Trump’s tongue tears open wounds

Re Trump’s presidency a descent into darkness: Opinion, Aug. 17 Long since the dust settled from the race riots and the civil rights movements of the 1960s, the sceptre of white supremacy still festers in the south.

It disturbed me to see the long list of organizations with names such as Vanguard America, the southern nationalist League of the South, the Fraternal Order of Alt Knights and a host of others involved in the violence in Charlottesville, Va. It made me realize how serious and committed these people are to the doctrine of racism.

Ivanka Trump’s proclamation that “there should be no place in society for racism, white supremacy and neo-Nazis” was predictably naive.

The reality is that these groups exist and democracy, by its very definition, allows them to exist.

We’ve all heard the phrase: “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” This is a cornerstone of modern American society.

For decades, the venomous creed of these racist groups has been contained by the growing shift in the government toward a more liberal and humane society.

The trouble is that when you have the newly elected leader of that government openly advocating for hatred, racism and bigotry in almost every sentence he utters, then those once quiescent dark forces begin to gather momentum. These hate groups can promote their agenda through violence.

So, the wounds that have slowly been healing since the middle of the 20th century — thanks to the efforts of both Democratic and Republican leaders — are being torn apart thanks to a president who makes no apologies for his acerbic, malicious tongue. John Fraser, Toronto