‘Refuse war’ of 2024: When politicians and comedians call people and places garbage | Opinion
A sad excuse for a comedian said Puerto Rico is a “floating island of garbage.” Donald Trump has said America is a trash can. America, he said, is “like a garbage can for the world.” In response, President Joe Biden said that it is Trump’s supporters who are garbage. Now we’re fighting over which side has a greater claim to be the offended party and quibbling over who meant something more nuanced while comparing people and places to trash.
Welcome to the refuse war of 2024, the dumbest moment of our election so far.
The problem with all these statements isn’t that they’re offensive. We spend too much time looking for things to offend us. The problem with these statements is that they’re wrong.
- Puerto Rico is a beautiful place where the scenery can be marred by the fact that it is also poor. That doesn’t mean it is garbage. It means we have work to do.
- America isn’t a trash can. For all our problems, some exacerbated by the foolish policies of the Biden-Harris administration, America brims with growth and opportunity and liberty. It remains a beacon for the world.
- Donald Trump’s supporters aren’t garbage. I spent a week talking to his most ardent backers in Milwaukee. They are friendly and nice — even to journalists — and they want what is best for the country they love.
The real problem has nothing to do with trash or garbage, the problem is that Joe Biden and Donald Trump are past their sell-by date — two men with fruit salad between their ears.
The geriatric duel we almost suffered through has been canceled. Fortunately only one of them is on the ballot in six days.
In a moving speech on the White House ellipse Tuesday night, Vice President Kamala Harris made clear that she doesn’t think Trump’s backers are garbage. She said she wants them to have a seat at the table where decisions are being made. She said she wants to talk through our disagreements and reach compromise.
That is what a president sounds like. This is what someone who wants to represent all the people sounds like — even those who vote against her. The rest of this debate is just garbage.
This story was originally published October 30, 2024 at 12:24 PM with the headline "‘Refuse war’ of 2024: When politicians and comedians call people and places garbage | Opinion."
