Juanita’s Perspectives: Some Words Said Are Just So Outright Remarkably Dumb and Stupid

By Juanita Bratcher

Publisher & CEO of CopyLine Magazine

Some words said are just so outright remarkably dumb and stupid that all you can do is shake your head in disbelief and wonder seriously about the mindset of the person making the statement. Take for instance, one of the dumbest statements, in my opinion, was made in an article that appeared on Examiner.com’s website, reportedly made by Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-Grantville).

According to the article, ”GOP Rep. calls Obama an ‘enemy’ of the United States,” written by Robert Sobel, Westmoreland was quoted as saying: “I think our enemy stands on 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.”

The Examiner article stated: “Speaking to a crowd at the Cobb County Republican breakfast, The Huffington Post reported on Monday that Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-Grantville) spoke about the investigation of the attacks at the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, the recent rise of the terrorist group ISIS in Iraq and Syria and how the White House has handled each situation. “I think our enemy stands on 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.,” Westmoreland stated to a thunderous applause from the crowd at hand. The crowd on hand also broke out in laughter when Westmoreland referred to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid as “ruthless and senile.”

Such a statement made by Westmoreland, or anyone else for that matter, is disgusting and disrespectful of the President and the Office of the Presidency. How dare one calls the president an enemy when they know it’s an outright lie before the words part their lips.

Some things are better left unsaid. There’s a saying by Mark Twain: “It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.”

Content in Wikipedia stated that this isn’t the first time Rep. Lynn Westmoreland has used controversial language in describing the president. Back in 2008, The Los Angeles Times reported that Westmoreland called President Obama and First Lady Michelle “uppity,” a word that has a deep racial history. The congressman reportedly back-tracked on his statements, claiming he didn’t understand the historical context.

Westmoreland, who was first elected in 2004, is running for re-election in the November 4, 2014 general election. He won the primary election on May 20, 2014.

According to Wikipedia, Westmoreland, a Georgia Republican, has no degree beyond a high school diploma.

Wikipedia: “He grew up in metro Atlanta. He has no degree beyond a high school diploma. He attended Georgia State University, but dropped out to work in a family construction business in which he later became an executive.”

It also stated that Westmoreland led a group of congressmen who opposed the 2006 renewal of certain provisions in the Voting Rights Act that require nine Southern states and a number of counties (mostly in the South) to obtain Federal permission for certain changes to election law or changes in venue. Westmoreland and his colleagues claimed that it was no longer fair to target their states, given the passage of time since 1965 and the changes their states had made to provide fair elections and voting. Despite Westmoreland’s objections, a strong bipartisan majority renewed the Voting Rights Act for another 25 years without changes.^[10]

Did the Georgia Republican ”made-up lie” give red meat to his supporters? Or was it just another way to try and suck-up attention?

One thing’s for sure, though, Westmoreland’s statement was so outright remarkably dumb and stupid.

Juanita Bratcher is an Award-Winning Journalist, the Publisher of www.copylinemagazine.com and the author of several books, songwriter and poet. She has been a Journalist for more than 38 years covering politics, education and a wide-range of other topics.