People Are Saying. . .

President Donald Trump?  It could happen.  He is now way ahead of his rivals, Ted Cruz, and John Kasich, for the Republican nomination.  Party leaders’ desperate plans to stop Trump at the Convention in July seem doomed, and Trump predicts (promises?) that his supporters will riot if he is denied the nomination.  Some Republicans are preparing for a third party challenge, but there is little time for organizing one.

The New York Daily News headline, “Donald Trump is Hitler” captured the sentiment of many people even in his own party.  According to Conan Obrien’s interview with Der Fuhrer, Hitler hates being compared to the Donald [Check it out on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DcrmnRijTQ%5D.  The two do share some things in common, including violence at political rallies, a “pledge” that looks like a Nazi salute, megalomaniac paranoia, and fear-mongering.  Trump has been called the most divisive person in America.  This is not really true.  He has brought Democrats, rational Republicans, and late night comedians together with something to agree on.

On the other side of the universe:  Bernie Sanders for a short time looked like he had a chance to win the Democratic nomination after his big win in Michigan a week ago, but losses to Hillary last Tuesday in five primary states make it unlikely he will catch up to Hillary in the fight for delegates.  Nevertheless, his bright spotlight on social inequality will have a big influence shaping the election this November.

March Madness prediction:  The University of Connecticut Huskies will win the NCAA title this year.  Breanna Stewart has led the Huskies basketball team to a 69-game winning streak.  She has led the women’s field with a total (so far) of 2,554 points in her college career.  On the men’s side the winner this year will not be the Northern Iowa Panthers who blew a 12 point lead with forty four seconds in the game against the Texas A&M Aggies.  The greatest collapse in the history of the NCAA tournament.  And it will not be Michigan State (#2) who lost in the first round to the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (#15).  It just goes to show, anything can happen, and it usually does.

Terrorists attacked Paris on November 13, last year.  On that day, Salah Abdeslam, (according to sources) drove a black Volkswagen Polo to a rock concert in Paris where the Eagles of Death Metal were in the middle of their set.  Three men got out of the car and entered the theater shooting AKM assault rifles into the crowd of 1500 people.  When police arrived the men detonated suicide vests.  Eighty-nine people were killed.  Two other teams of terrorists shot machine guns into crowds of people who were enjoying the unusually warm weather that night at outdoor restaurants, killing a total of one hundred and thirty people.  After a massive manhunt, Salah Abdeslam, after a gun battle in which he was shot in the leg, was captured Friday by Police in Belgium.

If Republicans in the Senate have their say (and they probably will), Merrick Garland is not going to be a Supreme Court Justice anytime soon.  The Republicans continue to do what they have pledged themselves to do for the last seven years – – block any thing that President Obama proposes.  I have a two-year old nephew whose answer to every question is “no.”  But he will grow up some day.

What is the scariest thing that threatens the future of humanity?  Is it Isis, the terrorist organization that has taken over large areas in the Middle East?  Is it Kim Jong-Un of North Korea, who threatens to launch a nuclear attack on New York City?  Is it the Chinese military buildup on the island they are creating in the South China Sea?  Is it global warming?  Or is it the F on your midterm grade in English?

A five dollar gift certificate to the SU bookstore will be given to the first SU student who responds either positively or negatively to anything printed here.  If it seems appropriate, his/her remarks will be included in a subsequent posting.  Respond to aboulton@stevenson.edu