The Week That Was July 18, 2016

(Credit: Splitsider.com)

“That Was the Week That Was” was a BBC television show presented by David Frost in the 1960’s which parodied the news. In true British form, it was the kind of thing you’d like, if you’re into that kind of thing. 

The TV show created its own Brexit, of sorts, as ABC ran the Americanized version from 1963-64. I wonder what David Frost and friends would make of this week that was, July 2016.

We’ve just concluded the Republican National Convention in Cleveland that culminated in the crowning of a thrice-married businessman as that party’s nominee for the presidency of the United States in his first-ever political race. Surrounded by a cast of family members, each of whom in their own right could make a fair pitch for any public office in the land, Donald J. Trump has managed to fracture and forge alliances with factions in and out of the party. It’s going to be an interesting ride to November.

The Democrats’ national convention convenes next Tuesday in Philadelphia. Former first-lady and secretary of state Hillary Clinton is expected to be anointed that party’s choice to run against Donald Trump. 

In contrast to the RNC, where the families of victims of terrorism, foreign and domestic, addressed the convention, the Democrats are proposing to allow the family members of police shooting victims to speak at their convention, including  Lezley McSpadden, the mother of Michael Brown—the Ferguson, Mo. man who was shot by police when he lunged through the window of a patrol car for an officer’s gun. The “Hands Up Don’t Shoot” farce is based upon a false narrative of that encounter.

(Credit: popsugar.com)

One final contrast between the tales of two conventions: For Thursday night's introduction of her father, Ivanka Trump looked stunning in a $138 dress from her own design line, available on the rack at Macy’s and Nordstrom’s…as opposed to the outfit worn by Hillary Clinton in April for her “every woman” speech at the New York primary win—reportedly a Georgio Armani jacket with a MSRP of $12,485.

The week saw the 5^th Circuit Court strike down Texas’ Voter ID law, and a judge imposed a short deadline to fix it—solutions must be in place by the November general election. I will tell you that when the ruling came down, our own state senator, Paul Bettencourt was immediately on the phone barking orders to shore up the damage, and press ahead with corrections.
My solution: Purple Ink on index fingers…or a simple thumbprint.
This can’t be that hard.

The week ends with tragedy in Germany, as reports of multiple shooters at a Munich shopping mall targeted children, and were heard to shout, “Allah Akbar,” as they fired pistols into crowds in the mall and on the streets outside.  Wonder who's behind that?? At this hour, no one has been arrested, and the city is on lockdown.

The World is at War.
The enemy is radical Islamic extremist terrorism.
That was the week that was.