Will Trump’s backers ignore his racism as they mark MLK Day?
One of my favorite Martin Luther King Jr. quotes is, “There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe nor political nor popular, but he must take it because his conscience tells him it is right.” These words ring truer now more than ever in light of President Donald Trump’s recent comments questioning why we are letting people from “s—hole countries” come here.
Trump was referring to Haiti, El Salvador and African nations. Perhaps the fact that these individuals from these countries are black and brown is a mere coincidence. Surely Trump would not be so blatantly racist. Would he? If there was any question about the racially motivated nature behind his comments, this was put to rest when he later said that the U.S. should have more people coming in from places like Norway.
King understood that there comes a time when you have to stand on your principles, speak truth to power and not defend the indefensible. It has become abundantly clear that there is nothing Trump can say or do that will result in his supporters holding him accountable and calling his behavior what it is: racism.
On MLK Day it would be disingenuous for supporters of Trump to celebrate the ideals of MLK yet remain silent on (or worse, defend) the repeated racist statements that come out of Trump’s mouth. Silence (or worse, defense of Trump) is the moral equivalent of endorsement.
The unwillingness of Trump’s supporters to call him out for racism is consistent with what sociologist Joe Feagin has referred to as the “paradoxical phenomenon” of white racism, in which some white people claim not to be racist yet hide or deny their racist attitudes through euphemisms and code words.
Trump does not publicly use explicitly racially derogatory language. Instead, he uses racially coded language. For example, some researchers argue that instead of overtly criticizing President Barack Obama’s race, Trump peddled the birther myth about Obama being born in Kenya instead of the United States. Trump has mastered the subtleties of communicating racist sentiments without explicitly using race in his language.
Imagine if Obama had referred to European countries the same way that Trump referred to African countries and stated that the U.S. should have more people coming from countries such as Nigeria and Ghana.
When Trump made comments about a federal judge’s Mexican heritage making him unfit to preside over a case, Trump loyalist Jeffrey Lord spun it as Trump calling out racism. To his credit, House Speaker Paul Ryan referred to Trump’s words as “textbook racism” but has done little else to hold Trump accountable.
It has been especially painful and embarrassing to watch black Trump loyalist Paris Dennard repeatedly attempt to defend Trump’s words and actions on CNN. He inexplicably defended Trump’s Charlottesville comments about there being hatred, bigotry and violence on both sides, and then suggested that the neo-Nazi marchers in Charlottesville received a bad rap from the media.
Political differences in ideology is one thing. Defending blatantly racist comments is another.
Some may argue that this is nothing more than a partisan opinion. However, this is not the case. There are several individuals with whom I have political differences of opinion, yet I have been impressed with their principled stands, especially when so few members of their party and Trump supporters are willing to do so.
For the good and decent Americans on the sidelines, when will we take the politically unpopular position among Trump’s base and disavow Trump for his racism? Until we answer that question, any celebration of MLK Day will be symbolism without substance.
We know who Trump is. The question is: Who are we? To Trump supporters who truly don’t embrace racist views, who are you?
Re: Jan. 10 article, “Despite rules, former Hays commissioner to remain at CAMPO board.”
Will Conley, former Hays County commissioner, was re-elected on Jan. 8 to continue to serve as chair of Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, although he is no longer an elected official. Conley stepped down to run for Hays County judge, but was chosen by the CAMPO board to keep his chairmanship.
The rules for membership on the CAMPO board clearly state that you must be either an elected official from one of the participating counties or cities, or the head of one of the local transportation entities. Conley is neither.
Conley is just a private citizen who seems to have made some powerful friends within Travis County and Austin political circles, and is using his former position as a Hays County commissioner to continue to make decisions for citizens he no longer legitimately represents.
Will Conley represents only himself.
Re: Jan. 9 article, “Democrats pursuing coverage for all in new health care push.”
The best health care is not access to the most expensive medicine, nor the most advanced procedures and research. It is not figuring out ways to redistribute the ridiculously expensive price tag of our high-tech, pharmaceutical and surgery centric model.
The best health care is giving everyone — pediatrics to geriatrics — tools for self-care to keep them out of our very effective crisis-care medical industry.
Self-awareness, breath work, mindful movement, nature immersion, safe and nourishing relationships, and nutrition provide gentle, self-empowering answers without negative side-effects.
They are not only effective for our broken health care system, but also the penal system, education and mental health. Why can we not see that giving people tools to take care of themselves is by far more compassionate and more efficient?