Meryl Streep’s speech criticising Donald Trump at Golden Globes 2017 reminds us exactly what we are scared of

The American far right think that the Democrats and their sympathisers are whingey little sore losers. They think this is simply a case of “Your candidate lost, suck it up, sunshine!” And yes, perhaps they are right. Fair or not, influenced by Putin or not, Donald Trump is to be the next president of the United States of America, and we must ALL make our peace with that. What the Republicans do not understand is that we MUST keep talking. We must urge the president elect to do better; be better; be held accountable. And this is what Meryl Streep’s speech at the 2017 Golden Globes awards did.

Trump can deny it all he wants, but he did mock the disabled fellow. It amazes me the way the president elect can tell bald-faced lies even when there is proof. The US president-elect drew widespread opprobrium in November when he derided the New York Times reporter Serge Kovaleski – who had disputed Trumps’s claim he saw “thousands” of Muslims in New Jersey celebrate the 9/11 attacks – while flailing and twisting his arms. Kovaleski has arthrogryposis, a congenital condition that affects joint movement.

“Disrespect invites disrespect, violence incites violence. When the powerful use their position to bully others, we all lose.”

The point is that if the leader can mock and bully, it gives carte blanche to others to do the same; something we saw happen in the days following the election. And this is all Meryl Streep’s speech is addressing. Not a recount, not a re-vote; just a holding to account. She called on the celebrities present to join the committee to protect journalists, as she felt that they would be stifled in the coming years. The press is needed to hold the powerful to account, and the freedom of the press needs to be protected now more than ever.

The Response Is Donald Trump At His Classic, Insulting Best