By Walter Smith, Publisher, Philadelphia Observer
Donald Trump, unfortunately, the President of the United States is destroying America, its world image and its leadership standings. In addition to destroying the image of America, he is also destroying the social fabric of its citizens. He thrives on destruction and divisiveness. His vision of making America Great Again is returning to the days when every “white” man was considered superior to and had absolute control over every person of color. It started in 2011 when he went all out to discredit Barack Obama by questioning his citizenship and his academic acumen. The “Birther” theory launched his political campaign and set him on a path to destroy the image and credibility of America.
During the presidential primaries, political dynasties such as the Bush family were portrayed as weak and ineffective. Because the sitting US president was a man of color and especially a “Black” man, according to Trump, America was the worst governed country in the world. Trump is so obsessed with discrediting Barack Obama and destroying his presidential legacy, it impairs his ability to be creative about America and to do the job a US president and world leader should do. He also alienated one of our top trading partners, Mexico, by disparaging its citizens referring to them as rapist, drug dealers, and murderers.
He openly promotes Russia and advocates disbanding NATO. NATO was formed by the US and our European allies after WWII to stem Russia’s military aggression throughout Europe. He seems to be out to destroy American democracy, political and social relations the world over.
On the campaign trail in both the primaries and the national election, he made no bones about who and what he was. Trump was seen on tape talking about trying to have sex with a married woman and being able to grope women. He is heard off-camera discussing women in vulgar terms during the taping of a segment for “Access Hollywood.” During the second presidential debate, CNN’s Anderson Cooper asks Trump about his descriptions of groping and kissing women without their consent. Trump denies that he has ever engaged in such behavior and declares the comments were “locker room talk.” After the debate, 11 women steped forward to claim that they were sexually harassed or sexually assaulted by Trump.
Prior to his inauguration, three leading professors of psychiatry wrote to Barack Obama expressing their grave concerns over Trump’s mental stability: “His widely reported symptoms of mental instability – including grandiosity, impulsivity, hypersensitivity to slights or criticism, and an apparent inability to distinguish between fantasy and reality – lead us to question his fitness for the immense responsibilities of the office,” the professors from Harvard Medical School and the University of California wrote to Barack Obama, urging him to order a “full medical and neuropsychiatric evaluation” of the then President-elect.
He condones and promotes violence at every given opportunity. On the campaign trail, he encouraged violence among his supporters against protesters especially perceived members of “Black Lives Matter” and all people of color. After receiving a notice from his security that someone might be planning to throw tomatoes at him (again), Trump told his supporters to “knock the crap out of them … I promise you, I will pay for the legal fees.” The crowd vociferously cheered him on.
Recently he has been fantasizing about destroying North Korea with no repercussions here at home. He is using the same bully tactics used in the presidential campaign against Hillary Clinton threatening to have her prosecuted by the DOJ if he is elected. Does he not realize there are no winners in a nuclear war? Just “losers” as he so fondly like to label opponents.
This past weekend he proposed that athletes, especially those of color, be stripped of their right to peaceful protest. He directly attacked NFL athletes who refused to stand for the national anthem in the harshest of terms: “Wouldn’t you love to see one of these N.F.L. owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘Get that son of a bitch off the field right now, out, he’s fired.’” The person Trump was referring to was an athlete of color, Colin Kapernick. Trump was “dog whistling” to a mostly white group in Alabama who disenfranchised blacks and prevented them from voting up until 1965.
Houston Rockets point guard Chris Paul said Saturday President Trump isn’t “man enough” to call athletes a “son of a bitch “to their faces. “With everything that’s going on in our country, why are YOU focused on who’s kneeling and visiting the White House”?
Unfortunately, there are those who support Trump, his fantasies and racist theories.
However, there’s been a considerable decline in the number of those who strongly approve of Trump, from a peak of around 30 percent in February to just 21 or 22 percent of the electorate now. The decline in Trump’s strong approval ratings is larger than the overall decline in his approval ratings. Far from having unconditional love from his base, Trump has already lost almost a third of his strong support. And voters who strongly disapprove of Trump outnumber those who strongly approve of him by about a 2-to-1 ratio, which could presage an “enthusiasm gap” that works against Trump at the midterms. The data suggests that the GOP’s initial attempt (and failure) in March to pass its unpopular health care bill may have cost Trump with his core supporters.
Charlottesville Virginia was a defining moment for Donald Trump and people of color. He firmly established himself as a supporter of White Supremacy and neo-Nazism.
Trump advocates such as Paris Denard should take note of his vulgar description of Colin Kapernick and all other athletes who would peacefully demonstrate their opposition to racial injustice: “Son-of-a-bitch”. In an editorial penned by him on August 23, 2017 he wrote: As a black Republican proud of Trump, I know bigotry is bipartisan. Let me be clear, I would never support anyone in public or in private if I felt they were racist, and went against everything I was raised to believe in and stand for politically. My integrity, and my good name, is worth more than that. Politicians and political leaders come and go but I have to sleep at night, look my family and future children in the eye and say what I stood for and supported was right.
Apparently, Paris Dennard never felt the need to protest racial injustice on his behalf or others. If he chose to do so right or wrong, Trump would have classified him with Colin Kapernick, “Black Lives Matter”. and the rest of the Sons-of-bitches.
Donald J. Trump demonstrates who he is in word and deed every day of his life. He clearly states that he has no respect for anyone who is not of Euro British decent.
His racial bias has been demonstrated numerous times. He is obsessed with discrediting Barack Obama and the presidential legacy of a Black US president. He claimed a judge was biased because “he’s a Mexican.” The Justice Department sued his company ― twice ― for not renting to black people in fact, discrimination against black people has been a pattern in his career. He refused to condemn the white supremacists who campaigned for him. He questions whether President Obama was born in the United States. He treats racial groups as monoliths. He trashed Native Americans. He condoned the beating of a Black Lives Matter protester. He called supporters who beat up a homeless Latino man “passionate.” He stereotyped Jews and shared an anti-Semitic meme created by white supremacists. He treats African-American supporters as tokens to dispel the idea he is racist. He refuses to acknowledge the Central Park Five are innocent.
Considering all of the above, how can any person of color sing the praises of Donald J. Trump?