Botswana’s government has asked the US ambassador to the country to “clarify” if it’s one of those Trump considers a shithole country

A friend of mine is from Botswana and he has the most pleasurable accent and manner of speaking that I have ever encountered. Even when he’s mad his whole demeanor is just...soothing. He’s also enormous (not fat, just a very large human) and is very stern looking so it’s quite incongruous.

The following story takes place over a span of less than 45 seconds or so:

We are sitting at a bar one night and his phone rings. It was in his back pocket so he reaches back for it without turning away from the bar and somehow managed to elbow the woman next him, which she instantly and impressively over-reacts to, loudly saying something about my friend poking her boob which in hindsight neither of us were sure actually happened.

My buddy is horrified and quickly turns to stand while beginning an apology but she turns at the same time so now he and this woman are facing each other, his knee neatly locked between hers like a tooth on a gear, partially up her rather short skirt. She squeals and flails a bit, knocking over her drink on the bar

This does not improve things and in a flurry of motion she’s slapping at him while he’s trying to climb backwards up and over his high-back barstool and of course now her boyfriend has gotten up and walked over. My friend extricates himself from the stool as gracelessly as possible, literally falling to the floor in the process and by the time he’s gotten his feet back under him and starts to rise the boyfriend is now standing over him preparing to do battle while spouting insults of dubious quality laced with very clear racial epithets.

So now he’s pulling himself to his full height (just a shade under 7 feet) and literally towers over this guy who can’t be more than 5’7” and is obviously already reconsidering his chosen course. My friend calmly pulls his phone (which is still ringing) out of his pocket and mutes it, and just as calmly puts it away. He looks at the by-now-already-less-angry boyfriend and says “I would like to sincerely apologize to the lady for any possible injury or discomfort I have caused her but I will need your co-operation while I take a moment to do so. If you would like me to injure you afterward I would be glad to, but please, my friend. Now I must apologize!”

He followed them as they made a hasty exit, apologizing the whole way. The bartender (whom we know well) was just dying and we got a couple free drinks out of it. Apparently he had some trouble with that guy in the past and it didn’t end so well. The best part is that while my friend is a big guy he’s a total pushover. Genuine softie. Anyone with even a small amount of experience fighting humans would destroy him regardless of size.

Of course this all has nothing at all to do with this article aside from the inclusion of a dude from Botswana and me, in my head, imagining him looming over someone and asking them very politely to clarify their position on shitholes.

/r/politics Thread Link - qz.com