When in Boston, overseas, and Maryland, folks would ask me why I cursed so much.  I would explain that I'm from Philly and this is just the way we talk.  I would joke, "I've been cursed out by nuns in Philly," which is sorta of a true story.  Now that I'm back home, I love being in a business meeting and f-bombs randomly dropped with people you may not know that well.  This is part of the working class culture of the city.  I embrace it.  As such, I know I may not be the best judge about profanity.  Cussing doesn't phase me in the least and I have been known to use colorful language as my manner of speaking. 

When the news broke that one of the powerful new women of color in Congress was quoted as wanting to Impeach the Motherfucker in reference to Donald Trump, the inevitable media outrage followed.  Most of this is manufactured as folks on both sides of the aisle have at least one point thought to themselves through his awful campaign and Presidency, "This motherfucker is saying/tweeting/doing what now?"  Admit it.  You have. I think I have multiple times a week.  

So now we have an elected official who is saying out loud what most folks have thought to themselves and probably said to a colleague, friend, or family member.  Trump has been the most base, uncivil person in perhaps all of American political history.  This is a man who rose to political prominence by questioning the citizenship of our first African American President. Whether bragging about his hands and penis size at a Republican debate or demeaning Megan Kelley by suggesting that she was on her period, from the very beginning of the campaign, Trump has said completely awful things demeaning and dehumanizing anyone who confronts him or anyone else.  His tweetstorms attack allies, American war heroes, and anyone else who dare to challenge Trump or his policies.  The man has zero moral compass and we are all along for his ride of assuaging his ego through any means necessary.  More often than not, he must demean others to make himself feel better like the insecure bully you tried to stay away from in Middle School.  

I can tell you this.  I don't think we need to direct any ire at a newly elected woman of color representative expressing her righteous outrage after having lived through the Trump campaign and Presidency thus far.  We should be angry and we should now be in full confrontation mode with a want to be autocrat.  Cursing is absolutely nothing compared to the profaning of this country's institutions and alliances.  Lest we forget here are a few times where we have been both dismayed for our country and angered at Trump's behavior and his policies:

• During the campaign, we learned that Trump bragged about sexually assaulting women.  A dozen and half women have come forward as victims of his sexual assaults.
• He offered a racist view that a Latino judge could not do his job impartially because of his ethnicity.  
• He attempted to ban Muslims from entering the country.  
• He assured us there were good people amongst the Neo-Nazis and white supremacists who rallied in Charlottesville and ended up killing a young woman.  
• He separated children from their families for crossing the border and put children in detention centers.  
• His policies have led to the deaths of two children in custody.
• He teargassed immigrant women and children, for a second time in the last week.
• He attacks our allies and the alliances that the United States built to protect itself and make the world safe.
• He coddles and celebrates dictators like Putin in Russia and Duterte of the Philippines. 
• He lies multiple times a day undermining the basic trust the American people have in their government. 
• And so on...I'm sure you could add your own examples of abhorrent behavior from Trump.  

This shit is profane, immoral, and undermines the character our country.  Cursing at such evil does not undermine or make us any less civil.  In fact, refusing to accept and normalize Trump is part of what is required to taking back the country.  Civility is on hiatus until this awful person and his policies are challenged around every turn.  And yes, eventually we are going to have to remove him from office, whether through impeachment or at the ballot box.   

These newly-elected women to Congress did not come to play.  They came to challenge, to agitate, and to win.  Don't waste your energy being upset about a curse word.  Celebrate the righteous anger and the fact we now have folks who understand the fight we are in.  We should be keeping up the fight against normalizing anything about Trump, his sexism, his racism, his xenophobia, and his policies that reflect those abhorrent views.  

#Politics #RashidaTlaib #trump #impeachtrump #ImpeachTheMF #racism #racialjustice