What If Trump Was Black???

By Tina Valin

I was wondering if Trump had been born as an African-American male - would he be any different than he is as a white man today - and if so in what ways?

First of all, the rules of this pretend game are: Trump's parents also have to vaguely start out in a similar fashion to their real histories: Father Fred was born in the United States and worked as a carpenter. Mother Mary was a Scottish immigrant who attained employment as a domestic servant in the States and then became a naturalized citizen. Now the fun begins!

I would suspect that Freddie struggled to find steady work that paid a living wage to an African-American skilled laborer in the early 1920s, even though his abilities were far superior to the whites applying for the same jobs. Trump's daddy had a super strong work ethic and did whatever it took to survive during the most challenging of times. Fred felt that his potential employers denied him work solely based upon seeing his skin color. As a clear victim of racism - he despised all aspects of it and was tired of waiting for Civil Rights Legislation to pass. Fred aspired to start his own construction business but couldn't obtain a bank loan. These blatant acts of discrimination sickened him and in his spare time got involved in community activism.

Mary never gave up her love for America, even though she had a hard time juggling the bills to keep her five kids clothed, fed, schooled, and healthy. As a Black woman and an immigrant, it made her feel doubly threatened in a country that poked fun at her thick Scottish accent, and looked down on her class status. People wondered why she ever bothered to come live in the United States and told her she wasn't welcome here. Her children were bullied daily in school. Donald was the only one who dared to fight back.

The young Donald was rebellious and wouldn't mind his mom. His father tried to talk some sense into him but it became increasingly more and more obvious that his son seemed to have emotional problems. What were they to do with their difficult child? Their Minister suggested that the boy take his aggressive behavior out on a ball and encouraged the Trumps to get Donald interested in sports. This worked for a short time as long as Donald was winning. The teenager quickly became overly-obsessed with winning and would have temper tantrums when his team lost a game. Eventually Donald started acting out in dangerous ways. He would go over to the winning team's houses to break some windows and deflate car tires. Fred and Mary were at their wit's end with him and made an appointment to take Donald to see a psychiatrist.

Unfortunately, that intervention wasn't to be. The police had caught their son in the act of trespassing on a white person's property and nearly cracked his head open with a baton beating. He was then lugged off to juvenile court and sentenced to finish his high school years in a sadistic Reform School. Life there was almost unbearable for him. Donald swore to himself that he would survive the brutality and go on to have his sweet revenge on all the kids and grown-ups who treated him badly. When he was finally released, Trump had aged beyond his 18 years and hit the streets seeking ways to get rich. He knew that power was born from wealth. Donald lost respect for his father because he felt he let white guys take advantage of him. He admired the strong-arm tactics of the Italian Mafia and offered them his tough-guy services. Donald made a good impression and was hired to collect the rents from their Black impoverished tenants.

This entry level job didn't satisfy Donald's grand ambitions. He asked his good fella to be promoted to another position where he could show off his winning talents and was so convincing in their meeting that he was assigned to a busy street corner with the objective of pushing drugs to vulnerable Black kids in Harlem. Donald enjoyed doing this sales-oriented job a great deal and in a matter of months he started to make more money than his father. His rationalization for selling drugs to children was that they were going to buy them anyway so why not buy them from him?

The police precinct Captain got wind of a cocky Black young man who refused to split his profits with the corrupt white cops on the beat and had his ass hauled in to jail - a real jail. Fred hired an attorney who did his best to compassionately plea on Donald's behalf - beseeching the Judge that he was really a good kid who never caught a break and had chronic mental health issues that went untreated. Despite his efforts at asking for leniency and understanding, Donald was convicted of selling narcotics to minors. He went on to serving three years in the state pen. The time he spent there was even more brutal than his days at Reform School. He was raped on several occasions while guards watched on and jeered him. Donald's answer to abuse and injustice was to bulk up and become a formidable boxer. After awhile, he evolved into being the one to fear on the yard. Thanks to a prison reform program, Donald managed to learn a trade there. When he finally walked out of the gates of hell, a liberal give-a-con-a-second-chance organization came to his aid and found him work as a baker in a large New York City hotel.

Donald never got into trouble again. He fell in love and married a Mexican undocumented worker named Maria, who also was employed at the same hotel working in Housekeeping and they had five children together. Donald figured out clever ways to commandeer hotel deliveries and acquired the world's largest collection of hotel soaps, shampoos, lotions, mini-bar supplies, and linens. His stash allowed him to earn a little extra money on the side that he put towards his kids' education. He felt he wasn't committing a crime since his salary was less than what the white workers received and he was being ripped-off by a bigoted management. By the time Donald celebrated his 45th birthday, a nice Jewish couple who donated to the school his children attended, offered to help him open up his own bakery. He accepted their generous offer. The bakery, Trumps, became a hit in the Murray Hill section of Manhattan, well located near Grand Central Terminal.

Donald and his wife, supported their local Democratic Club in Brooklyn and helped campaign for progressive Black and minority candidates. Over the years, through thick and thin, Donald never lost his passion for winning. All of the candidates they tirelessly worked for were eventually elected to office. Donald went on to co-author a best-selling book called, The Art of the Steal (or how I learned to survive in a rigged and racist White America).

Donald's children all graduated from college and became teachers, lawyers, and a doctor. He dedicated his book to the Psychologist who gave him free treatment for his ADHD, Narcissism Disorder, and vengeful behavior. Donald donates a significant percentage of his earnings from his book to the ACLU, a variety of Gay Rights organizations because his eldest son and daughter are gay, and also contributes to the NAACP, National Urban League, NPR, PETA, and Planned Parenthood. He considers Barack Obama to be the greatest American President ever.

Fred and Mary lived long enough to be very proud of how Donald turned out. They credit his wife, Maria, with giving Donald unconditional love, the kindness and generosity of strangers, and support from professionals who had the expertise to show their son that there is another path in life - a path that leads to peace. Donald's favorite saying is credited to Obama - "Keep hope alive." He makes a point of repeating it to every person he meets in his bakery, sits next to on the subway, or passes on the street.

The Heat Is On
The Inconvenient Sequel

By Tina Valin

I went to see Al Gore's new documentary, AN INCONVENIENT SEQUEL: TRUTH TO POWER, on Saturday, in Los Angeles. Following the screening, the man who was denied the presidency and his co-directors, Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk, were present to engage in a lively discussion with moderator, Pete Hammond. I was glad to attend this event and have a reprieve from constant Trump concerns only to quickly realize that I was momentarily being delusional. Trump's reach invades every corner of inner and outer space - from groping unsuspecting pussies to destroying the world.

The film is a must-see! A lot of people say shit like that. But I mean it. So, if you value breathing - or at the very least want planet Earth to live on for future generations, this follow-up to An Inconvenient Truth will re-charge your eco-friendly batteries. Al Gore is the star of this movie. Never thought of Al Gore as a star before? Well, please trust me on this, he is indeed a STAR and I mean that in the best possible sense. His screen presence demands attention. He is able to elicit a wide gamut of emotions even in the most jaded amongst us (I fit solidly into that characterization). As in the best screen story - you will root for good ole Al to succeed from beginning to end. He'll make you laugh and get you choked up. And at times you will find it impossible not to put your hands together and applaud him. At a few key plot points you will also cheer this fearless fighter of climate deniers. Al plays the role of hero extremely well. However, he isn't playing at it.  The cherry on the top of this important film is that it is all both brilliantly and horrifyingly real. The filmmakers are able to juggle a lot of balls in the air and never drop them. 

Cohen and Shenk approached this update of previously mined subject matter as if it was NOT a science-driven documentary.  This innovative sequel feels more like a biopic without the boring baggage. You get to see what it takes to tackle a global climate crisis head-on through Al's determined never give-up demeanor. This is one stubborn son-of-a-politician! There's even a dog in the film which helps paint this Nobel Prize Winner Ex-VP as the beloved boy-next-door who grew up to be a leader of the free world. Somehow these talented directors created a feel-good movie about the most depressing problem plaguing humanity. That's an impressive accomplishment! The challenges of climate change can only be thwarted if people believe it's not a lost cause. 

Heat, is treated as an actual character in the film. Heat is Al's nemesis and it's not only gaining on him - it's gaining on all of us. The film depicts this extraordinarily well. I already have recurring nightmares where I am literally flooded by the threats of high tides and tsunamis drowning me. I'm constantly running away from water-water everywhere to seek the refuge of higher ground. I wake up exhausted in the middle of the night relieved to discover I'm not floating out to sea clinging onto my side-sleeper support pillow. After watching this film, I just might need to bed down in a life raft.

The two areas that affect global warming that are not dealt with in the film are veganism/vegetarianism and population growth. I suppose a case can be made that climate change deniers have a hard enough time admitting that fossil fuels are the root cause of pollution and are increasing the Earth's heat index and are causing ice to melt and weather conditions that warm the oceans and and and...Perhaps if Gore dwelled on other factors that make even liberals shudder he would be facing increased resistance. I would prefer to hit the nail on the head instead of missing every couple of attempts and bludgeoning my thumb. By ignoring these two key factors that don't cost anything to do and have an immediate impact on climate change is stupid. We don't have time to waste here. Sure - renewable energy sources are the foundations to build a clean everlasting world and I wholeheartedly support them - but they will not alone cure the problems of Mother Earth.

Speaking of mothers - moms and future moms will need to reassess what they value more - a healthy environment - or adding to the destruction of the planet. Yes - having children is a selfish decision. It's wonderful to have a big family to romp around with but there is a huge environmental price to be paid for it. Clean water is scarce. Top soil for growing crops is disappearing into the wind. Technology can manage some of the causes of pollution if and only if there isn't continued non-stop population growth. Let's be honest. We are in this mess because there's too many humans constantly harming the planet. Some people gasp at the mere suggestion of curbing the population. How dare the government tell me how many children to have! I'm recommending a gentle approach to educating people about the necessity to re-think their family planning goals. Right now, families receive tax benefits for being larger polluters than childless families. How about offering tax benefits for not having children and pro-rated tax relief for having less than two kids? Wouldn't that be fair? Something has to be done soon or the planet is a goner. This isn't propagation as usual.

Changing your eating habits should also be on the table - pun intended! Let's teach kids about the benefits of vegetarianism and veganism. Recycling their soda cans and water bottles is commendable - passing on eating a slab of meat is equally important. The methane gas expelled from cows is twenty-one times more potent at trapping the Sun's heat than Co2. Cow manure is also a huge contributor of methane gas. The most effective solution to keeping the lid on increasing temperatures that destroys humans, animals, crops, shelter, and water supplies - is to stop eating meat - like today! It's not that hard to do. I did it and I've got very little self-discipline. It just made sense and today there are so many great veggie fake-meaty options you will hardly miss it. Give it a whirl! Cheat once in a blue moon if you have to. I won't rat you out. Overall, by drastically reducing your meat habit you will be doing more for the environment than you ever thought possible. 

I hope Gore does a third documentary and finds a way to deal with these other tools I mentioned above to curtail climate change. I encourage him to do so. As people gain more knowledge about how to win back a healthy planet with a total whole picture personalized strategy - they will embrace the ideas that they might be pushing back on now. Knowledge is everything!

I don't know about you - but I don't relish the thought of dying because I melted from the extreme heat. Please help get the word out on supporting An Inconvenient Sequel! We're all trapped in this sweat-lodge together. Let's find a way out!

STREAM IN THE NEW YEAR WITH SHANRA J. KEHL’S
AWARD-WINNING ROM-COM “THE MORNING AFTER”

Filmmaker Shanra J. Kehl is riding high on her directorial debut “The Morning After” that earned her the Spirit of Independents Award at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival earlier this year.

Since it’s debut in 2015, “The Morning After” has picked up awards at over a dozen festivals, including Tenerife International Film Festival (Best Film and Best Original Screenplay), Cape Fear International Film Festival (Best Screenplay and Best Female Director), Mexico International Film Festival (Best Romantic Comedy), and the Best Feature Producer award at last year’s LA Femme International Film Festival. It was also screened at Cannes this year at the Palais and Gray Screens to standing room only crowds.

Earlier this year, Shanra cut a sales deal with Princ Films who sold the film to the German filmgoing audiences and HBO Europe. It was also picked up by HBO East and is currently available on Amazon Prime, Apple TV and Fandango NOW in the US.

The Morning After extended trailer from The Morning After on Vimeo.

After Shanra graduated from Columbia College Chicago with a B.A. in Cinematography, she pursued a career shooting independent films, TV shows and documentaries. But after ten years behind the camera, she realized she wanted to create storylines as much as she wanted to shoot them. Her first short was ”Manscaping”, a mockumentary that was ultimately picked up for distribution by Shorts International.

“The Morning After” is an homage to the classic rom-coms that celebrate love, loss and regret, in a series of eight vignettes about that awkward moment when you wake up next to someone the next morning and wonder do you stay or do you go?

From a youth hostel roll-in-the-hay to a saucy menage-a-trois, all the characters in “The Morning After” discover that love - good or bad - can profoundly change your life forever! “The Morning After” is a great film to help shake off any holiday blues!