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I believe in diversity and inclusion, so the violence and terror perpetrated by white supremacists in Charlottesville, Virginia on Saturday, that resulted in many injuries and one death, is incredibly disheartening for me; however, as a nation, we should not be completely surprised by the actions of the emboldened alt-right if we have our eyes wide open and honestly acknowledge and examine their escalating hostile rhetoric and actions toward non-whites, immigrants, and Muslims.
Donald Trump spewed vitriol toward groups like Muslims, Black Lives Matter, and Latino immigrants while he also courted and allied himself with alt-right and white nationalist groups during his campaign and gave white nationalists like Steve Bannon, Sebastian Gorka, Stephen Miller, and Jeff Sessions, positions in his administration. Trump’s scapegoating has emboldened white nationalists and normalized a degree of bigotry that since the civil rights era has mostly lived in the shadows. Despite his efforts to peddle the shameful “birther” conspiracy, I’m not sure if Trump is a racist, but undoubtedly white nationalists are a faction of Trump’s support. We know that Trump’s narcissism and love of winning make him hesitant to denounce his home team because not principles, but power, is what motivates Trump. If you have any doubts that Trump’s sympathies lie with the white nationalists, examine his double standard when it comes to quickly categorizing violence perpetrated by non-whites as terrorism while refraining from the use of the term “terrorism” when a politically motivated violent act has been committed by a white person.
Trump attempted to equally blame white power protesters and those assembled to protest against the white power rally when he said “The hate and division must stop. And must stop right now. We condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry, and violence on many sides. On many sides. It’s been going on for a long time in our country.” Imagine if the roles had been reversed and a Muslim or non-white driver had plowed into a gathered crowd of white nationalists… Trump would have instantly called the act terrorism! The way it appears to me is that Trump only wants to use the term “terrorism” when it supports a racist and xenophobic perspective. I don’t claim to be able to read Trump’s mind, but patterns of speech and behavior have emerged from Trump and many of his administration and supporters that can only be classified as racist.
Trump has encouraged hate, but all of us who have stayed silent have created an environment more permissive of hate. If we don’t like racists and bigots thinking they can thrive in open sunlight, then we need to stand up for the values of diversity, religious freedom, equality, and human dignity. The future is ours to shape if we have the courage to use our voices and take action. Thanks for caring. – Shepard
