"Respect YOURSELF, Omarosa"

Since the death of Aretha Franklin yesterday, much has been made of her rendition of the song "Respect"  in the 1960s, with some calling it an anthem for the Women's Movement or the Civil Rights Movement.  Personally, I always preferred the lyrics to the Staple Singers' song "Respect Yourself," from 1972.  Perhaps it's an oversimplification, but the lyrics to "Respect" seem to put the burden on others to respect the one singing, whereas the words to "Respect Yourself" put the burden on ONESELF to have SELF-respect, FIRST (at least that's how I always interpreted it.)  And, as Pops Staples sang so perfectly in "Respect Yourself,"


"If you disrespect everybody that you run into, 
how in the world do you think anybody's gonna respect YOU?"


I liked "Respect Yourself" MUCH more than "Respect" but admittedly, yeah, as a 17 year old I had a crush on Mavis Staples (lead singer of the Staples Singers)....that may have had SOMEthing to do with it (Lol).


Anyway........a great, recent example of a poor lost soul who demands respect from others, but doesn't have SELF-respect, and doesn't respect others, is poor OMAROSA.

It was the top story on the news until Aretha died yesterday, but it seems Omarosa recently released a "tell-all" book about Donald Trump based on her time in the White House.  I haven't followed MUCH of this sordid fiasco, but, if you watch the news at all you'll know that Omarosa made secret (illegal) tapes of Trump which supposedly prove that he's a racist (and other bad things.)  If I hear the tapes and Trump DOES use the "N" word, I'll write about that THEN but until that time, I regard him as innocent until proven guilty (as I would anyone else).

What Trump DID do was subsequently Tweet saying that Omarosa is a "dog," and that I WILL comment on because it's proven.

So let me say this as clearly as I can:

1.) Trump needs to STOP TWEETING.

2.)  I do not agree with calling Omarosa a "dog," it was absolutely inappropriate of the President, though I reject the idea that it was a RACIST remark. 

But here's the part where Omarosa is way off base...

3.) Omarosa and her followers have been whining about Trump's "dog" remark, but ten years ago Omarosa wrote a book with the word "Bitch" (female dog) in the title, and, based on the reviews of the book, it seems that she was encouraging women to BE "bitches" in the "street" usage of the term.

You can't complain about others calling you "dog" if you call yourself "bitch" in the title of your PREVIOUS book, you see. Not without looking pretty....lost.

I was reading up on Omarosa and learned her dad was murdered when she was seven.  It's easy to understand why she has a low self-image, Dads are VERY CRUCIAL to affirming a girl's sense of self-worth and (unlike Aretha and Mavis), Omarosa did not HAVE her dad when she was growing up.

But still............... if I could speak to Omarosa, I would say to her "Stop being caught up in Aretha's version of 'Respect" and start listening to "Respect Yourself." "