In 2018 we would like to believe denouncing and repudiating racism and all its tentacles is as easy as denouncing cancer or Justin Bieber reproducing. But, that certainly does not appear to be the case for President Donald Trump and his supporters.
Over the course of the last three years it is fair say Donald Trump has made many racially insensitive and divisive statements. Since becoming president he has suggested many policies (and enacted some) that are viewed as racist or at least bigoted. And, it is also fair to say that extremist right-wing groups such as the Klu Klux Klan, White Nationalists and Neo-Nazis have felt more emboldened by Trump's rise and have frequently acted out on that as a result of feeling emboldened.
Leaders of these groups such as Richard Spencer and David Duke have often spoke out supporting Trump both as a candidate and as president. In fact, Spencer and Duke along with other racist leaders have held Trump up as a savior, hero and voice for their movement.
These racist groups have littered Trump's rallies almost from the onset of his campaign. They have been shown shouting anti-Semitic slurs, anti-immigrant phrases and even fascist slogans. For the record they have been joined by people who would readily tell you that in no way they are racist or anti-Semitic or Nazis.
Now, President Trump cannot, of course, dictate certain individuals not support him. This is still a free country (for now) and people have the right to support and vote for whomever they choose. I would certainly never suggest otherwise.
However, he and his non-avowed racist supporters most definitely have the power over whether they endorse these folks' support. They have the utmost autonomy over whether they embrace or make these individuals feel welcomed into the fold. They unquestionably can dictate the volume of the voice or level of relevancy these alt-right clowns have within their circle.
The President nor his following can necessarily stop White Nationalists, White Supremacists and Neo-Nazis from wanting a seat at the table; but, they sure as hell have the ability to keep them out of the house let alone pulling up a chair and shoving some buttered biscuits down their hate coated throats.
See, here is the rub with Trump, Trumpsters and Trumpism. They play this coy game. At least they believe they're being coy.
They play footsies with the Alt-Right. They do some playful hand slapping. Then, they do the "Oh, we don't like them at all" game. But, when they think nobody is paying attention they're behind the bleachers tonguing each other. And, yes, I said that because I want the image in your head!
Every single time Trump is confronted with blatant undeniable racism from his supporters or the Alt-Right he refuses to full-throatily unequivocally disavow them or their ideology.
Over the last three years numerous hate crime incidents have taken place. Most of them committed in the name of Trump and/or his Make America Great Again movement. Almost every time Trump and the White House spew out some weak ass "racism is evil" and "we don't condone racism" bullshit.
Yet, they don't really think racism is that evil nor can they say they don't condone racism because their weak condemnation is always followed up with an apology tour.
After Charlottesville we all remember the Trump Tower impromptu presser where Trump said of the White Nationalists and Nazis marching, "There were some very fine people in that group..."Those "very fine people" bombarded a church, which had people inside praying, the night before. Also, please keep in mind Trump's little tirade ensued after reporters asked him if he would disavow White Nationalists, Klansmen and Neo-Nazis.
For the record he never disavowed them.
Go back to the campaign. Remember Jake Tapper asked Trump about David Duke and the Klan. Trump claimed he didn't know anything about the Klan and had never heard of Duke. Now, who in their right minds thinks a 70 year old man who has spent his entire life in America has never heard of the Klan? Not to mention his daddy was rioting beside them in 1927.
As for Duke, Trump was blatantly lying about never hearing of him before. Back in 1999 Trump claimed the reason he wouldn't run for president on the Reform Party ticket is because David Duke belonged to the party.
Then, when asked to disavow David Duke Trump initially refused. Eventually he succumbed to Tapper's nagging. And, like a jerk teenager being forced to apologize to his teacher for talking back, he "disavowed" Duke. His disavowing of David Duke was about as sincere as mine would be if I were forced to disavow "trash tv".
By the way he never disavowed the Klan.
Now, here we are going through two of the most tumultuous and disturbing two weeks in most of ours' lifetime. We are just removed from a mass political assassination attempt involving mailed pipe bombs from a racist Trump superfan that targeted two former presidents and four current members of Congress among several other prominent figures. We are also a mere week removed from an avowed White Nationalist murdering 11 people at a synagogue in Pittsburgh and clearly stating his motive for the murders was race and anti-immigrant sentiment.
As always the President and his sycophants decried the murders and pipe bombs. However, they ignored the stated motivations and manifestos of the perpetrators.
In fact, Counselor to the President and woman who always looks like she had one to many whiskey shooters the night before, Kellyanne Conway, attempted to make the Pittsburgh synagogue mass murder about religion in an effort to not only avert from the obvious racist angle but to somehow make the Trump base the victim. It was really one of the most contrived trifilin things I have ever witnessed.
And, the same theme continued. Whether it was Lyin Ass Barbie, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the plethora of intellectually bankrupt Trump apologists on CNN and Fox News or the President himself, none of them would straightforwardly and unequivocally disavow and repudiate White Nationalism. Not one!
Why?
It is simple. It is also the same reason nobody in Trump's base will disavow it either. The White Nationalists, Nazis and avowed racists don't really bother them.
They either agree with it, sympathize with it or have simply determined being implicitly complicit with it is necessary and palatable.
I am sure any Trumpsters reading this are at this moment clutching their pearls, gasping in disbelief and becoming all red faced and indignant. And, I say to that, STOP! Calm yo ass down and quit with the fake ass theatrics!
What other conclusions can be drawn?
Despite the constant "vehement" denials it is beyond obvious Trumpsters recognize what the rest of us have always known and that is the Alt-Right is apart of the Trump, no the Republican base. They along with Trump also realize he is only president because of these hatemongers and he will only remain president if they stay in his corner.
So, they have decided that principles be damned, if tongue kissing the Alt-Right is what it takes to keep Trump in power they will be the Alt-Right's slut as long as necessary. Of course, I'm not naive. I realize some-many aren't sacrificing anything because they've always been the Alt-Right's side chick.
As I said in last Saturday's blog, stop expecting there to be a red line. It does not and will never exist. Whether these folks see it as a sacrifice or acting on their true core convictions, they are in line and all in. Better isn't coming.
It is not that hard to explicitly denounce and disavow hate, racism and bigotry. Well, unless you embrace those things or don't see a huge problem with them. It is as simple as that.
As I have said and will say to every Trump supporter who clutches their pearls and becomes so offended (allegedly) whenever anyone suggests or says they're racist, I am not saying they or all Trumpsters are racists or bigots. What I am point blank saying, however, is that obviously racism and hate aren't deal breakers for them. That is a problem for me. What I am also saying is regardless whether they want to accept it or not they are complicit in Trump's trafficking in racism and the Alt-Right's bathing in racism.
Silence is not an elixir nor is it an absolvent.
The silence I heard during Charlottesville, the constant rhetoric during Trump rallies and the last two weeks isn't deafening. On the contrary, it is loud and clear.
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Over the course of the last three years it is fair say Donald Trump has made many racially insensitive and divisive statements. Since becoming president he has suggested many policies (and enacted some) that are viewed as racist or at least bigoted. And, it is also fair to say that extremist right-wing groups such as the Klu Klux Klan, White Nationalists and Neo-Nazis have felt more emboldened by Trump's rise and have frequently acted out on that as a result of feeling emboldened.
Leaders of these groups such as Richard Spencer and David Duke have often spoke out supporting Trump both as a candidate and as president. In fact, Spencer and Duke along with other racist leaders have held Trump up as a savior, hero and voice for their movement.
These racist groups have littered Trump's rallies almost from the onset of his campaign. They have been shown shouting anti-Semitic slurs, anti-immigrant phrases and even fascist slogans. For the record they have been joined by people who would readily tell you that in no way they are racist or anti-Semitic or Nazis.
Now, President Trump cannot, of course, dictate certain individuals not support him. This is still a free country (for now) and people have the right to support and vote for whomever they choose. I would certainly never suggest otherwise.
However, he and his non-avowed racist supporters most definitely have the power over whether they endorse these folks' support. They have the utmost autonomy over whether they embrace or make these individuals feel welcomed into the fold. They unquestionably can dictate the volume of the voice or level of relevancy these alt-right clowns have within their circle.
The President nor his following can necessarily stop White Nationalists, White Supremacists and Neo-Nazis from wanting a seat at the table; but, they sure as hell have the ability to keep them out of the house let alone pulling up a chair and shoving some buttered biscuits down their hate coated throats.
See, here is the rub with Trump, Trumpsters and Trumpism. They play this coy game. At least they believe they're being coy.
They play footsies with the Alt-Right. They do some playful hand slapping. Then, they do the "Oh, we don't like them at all" game. But, when they think nobody is paying attention they're behind the bleachers tonguing each other. And, yes, I said that because I want the image in your head!
Every single time Trump is confronted with blatant undeniable racism from his supporters or the Alt-Right he refuses to full-throatily unequivocally disavow them or their ideology.
Over the last three years numerous hate crime incidents have taken place. Most of them committed in the name of Trump and/or his Make America Great Again movement. Almost every time Trump and the White House spew out some weak ass "racism is evil" and "we don't condone racism" bullshit.
Yet, they don't really think racism is that evil nor can they say they don't condone racism because their weak condemnation is always followed up with an apology tour.
After Charlottesville we all remember the Trump Tower impromptu presser where Trump said of the White Nationalists and Nazis marching, "There were some very fine people in that group..."Those "very fine people" bombarded a church, which had people inside praying, the night before. Also, please keep in mind Trump's little tirade ensued after reporters asked him if he would disavow White Nationalists, Klansmen and Neo-Nazis.
For the record he never disavowed them.
Go back to the campaign. Remember Jake Tapper asked Trump about David Duke and the Klan. Trump claimed he didn't know anything about the Klan and had never heard of Duke. Now, who in their right minds thinks a 70 year old man who has spent his entire life in America has never heard of the Klan? Not to mention his daddy was rioting beside them in 1927.
As for Duke, Trump was blatantly lying about never hearing of him before. Back in 1999 Trump claimed the reason he wouldn't run for president on the Reform Party ticket is because David Duke belonged to the party.
Then, when asked to disavow David Duke Trump initially refused. Eventually he succumbed to Tapper's nagging. And, like a jerk teenager being forced to apologize to his teacher for talking back, he "disavowed" Duke. His disavowing of David Duke was about as sincere as mine would be if I were forced to disavow "trash tv".
By the way he never disavowed the Klan.
Now, here we are going through two of the most tumultuous and disturbing two weeks in most of ours' lifetime. We are just removed from a mass political assassination attempt involving mailed pipe bombs from a racist Trump superfan that targeted two former presidents and four current members of Congress among several other prominent figures. We are also a mere week removed from an avowed White Nationalist murdering 11 people at a synagogue in Pittsburgh and clearly stating his motive for the murders was race and anti-immigrant sentiment.
As always the President and his sycophants decried the murders and pipe bombs. However, they ignored the stated motivations and manifestos of the perpetrators.
In fact, Counselor to the President and woman who always looks like she had one to many whiskey shooters the night before, Kellyanne Conway, attempted to make the Pittsburgh synagogue mass murder about religion in an effort to not only avert from the obvious racist angle but to somehow make the Trump base the victim. It was really one of the most contrived trifilin things I have ever witnessed.
And, the same theme continued. Whether it was Lyin Ass Barbie, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the plethora of intellectually bankrupt Trump apologists on CNN and Fox News or the President himself, none of them would straightforwardly and unequivocally disavow and repudiate White Nationalism. Not one!
Why?
It is simple. It is also the same reason nobody in Trump's base will disavow it either. The White Nationalists, Nazis and avowed racists don't really bother them.
They either agree with it, sympathize with it or have simply determined being implicitly complicit with it is necessary and palatable.
I am sure any Trumpsters reading this are at this moment clutching their pearls, gasping in disbelief and becoming all red faced and indignant. And, I say to that, STOP! Calm yo ass down and quit with the fake ass theatrics!
What other conclusions can be drawn?
Despite the constant "vehement" denials it is beyond obvious Trumpsters recognize what the rest of us have always known and that is the Alt-Right is apart of the Trump, no the Republican base. They along with Trump also realize he is only president because of these hatemongers and he will only remain president if they stay in his corner.
So, they have decided that principles be damned, if tongue kissing the Alt-Right is what it takes to keep Trump in power they will be the Alt-Right's slut as long as necessary. Of course, I'm not naive. I realize some-many aren't sacrificing anything because they've always been the Alt-Right's side chick.
As I said in last Saturday's blog, stop expecting there to be a red line. It does not and will never exist. Whether these folks see it as a sacrifice or acting on their true core convictions, they are in line and all in. Better isn't coming.
It is not that hard to explicitly denounce and disavow hate, racism and bigotry. Well, unless you embrace those things or don't see a huge problem with them. It is as simple as that.
As I have said and will say to every Trump supporter who clutches their pearls and becomes so offended (allegedly) whenever anyone suggests or says they're racist, I am not saying they or all Trumpsters are racists or bigots. What I am point blank saying, however, is that obviously racism and hate aren't deal breakers for them. That is a problem for me. What I am also saying is regardless whether they want to accept it or not they are complicit in Trump's trafficking in racism and the Alt-Right's bathing in racism.
Silence is not an elixir nor is it an absolvent.
The silence I heard during Charlottesville, the constant rhetoric during Trump rallies and the last two weeks isn't deafening. On the contrary, it is loud and clear.
*Please visit my Patreon page or any of social media sites listed below!*
www.patreon.com/robeasley
www.facebook.com/robbase2110
www.twitter.com/robbase2110
www.instagram.com/robbase2110
