The President Responds To The Kobe Tragedy

[Initech]

Link to tweet

[Kurt V.]

1. ...

[denbot]

2. A heartfelt statement from a real president.

The contrast is light years beyond “black and white”.

[Initech]

5. Compare that to Chump's statement, he couldn't even get the facts right.

Link to tweet

[djacq]

9. Lame.

For someone who has the finest Intelligence Community at his reach, he can't even get the facts right. I guess the so called "fake news" CNN and MSNBC will have to clean up his lack of knowledge.

Compared to a real POTUS (Thank you Obama), Orange Slice lacks any empathy and sincerity.



Rest in Peace Kobe and Gianna.

[djacq]

38. KOBE BRYANT SAYS TRUMP CAN'T MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN;

https://www.newsweek.com/kobe-trump-maga-670067

[arthritisR_US]

60. He was not wrong!

[aeromanKC]

11. You'd think The President would have access to accurate information

Last edited Sun Jan 26, 2020, 07:49 PM - Edit history (1)

3 others? IMPOTUS is an embarrassment to the office and country!!

[Initech]

29. Yeah he considers the Daily Caller, Infowars and the Washington Times "news".

And some guy with a Twitter account posting conspiracy theories from his mom's basement.

[madaboutharry]

19. Donald Trump is a sociopath.

He has no capacity for empathy. He does not process the meaning of loss.

[Archae]

53. To be quite honest, (I know, it doesn't apply to Trump most of the time,)

At nearly 3 pm Eastern, a couple news services reported 3 had been killed, along with Kobe.

Just giving Trump the benefit of a doubt here.

I know Trump would never give us the benefit of a doubt, but I will.

[tclambert]

56. You know if you criticize his accuracy, he'll take his sharpie to some news report

and try to make an 8 into a 3. Because THAT is what is important to him.

[oldsoftie]

62. The initial report I saw from NBC news and others did say "3 others killed".

It wasnt until much later that i heard the rest.
As usual, initial reports often end up being wrong.

[cornball 24]

3. We need you BAraCK!!

[AdamGG]

16. He's the best argument against the 22nd amendment ever

[denem]

58. Four times the convention / amendment ruling out a third term

has proved to be a disaster for the country.

Grant 1876
TR 2008
Clinton 2000
Obama 2016

The one third term on record - FDR 1940, was our finest hour.

12 years is not asking too much.

[calimary]

32. We sure do!

Especially at times like this.

[dware]

4. President Obama is such a classy man,

unlike the criminal Mango Menace in the WH now.

[Takket]

6. a response as sincere and classy as the man that wrote it........

i assume drumpf will respond with something equally heartfelt any time now

[malaise]

7. Is the Con still playing golf?

Not that anything he says matters

[Fritz Walter]

10. Nope!

he’s in a McNugget-induced coma by now.
Twittler-storm to resume in 8 hours. Give-or-take.

[malaise]

12. Give him more and add chocolate cake with two scoops

make that three scoops

[AZ8theist]

33. Please add polonium sprinkles...

[keithbvadu2]

45. Drumpf is safe from polonium sprinkles for now.

Drumpf is safe from polonium sprinkles for now.

Once out of office, Donald loses value as the useful idiot.

Then he becomes a potential threat to people of real power; much like Jeff Epstein?

Loans get called in.

[NBachers]

24. He's on Moscow time. What time is it in Moscow now?

[malaise]

28. Tomorrow

[yuiyoshida]

8. Jay Williams emotional in the wake of Kobe Bryant's death SportsCenter

[Iggo]

14. That's enough.

[phandancer917]

15. Maybe not to you...

This life of ours is complex and painful - we all need distractions to deal with the shit that is thrown at us 24/7/365

Some people use Basketball as a distraction...some use drugs...some use religion. No matter HOW you get that distraction -- that manner in which you DO -- becomes part of your life.

Though not to me, MANY people saw Kobe as a way to escape their shitty life of crappy day. And in his death -- they are suffering too.

I would imagine that YOU have heroes that would hurt or concern you if they were in trouble/dead.

Try not to be too fucking snobby.....it is not a good look on paper.

[malaise]

30. Great post

Welcome to DU - not everyone understands the role of sport in society

[Rhiannon12866]

17. He gave back to kids. He founded a sports academy

He was on his way there when they crashed:

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[Still In Wisconsin]

18. Could you maybe try to be a bigger jerk?

[nini]

22. He's contributed way more than your internet self righteousness that's for sure

He's gone a lot for plenty of people.. charities, mentoring etc etc etc.

[nolabear]

39. Buh-bye.

[nini]

40. And yet you can still post your BS

Is it really that hard to let people have their moment even though you think he's unworthy?

Don't answer that - I know the answer.

[SaschaHM]

42. I'm curious as to who he thinks are worthy and why Kobe doesn't meet his criteria.

You don't have to like the guy, but your metrics would have to be very skewed/limiting if he didn't meet them.

[nini]

43. I think being contrary and righteous is their schtick

They wanted to get a rise out of people and I'm in such a crappy mood I bit. Life is fleeting.. Kobe brought me joy over the years in that I am a die hard Lakers fan. He has done a lot for the LA community and worldwide. He was headed to greater things in post NBA life. We mourn what the future would have given us too..

The haters have nothing but their own self loathing when they do stuff like that. pathetic.

[SaschaHM]

47. Possibly.

There's always just this undercurrent of racism when it comes to the societal contributions to black entertainers/athletes that puts me off whenever one of them is mentioned on DU.

We're the party that advocates the most for costly social programs, yet people like the poster act so dumb when it comes to how massive amounts of taxable revenue are made.

Sports tourism is a massive and profitable industry, and while I don't think you have to worship the guys, there's just this profound ignorance and frankly disrespect for jobs that generate that tourism and that income. I've seen first hand the effects of have a local sports team can be on a city. Hell, even nearby towns make money off of having a popular sports team in the next team over.

[DesertRat]

23. Be Kind. It's a reminder of our own mortality

@BerniceKing
Mourning a “celebrity” does not = lack of “consciousness.”

And sometimes, the death of someone we feel like we knew, but we never actually touched, triggers pain about the death of people we knew well.

We are on a brief pilgrimage here, reconciling life and death.

Love well.

Link to tweet

[calimary]

49. It might be enough to step back and observe the national reaction.

I’m not into professional sports. Of course I knew about Kobe Bryant and also the many reasons for his stature in the game and in general. Sports is not really my thing, but I can so deeply appreciate the impact this man had. Holy Cow!

People are truly and deeply moved, and hurting. Just ponder for a moment what that says. Just consider what that says. Not just about the sports superstar who’s died, but how deep a mark he left on so many hearts.

Maybe the outpouring of sorrow is magnified by the times. Sweet Lordy these are sad times. Anyway. Hurtful times. Painful times. Already there. But mostly we’ve tried to hold it in a little, maybe vent and protest and argue here, but THIS - THIS is not anger. This is plain and simple hurt. Hurt that is now stepping forward in full. It had lurked in the shadows. Anger took center stage. But today allowed sorrow to step to the front.

I think it might be that much more intense now because of what this says about millions of Kobe Bryant fans. And one really does have to stop and marvel at the kind of mark this man left behind. Some other individual in the news who I will leave unnamed has been suffocating us all for too long. And sometimes, I guess, that suffocation is blown straight through, just finally erupting like a pent-up volcano. The contrast alone is frankly stunning.

And, frankly, it’s nice to be reminded that there are still quality people in the public eye. People who provide a genuine inspiration and role model to the good, who set a positive example all-around. Even when we lose one of ‘em.

[DesertRat]

54. Well said, calimary

Thank you

[pazzyanne]

55. Could not agree more!

I'm not a sports fan, but I totally appreciated Kobe's acts of philanthropy. He was just coming into his own at this point. He understood that there was more to fame than just his sports prowess.

[Kali]

50. I like that.

good observation. thanks.

[essme]

25. It can be so hard to know

when the shut the fuck up, can't it?

If I were you, I would delete this post. Or admit you were drinking or something.

[nini]

27. thank you

it was all I could do to not get myself banned over what I really wanted to say.

[NBachers]

26. There will be plenty of death - gloaters out today. Go seek comfort with them.

Apparently, President Obama, Michelle, and the Obama family, do not agree with you.

[MustLoveBeagles]

31. Too soon

[SaschaHM]

37. the fuck?

One simple google search could reveal the ways that Kobe and frankly other athletes have given back. Why you automatically think that he has contributed nothing to the US is very telling.

Him "bouncing a ball well" sustained a local sports industry. I have an uncle that fed and took care of his family for decades off of the income he made catering local sporting events. That doesn't happen if guys like Kobe don't bounce a ball and the sports franchise that he was associated with didn't have anything like Kobe. People aren't getting paid to make and sell merchandise with your gd name on it. You're not generating nearly the amount of taxable revenue that he generated.

Big athletes are industries to themselves that often generate millions in revenue for local enterprises. Sports tourism matters to millions of Americans looking to put food on their table. And all of that doesn't even get into his philanthropy and business ventures.

So honestly, where the fuck do you get off?

[leftieNanner]

41. He hated Trump

So there's that.

[Niagara]

44. What a horrible, insensitive and uneducated thing to say

Kobe and his family had created several charity foundations. One is the China Foundation for education, sports, and culture programs for children in both China and the U.S.

There is also the Kobe And Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation that improves the lives of homeless youth.


Don't tell us that he did not serve nothing for anyone. You are wrong.

[politicaljunkie41910]

48. The guy could do more than just bounce a basketball. People who knew him well have been talking

all day about his work ethic, his charity work, his activism with young inner city kids; but mainly his hard work ethic and leading by example. No he wasn't perfect; but who among us is? So yes, go ahead and beat your head up against a wall. You deserve it. Several people mentioned his need to be the hardest worker on the court. As he said, he was born with talent, but he made sure he worked hard everyday as if he had none. People also mentioned how hard he worked in practice. One guy from another team recalled coming in to practice on the Laker's court one day really early and saw Koby on the other side of the court also working out. He said that he went ahead with his regular practice workout, and much later noticed that Koby was still there working out. He said he asked Koby about it later, "Why he was still there working out?" The other player said he had noticed Koby when he first got there and he said that he appeared to have been having a really hard work out even then, and he looked really good. So why was he still there? Koby said he told him that "You are not going to come in here on my court and work harder than me. No one is."

Sounds like the guy not just had a great work ethic to me, but was a great guy overall.

[MustLoveBeagles]

20. K&R

My condolences to the Bryant family and to the other victim's families.

[PandoraAwakened]

21. K&R! n/t

[warmfeet]

34. That is my President.

My condolences to Kobe, and his family.

[riversedge]

35. Obama has always had a beautiful way with words.

[Niagara]

46. A Real President Responds to an Unthinkable Tragedy

R.I.P. Kobe, Gianna and the rest of the souls that were on board.

[stillcool]

51. what a pleasant surprise...

[iluvtennis]

52. Thank you President Obama...your words express how a lot of us feel.

RIP Kobe you were e spectacular basketball player and an even better man and parent.

[denem]

57. We have not had a President since Barak Obama.

That grieves me more than Kobe's death.

[Kablooie]

59. Correction: Trumps ghost Twittler responds.

[LiberalBrooke]

61. Barack and Michelle Obama are the real American models that I can and do hold up as examples

For my grandkids. To be kind, calm and just plain compassionate and nice people. How I yearn for that in the White House again. Thank you Obama’s.