Several times today we have revisited Rep. Ilhan Omar's statements that raised questions because they included anti-Semitic tomes. For some this was a defense of the the President's recent tweetstorm that called for the 4 members of Congress, known as The Squad, to go back where they came from after mentioning that those were backward countries. First 3 of the 4 are born in the US. The one who wasn't, Rep Omar, came here as a child. It is not happenstance that the for women are black and brown. The "go back where you came from" is a racist tome used to attack people of color often. Especially those of a different faith or have radical ideas.
Let me be clear, if you are a Republican who says the Trump tweet is inappropriate BUT these woman say anti-American things, then you are supporting a racist statement not condemning it. If you say that Trump's tweet are not Presidential, but those women should be grateful to be in this country then you are supporting racism. If you say that President Trump's tweets are not what America stands for but these women shouldn't speak out against Israel then you are supporting his racism. That is a fact. You can't condemn something and then make an excuse. It is like saying, it is terrible Jeffery Dahmer ate his victims, but they were already dead and he was hungry. Don't do it.
The four woman he attacked, Rep.Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rep Rashida Tahlib, Rep Ayanna Pressley, and Rep Omar have all said some things that I disagree with. They have to live with their statements and every 2 years their constituents have an opportunity to fire them. But if they are truly representing the voice of the majority of the people in their districts, they are in fact, doing the job they were hired for per our Constitution. Calling them out for their comments is not the problem. Telling them they must leave the country because of their opinions is a problem, made worse by suggesting they don't really belong here because of what they look like.
The real issue is that the President is mad at them for visiting the detention centers at the border and reporting on them accurately. People are even angry that Rep. Ocasio-Cortez was sworn in to testify in front of a Congressional committee, meaning her statements must be true under penalty of perjury. They highlighted a sharp contrast between what the President is saying, what the Vice-President is saying and what seems to be really happening according to everyone else including the Inspector General's office. The President got mad and lashed out like an angry child and his racism was exposed.
So after one day of GOP silence on the issue, we now get the excuses for him doing it. Many using Israel and Jewish people as human shields. Sometimes lying suggesting Rep Omar and Tahlib support terrorist groups. Pulling quotes to make them sound more anti-Jewish (while ignoring the anti-Jewish tomes that Trump has used in the past). But it doesn't matter. You can disagree with things they say and still protect their right to say it and in this case their right to remain in their jobs and country and that they should be afforded dignity not dehumanized by the leader of the country. I know, I am doing it right now.
It should be simple to say the President's tweets were wrong, racist and dangerous. It should be. But it won't be. More and more Republicans will come to his defense with excuses like a. He can't be racist there is an Asian woman in his cabinet (happened yesterday) b. How can he be racist if black unemployment is so low (suggesting the President controls who you hire) c. How can he be racist if he one time helped a celebrity who was black (something we heard throughout the campaign). or my favorite d. How can he be racist he won the same aware as Rosa Parks (said on TV this weekend) An aside the award had nothing to do with race when it came to Trump, it was a quickly created award and he got it for being a real estate guy in New York or German decent.
This could be a teachable moment for the Republicans and the President. They could call him out, tell him he went too far, teach him about the rich and wonderful history of immigrants of color in this country. Have him meet with these women and discuss policy differences. Let's have an open discussion about issues of race, religion, gender. We won't. In office Republicans will either continue their mealy mouthed attempts to look like they are condemning it while justifying it or like the leadership simply stay silent or support it. The President will continue to lob racist, sexist, Islamophobic tweets at people and say as he did yesterday "many people agree with me". The White Supremacists will continue to feel motivated and seen by a President who appears to embrace their ideology and in the end, we will see where the American people are in all this.
Today the House of Representatives has a chance to condemn the President's tweets in a floor vote, this could be a start. I wish I had hope.
Let me be clear, if you are a Republican who says the Trump tweet is inappropriate BUT these woman say anti-American things, then you are supporting a racist statement not condemning it. If you say that Trump's tweet are not Presidential, but those women should be grateful to be in this country then you are supporting racism. If you say that President Trump's tweets are not what America stands for but these women shouldn't speak out against Israel then you are supporting his racism. That is a fact. You can't condemn something and then make an excuse. It is like saying, it is terrible Jeffery Dahmer ate his victims, but they were already dead and he was hungry. Don't do it.
The four woman he attacked, Rep.Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rep Rashida Tahlib, Rep Ayanna Pressley, and Rep Omar have all said some things that I disagree with. They have to live with their statements and every 2 years their constituents have an opportunity to fire them. But if they are truly representing the voice of the majority of the people in their districts, they are in fact, doing the job they were hired for per our Constitution. Calling them out for their comments is not the problem. Telling them they must leave the country because of their opinions is a problem, made worse by suggesting they don't really belong here because of what they look like.
The real issue is that the President is mad at them for visiting the detention centers at the border and reporting on them accurately. People are even angry that Rep. Ocasio-Cortez was sworn in to testify in front of a Congressional committee, meaning her statements must be true under penalty of perjury. They highlighted a sharp contrast between what the President is saying, what the Vice-President is saying and what seems to be really happening according to everyone else including the Inspector General's office. The President got mad and lashed out like an angry child and his racism was exposed.
So after one day of GOP silence on the issue, we now get the excuses for him doing it. Many using Israel and Jewish people as human shields. Sometimes lying suggesting Rep Omar and Tahlib support terrorist groups. Pulling quotes to make them sound more anti-Jewish (while ignoring the anti-Jewish tomes that Trump has used in the past). But it doesn't matter. You can disagree with things they say and still protect their right to say it and in this case their right to remain in their jobs and country and that they should be afforded dignity not dehumanized by the leader of the country. I know, I am doing it right now.
It should be simple to say the President's tweets were wrong, racist and dangerous. It should be. But it won't be. More and more Republicans will come to his defense with excuses like a. He can't be racist there is an Asian woman in his cabinet (happened yesterday) b. How can he be racist if black unemployment is so low (suggesting the President controls who you hire) c. How can he be racist if he one time helped a celebrity who was black (something we heard throughout the campaign). or my favorite d. How can he be racist he won the same aware as Rosa Parks (said on TV this weekend) An aside the award had nothing to do with race when it came to Trump, it was a quickly created award and he got it for being a real estate guy in New York or German decent.
This could be a teachable moment for the Republicans and the President. They could call him out, tell him he went too far, teach him about the rich and wonderful history of immigrants of color in this country. Have him meet with these women and discuss policy differences. Let's have an open discussion about issues of race, religion, gender. We won't. In office Republicans will either continue their mealy mouthed attempts to look like they are condemning it while justifying it or like the leadership simply stay silent or support it. The President will continue to lob racist, sexist, Islamophobic tweets at people and say as he did yesterday "many people agree with me". The White Supremacists will continue to feel motivated and seen by a President who appears to embrace their ideology and in the end, we will see where the American people are in all this.
Today the House of Representatives has a chance to condemn the President's tweets in a floor vote, this could be a start. I wish I had hope.
No comments:
Post a Comment