with past presidents. Coming in second in anything he does is unacceptable to him, so he forces reality into his imagined box and demands that we all see the world through his lying eyes rather than our own. Does he be- lieve his own lies? Perhaps, which if true, makes him insane. If not, it means he is deceitful. What a choice. Trump’s narcissistic personal- ity means that anyone question- ing his statements and use of fake facts are threats to his power and dominance. He has to protect his self-image that will probably be “I am the greatest president ever.” His speeches, his tweets, and, by extension, his press secretary and other Trump spokespeople, are so blotted with these erroneous claims that it’s overwhelming. The press and other media are the only ones he cannot control and who have the power to de- flate his image. His media strategy is similar to Putin’s, which is to make them irrelevant. He is try- ing to convince his supporters that you cannot trust the press and oth- er media because they are biased against him. This is why he has been attacking the media calling them “dishonest” and even calling fact checkers “dishonest scum” (factcheck.org). He believes the media cannot accept his presiden- cy and their goal is to delegitimize his presidency just as Trump tried to delegitimize Obama’s presiden- cy by his birther scam. Once Trump minimizes the influ- ence the media has, he then controls the truth. This is where alternative facts play their role for Trump. This is what dictators do—lie, bully, name-call, and badger. We are go- ing to experience a Trump-style dic- tatorship where his alternative facts are truth and real truths are lies for the next four years. Why should we be concerned about this? Our invasion of Iraq in 2003 and subsequent deaths (4,497) and injuries (32,021) to American soldiers and 100,000 to 600,000 Iraqis and costing $2 tril- lion was the result of alternative facts. Lies can have monstrous, mortal costs. Can we face him down and limit the potential dam- ages? It is up to all of us. Tom Laurent offers this com- mentary via PeaceVoice. He is a retired soil scientist of 33 years with the U.S. Forest Service. New Justice Must Bring Independence to the Court A check on executive and legislative power m arc h. m orial “Looming over this moment is the fact that the current Supreme Court vacancy is the result of more than 300 days of tremendous po- litical obstruction that has undermined the integrity of the Court as an in- stitution. Thus, any new Justice must be someone who will restore the standing of the Court, while bringing true independence to the role.” -- Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the na- tional Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. The United States Supreme Court has played an important role in the progress of the Civil Rights Movement. The executive and leg- islative branches of government have, at times, had to be prodded toward active reform of racial jus- tice. It is the most vulnerable in our society who have the most to gain or lose by any change in the direc- tion of the Supreme Court. That’s why when the new President re- cently announced his nomination of Neil Gorsuch to the court, I vowed that the National Urban League would conduct a thorough review of Gorsuch’s judicial record and public statements to determine whether he is fit to serve on the na- tion’s highest court. How might he be expected to decide in a case of such monu- by mental significance as Brown or Loving? At first glance, I have concerns about Gorsuch’s ap- parent judicial extremism and his criticism of those who have sought advancement of individual rights through the courts. Gorsuch has consistent- ly ruled against the rights of workers and consumers who were harmed by em- ployers and corporations, and against disabled stu- dents pursuing their right to a meaningful education. He has ruled against the rights of workers and consumers who were harmed by employers and cor- porations, and against disabled students pursuing their right to a meaningful education. I was especially alarmed by Gorsuch’s ruling in an excessive force claim in which a police used a stun gun to kill a young man suspected of growing marijuana. Gorsuch said the use of force was justified even though “the crime of which he was suspected was not itself a violent one, he was likely our Founding Fathers, said “There is as yet no liberty if the power of judging be not separated from legislative power and the execu- tive power.” To ensure liberty, we It is the most vulnerable in our society who have the most to gain or lose by any change in the direction of the Supreme Court. That’s why when the new President recently announced his nomination of Neil Gorsuch to the court, I vowed that the National Urban League would conduct a thorough review of Gorsuch’s judicial record and public statements to determine whether he is fit to serve on the nation’s highest court. to be apprehended eventually and he hadn’t harmed anyone yet.” The Supreme Court’s function is to serve as a check on the power of Congress and the President. With Providing Insurance and Financial Services Home Office, Bloomington, Illinois 61710 Ernest J. Hill, Jr. Agent 4946 N. Vancouver Avenue, Portland, OR 97217 503 286 1103 Fax 503 286 1146 ernie.hill.h5mb@statefarm.com 24 Hour Good Neighbor Service R State Farm R the current President’s proclivity for authoritarianism, this responsibility is graver than at any time in mod- ern history. Does Gorsuch have the integrity to stand up to the man who appointed him, as circumstances are almost surely to require? The Enlightenment Age po- litical philosopher Montesquieu, whose work heavily influenced must determine whether Gorsuch can be independent. Marc H. Morial is president and chief executive officer of the National Urban League. The Law Offices of Patrick John Sweeney, P.C. Patrick John Sweeney Attorney at Law 1549 SE Ladd, Portland, Oregon Portland: Hillsboro: Facsimile: Email: (503) 244-2080 (503) 244-2081 (503) 244-2084 Sweeney@PDXLawyer.com