Dear White people,
Listen up. The fact that Donald Trump still leads the polls and remains the likely republican nominee for the U.S. Presidency, is not a testament to one man, but a testament to one America.
Pay attention.
He has virtually alienated every minority in the United States with vitriolic rhetoric, from deporting 11 million undocumented Latino immigrants and erecting an Israeli-like separation wall at the border; insults against women; encouraging violence against peaceful #blacklivesmatter protesters; mocking persons with disabilities; to his ridiculous proposal to ban all Muslims from entering the U.S.
And yet, he continues to surge in the polls.
According to Bloomberg, almost two-thirds of likely 2016 Republican primary voters favor Donald Trump’s call to temporarily ban Muslims from entering the U.S., while more than a third say it makes them more likely to vote for him.
This isn’t just the support of a scattered few of America’s most wayward voters. Not long after Trump’s proposal for a Muslim ban, he received an endorsement from the New England Police Benevolent Association, a union representative of nearly 5,000 members from about 200 locals across the New England region. Just what we needed – 5,000 law enforcement officers endorsing racism, bigotry, and Islamophobia in America.
This.Is.Scary.
We haven’t seen this level of open support for such dangerous, divisive, and discriminatory rhetoric since Mussolini and Hitler. If you think referring to The Donald in the same light as the aforementioned is a stretch, tell that to his ex-wife who said he kept a book of Hitler’s speeches by the bed, or to the Trump supporter who yelled “Sieg heil!” — a Nazi Germany-era salute, while others shouted “Shoot him!” “Kick his ass,” and “Light the motherf—-r on fire!” at a black protester being taken away during a Trump rally in Las Vegas before the final GOP debate of 2015. Around the same time, this image began to pop up all over Atlanta:
Things haven’t changed much since the debate, even as Trump was challenged on many of his controversial positions, he refused to repudiate, recant, or revise his stance. Once again he was rewarded for hateful speech, dominating social media traffic during the 5th GOP debate, and gaining the most twitter followers of the GOP candidates following the debate. He’s even received praise from Russia’s president Vladimir Putin, calling Trump “bright and talented” and “the absolute leader of the presidential race.” Adoration from Putin is nothing to brag about, folks.
And still, Trump rises.
What should likely be death to a political campaign for the office of the presidency of a COUNTRY OF IMMIGRANTS, is instead a booster shot in the arm of Trump’s campaign.
And you’re surprised, White people?!
The fact that Donald Trump still leads the polls and remains the likely republican nominee for the U.S. Presidency, is not a testament to one man, but a testament to one America. People of color have been trying to tell you for decades what we’ve experienced at the hands of America’s greatest sin, and you didn’t believe us. We haven’t just been “making it up.” America is showing you exactly who she is – believe her.
For my white brothers and sisters who have remained silent and now find yourselves in total disbelief at what you are seeing and hearing – now is the time to speak up and out against racist, patriarchal, hegemonic, christian fundamentalist white supremacy. The recent hashtag #WhitesAgainstTrump started trending during the 5th GOP debate; that’s a good start – but even that social media movement was initiated by a black comedian calling out white people to stand against Trump.
Be proactive. Don’t allow your silence to continue to be violence against people of color. Because when you have a privileged voice but choose to remain silent, that makes you the loudest Donald Trump supporter of them all, whether you plan on voting for him or not. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”
So in the words of comedian W. Kamau Bell,
“White people, come get your boy.”