Leftists gang up on Trump's 'Animals'

It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt. You've heard it before, and it still rings true. You're playing games, media. You're toying with people's emotions with your faux outrage over your fake news. All along, you knew good and well President Trump was not speaking about all immigrants when he used the term "animals" to describe MS-13 gang members -- and if you didn't, it's because you're too blinded by hate to see -- or hear -- clearly.

Of course, the other anti-Trump operation also jumped on the wagon to paint the picture of a racist president. Several Democrat lawmakers were all too happy to bash him. Nancy Pelosi, of course, did the most theatrical honors.

"When the President of the United States says about undocumented immigrants, 'These aren't people; these are animals,' you have to wonder: Does he not believe in the spark of divinity -- the dignity and worth of every person? 'These are not people; these are animals' -- from the President of the United States."

Please. Enough. Just stop lying. And if you must lie to yourself, have enough respect for the American people you claim to serve to stop lying to us and pushing our buttons. One of these days, someone is going to get hurt because you chose to use immigrants in your sick game -- immigrants, blacks, Hispanics, homosexuals, women. ... Am I leaving any group out that you regularly exploit to vote-pimp?

Furthermore, do we really need you lecturing us about "divinity," "dignity," and "the worth of every person," Pelosi? The same person who cannot find enough "divinity," "dignity," and "worth" in the unborn to defend their lives, whose political party sides with unrestricted abortion, who calls Republicans "terrorists" is preaching to us a sermon entitled "We are all God's children"? Sorry, but I cannot take you seriously.

This is politics, I realize -- the blood sport. But it comes at a higher price than a championship ring to wear or trophy to hoist. Leading immigrants to think the U.S. president called them animals truly is the lowest of low. Allowing others who inexplicably take your word as law to think such a thing is despicable.

The president's comments Wednesday came in direct response to Sheriff Margaret Mims of Fresno County, California, who explained how California's "sanctuary city" laws basically rendered her ineffective. "There could be an MS-13 gang member I know about," she said, "If they don't reach a certain threshold, I cannot tell ICE about them."

Trump responded, "You wouldn't believe how bad these people are. These aren't people; these are animals, and we're taking them out of the country at a level and at a rate that's never happened before."

Salivating like animals themselves, the anti-Trump posse gladly took to Twitter, television and their tee-offs, no doubt, to discuss Exhibit Z in their stockpile of "gotcha games" against the president. They were wrong again -- and obviously so. I mean, Trump is brazen, but he'd have to be downright stupid to have made such a blanket comment about all immigrants. Say what you want about him; he's many things, but stupid is not one of them. Truth be told, whether you think he's so stupid that he actually would make such a statement about all immigrants, the bottom line is he did not. He spoke of MS-13 gang members and used that metaphor to describe them. And if you think he should have called them "angels" rather than "animals," you need more help than I can give you. Press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders put it this way: "Frankly, I don't think the term the president used is strong enough." That term, she reiterated, was applied to gang members.

So outlets like CNN and the Associated Press backtracked and admitted they put the cart before another animal -- the horse. But the seeds of further discord were already sown, anger already kindled and the media had already -- again -- shown themselves to be unhinged where Trump is concerned.

The week was filled with "Yanny" vs. "Laurel" debates, with some people hearing one word and others hearing the other. (By the way, I hear "Laurel" -- and I'm correct!) As heated as those discussions became, we know people truly heard whatever they heard, even if we can only speculate why. Fun and games, and no one got hurt. But the game of lying about something you obviously heard but chose to distort is dangerous. The country is already walking on tenterhooks, people are ever-poised to protest and threats are a dime a dozen. Clearly, we are a divided people. Thus, it won't take much to ignite the flames of rage and possibly violence. So I implore the anti-Trump troops to halt their dangerous games, which yield no winners.

Adrienne Ross is owner of Adrienne Ross Communications and a former Southeast Missourian editorial board member. Contact her at aross@semissourian.com.