Say Their Names

Say her name. Say his name. Aja Romano (I've said her name) of Vox has explained

After all-too-common acts of police brutality against Black women, the hashtag #SayHerName” now peppers social media timelines. The phrase, codified in 2014 through Kimberlé Crenshaw’s Say Her Name campaign, serves as a long-standing reminder that Black women are often erased as victims of police violence. Following the March 13 shooting death of 26-year-old EMT Breonna Taylor by Louisville police while she slept unarmed in her bed, that’s exactly what her family wanted: for the world to remember her story and know her name.

Arizona Republican senator Martha McSally, 3-4 weeks away from losing her seat to Democrat Mark Kelly, won't say the name of the most important (and evil) man in America.

AZ Republican won’t say “Trump” during debate https://t.co/5LkaiJnt5q

— Eric Boehlert (@EricBoehlert) October 7, 2020

It's difficult to utter the name "Trump" or "Donald Trump" or even "President Trump." Nancy Pelosi will, Joe Biden less often, and Democrats' most beloved family finds it even more difficult. Barack Obama has avoided it whenever possible and now, in an otherwise excellent speech, so has his wife.  One of the highlights was

Only a tiny fraction of demonstrations have had any violence at all. So, what the president is doing is, once again, patently false. It’s morally wrong and yes, it is racist, but that doesn’t mean it won’t work.

 But the lowlight was that while Mrs. Obama mentioned "the President" or "the President's" in reference to Donald Trump twelve times, she did not say the name at all. She did not utter the words "Donald Trump."

It's disingenuous to contend "we all know who Michelle was talking about." Viewers knew also whom Martha McSally was talking about and we know when talking of violence by police against black women, Breonna Taylor is Exhibit A.

However, the words on the back of the jerseys of some NBA players read "SAY THEIR NAMES." If asked, they'd first say "Breonna Taylor."  And for both supporters and opponents of this President, it should be Donald Trump, at least two or three times in the space of twelve references. Mentioning "Donald Trump" isn't illegal and- unless he is still President in, say, nine months from now- it never will be.

 

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