Mr. Warden,
Your editorial in defense of President Trump’s hateful rhetoric that has been attacked by some Democrats as racist deserves a response. Mr. Trump’s hostile speech attacking opponents has become so vitriolic that we are becoming numb to the hateful sentiments his words. And when his attacks are against people of color, as they often are, they can be seen as racist.
Mr. Trump’s attacks have been most hateful toward minorities; the black congressman whose job it is to run the Congressional committee that oversees government agencies, the four congresswomen of color who dare to disagree with him, black athletes who protest, immigrants, legal and illegal, from Latin America, Muslims from all over the world.
Mr. Trump has every right to disagree with members of Congress. He has every right to promote his policies concerning immigration, homeland security, and political protests. But to attack an entire city and blame all the problems of the predominately black city on the congressman was wrong. Our urban centers, St. Louis and Kansas City, have many similar problems.
Mr. Trump’s continued use of hateful language (telling non- white members of congress, American citizens, to go back to the countries they came from, calling non-white countries “…hole countries,” referring to migration of brown-skinned people as invasions and infestations, generalizing that Latin immigrants are criminals and rapists, suggesting that migrants from Latin America should be shot, urging non-white athletes who protest by kneeling be fired) seems to be strongest and most denigrating toward minorities. His failure to condemn white supremacists, the Klu Klux Klan or David Duke make it seem he is easier with his criticism toward white folks.
Racism is “prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed at someone of a different race based on the belief that one’s own race is superior.”
Perhaps it is just that the President uses negative, derogatory words are used on a regular basis against those he doesn’t like. But these comments sound like antagonism directed at people of other races due to their perceived inferiority. Words matter. Let’s all, including Mr. Trump, discuss the issues, not call people hateful names.
Finally, let’s all, especially you, Mr. Warden, stop referring to the words or actions of a specific Democrat or Republican or Liberal or Conservative or race as the words or actions of all people of that general philosophy or group. All Democrats and all minorities do not agree nor vote the same. And I am sure you do not always agree with Steve Bannon and David Duke. Word choice in a public forum is a responsibility.
