What
President Trump tweeted about the four Congress-members was appalling in its
blunt force racism. There is no rational way to dodge the base racism that Mr
Trump expressed.
'Go back to
where you came from!' is an age-old trope of xenophobia and racism. It was
shouted at the Irish, the Poles, the Italians, the Chinese. It has been a slur
shouted at nearly every single ethnic group which has ever come to the shores
of North America and endeavored to make America their home.
Commentators
of the media have been quick to respond by decrying Mr Trump's blatantly racist
comments. That was to be expected. However, one aspect of their commentary
seemed to miss the point that all members of Congress are, in fact, Americans.
Whether or not they were natural-born or naturalized, each are American
citizens. It matters not where their family came from. It matters not a whit
that they or their ancestors came from Somalia, France, Italy, Poland, Ireland,
England, Russia or Germany.
Mr Trump today
double-down on his impudent impulse to express his inherent racism (Who can
deny it now!?) by blaring 'Love it or Leave it!' during a press conference. (A
press conference, mind you. Not during a stroll to Marine One. Not a 'gotcha'
moment.)
'Love it or Leave it' was a bumper-sticker slogan of the late 1960s. It was shouted at 'peace-niks' and 'long-hairs'. It was shouted my way on more than one occasion.
When asked if he thought such openly racist sentiments were, indeed, racist, Mr Trump, inexplicably, tried to turn the tables and claim that anyone felt affronted by such racist tropes were themselves racist.
'Love it or Leave it' was a bumper-sticker slogan of the late 1960s. It was shouted at 'peace-niks' and 'long-hairs'. It was shouted my way on more than one occasion.
When asked if he thought such openly racist sentiments were, indeed, racist, Mr Trump, inexplicably, tried to turn the tables and claim that anyone felt affronted by such racist tropes were themselves racist.
This is totally absurd and totally unacceptable. It is unacceptable from the local mechanic. It is unacceptable from the mailman. It is unacceptable from an I.C.E. officer. It is most assuredly unacceptable from POTUS.