Fed up with shrill whining about plagiarism by Melania Trump
Posted: Wed, 20 Jul 2016 16:42:43
I have posted this from another forum with the assent of the OP.
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Am I the only one who is thoroughly fed up this plagiarism accusation?
What Melania Trump said that she is accused of “plagiarizing” is basically this:
1. Work hard for what you want in life.
2. Make your word your bond; do what you say you’ll do and keep your promises.
3. Treat other people with respect.
4. Foster these values in your children.
Guess what? I heard those very same things in almost the same words at my father’s knee before either Barack or Michelle Obama were born, so my father clearly didn’t plagiarize Michelle’s speech.
So how did it come to pass that he told me those same things in nearly the same words? Because they are the ground rules for successful men and women; and there is NO doubt in my mind that any successful person (especially self-made ones) would tell you pretty much the same things. And chances are that the wording will be very similar because such sage advice does not admit of much poetic license.
So I personally find this shrill whining about plagiarism to be downright disgusting. First, these tenets of success are in the nature of fact. I don’t see how it is possible to plagiarize fact. Lord knows we have all said things that have been said before by others. What’s next? Is someone going to accuse me of plagiarism when I announce, “it’s lunchtime” because they just made the same declaration? Second, I have to say that an admonition to “work hard for what you want and make your word your bond” rings hollow when it comes from the Barack Obama given his track record as to how he got where he is and how well he has kept his promises. Mr. Trump, on the other hand, seems to have lived those tenets of success as he sought to impress them upon his family, just as my father did.
I guess we all have to expect some degree of hyperbole in politics, but this particular example is just plain ridiculous in my opinion.
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Melania Trump:
“From a young age, my parents impressed on me the values that you work hard for what you want in life, that your word is your bond and you do what you say and keep your promise, that you treat people with respect.
They taught and showed me values and morals in their daily lives. That is a lesson that I continue to pass along to our son. And we need to pass those lessons on to the many generations to follow. Because we want our children in this nation to know that the only limit to your achievements is the strength of your dreams and your willingness to work for them.”
Michelle Obama:
"And Barack and I were raised with so many of the same values: that you work hard for what you want in life; that your word is your bond and you do what you say you're going to do; that you treat people with dignity and respect, even if you don't know them, and even if you don't agree with them.
"And Barack and I set out to build lives guided by these values, and to pass them on to the next generation. Because we want our children — and all children in this nation — to know that the only limit to the height of your achievements is the reach of your dreams and your willingness to work for them."
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Am I the only one who is thoroughly fed up this plagiarism accusation?
What Melania Trump said that she is accused of “plagiarizing” is basically this:
1. Work hard for what you want in life.
2. Make your word your bond; do what you say you’ll do and keep your promises.
3. Treat other people with respect.
4. Foster these values in your children.
Guess what? I heard those very same things in almost the same words at my father’s knee before either Barack or Michelle Obama were born, so my father clearly didn’t plagiarize Michelle’s speech.
So how did it come to pass that he told me those same things in nearly the same words? Because they are the ground rules for successful men and women; and there is NO doubt in my mind that any successful person (especially self-made ones) would tell you pretty much the same things. And chances are that the wording will be very similar because such sage advice does not admit of much poetic license.
So I personally find this shrill whining about plagiarism to be downright disgusting. First, these tenets of success are in the nature of fact. I don’t see how it is possible to plagiarize fact. Lord knows we have all said things that have been said before by others. What’s next? Is someone going to accuse me of plagiarism when I announce, “it’s lunchtime” because they just made the same declaration? Second, I have to say that an admonition to “work hard for what you want and make your word your bond” rings hollow when it comes from the Barack Obama given his track record as to how he got where he is and how well he has kept his promises. Mr. Trump, on the other hand, seems to have lived those tenets of success as he sought to impress them upon his family, just as my father did.
I guess we all have to expect some degree of hyperbole in politics, but this particular example is just plain ridiculous in my opinion.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Melania Trump:
“From a young age, my parents impressed on me the values that you work hard for what you want in life, that your word is your bond and you do what you say and keep your promise, that you treat people with respect.
They taught and showed me values and morals in their daily lives. That is a lesson that I continue to pass along to our son. And we need to pass those lessons on to the many generations to follow. Because we want our children in this nation to know that the only limit to your achievements is the strength of your dreams and your willingness to work for them.”
Michelle Obama:
"And Barack and I were raised with so many of the same values: that you work hard for what you want in life; that your word is your bond and you do what you say you're going to do; that you treat people with dignity and respect, even if you don't know them, and even if you don't agree with them.
"And Barack and I set out to build lives guided by these values, and to pass them on to the next generation. Because we want our children — and all children in this nation — to know that the only limit to the height of your achievements is the reach of your dreams and your willingness to work for them."
