Just ONE BLACK STUDENT in my grade at Brentfield Elementary in Dallas when I grew up. That’s all I remember. How many black students are there now? I’ll talk more about race below, but first, Trump.
Removing Protestors to Waive a Bible?
Last night on TV I watched mostly peaceful protesters near the White House get violently pushed away so that Trump could walk to a Church and waive a Bible around. What’s the message? He’s a Good Christian? He’s the upholder of the faith? He stands for religion in the midst chaos? Using the Bible as a prop is something autocrats love doing.
That was one of the dumbest things I’ve seen a President do. Trump said he supported peaceful protesters but I guess not if they stand in the path of his photo-op. Jesus taught non-violence, right? He was not about physically shoving upset people out of the way so you can take a stupid picture.
I’m a Jew. If Trump wanted to send a message that resonated for ALL Americans, non-christians like me, he could have tried to send a more secular message. We are in fact a country without a state-sponsored religion, and he’s the leader of that setup. But I highly doubt Trump has read and pondered the best way he can honor that part of the First Amendment. And if you want to argue that Trump is a Christian and that this is his church, the Rev. Robert Fisher of St. John’s Church says that Trump hasn’t attended church the entire time he’s worked there.
Trump may not have pondered the First Amendment, but he has however discovered the Insurrection Act of 1807. This will give him the ability to use the honorable U.S. Military against U.S Citizens, something he threatened Yesterday.
The Inflamer-in-Chief President that Threatens Our Republic
Let’s be honest. Trump didn’t start the unrest. Trump didn’t start racism or white privilege in America (although he benefited from it, like me). But Trump is NOW the sitting President of a nation with unresolved race issues, and when they exploded, he could have taken 2 paths: Reconciler-in-Chief or Inflamer-in-Chief. He chose the latter, of course.
To reconcile, Trump could spend most of every day meeting in person with George Floyd’s family, meeting with black leaders, meeting with protesters, speaking to the protesters, saying that he feels their pain and anger, saying he will make substantive changes to policing, that he will use his power to address historical racial inequities.
He could do all this while at the same time warning looters, criminals, and Antifa that they will be brought to swift justice if they act out in violence. He could, in fact, strike that balance, as previous presidents have.
Instead, Trump chose to be our “Law and Order President” which means he’s a “strongman.” Bible in hand (I still don’t understand this part), he will smack down the civil unrest, using the full force of the Military. He will “take care of business.” In fact, minutes after his “Law and Order” proclamation, he kept his promise (dictators usually do). Nearby protesters were tear gassed and shot at with rubber bullets to make way for the tough guy.
Do you think THIS is a crisis? You don’t even know how bad it could get IF TRUMP LOSES the election. Why? It’s not far-fetched to believe he will claim that it was rigged, there was massive voter fraud, it was not fair, and that to protect us he needs to delay the peaceful handover of power to the next President. I fear this. It’s a threat greater than almost any other to our unusually successful Republican Democracy.
That being said, Trump NEEDS TO GO. He is out of touch. He does not tell the truth. He is a wannabe dictator who is in over his head. We are still in a pandemic, our economy has dropped, unemployment is high, and we are suffering civil unrest because of the unresolved racism problem in the United States (see below). And Trump’s answer? Walk to church and waive a bible.
You’re a Republican? I bet you’re the kind that believes in limited government, fiscal responsibility, and a strong American presence around the world. That’s not Donald Trump. Don’t vote for him again. He is not advancing your agenda. I have given money to, and voted for both Republicans and Democrats. But at this point I cannot support anyone who supports Trump. Check out the Lincoln Project and you’ll find the brave anti-Trump Republicans.
Race, Racism, and White Privilege.
Like Trump, I used to believe that I was the “least racist person” in the world. But the older I get, and the more I examine my life, I realize that I benefited greatly from “White Privilege.” I did’t even know what that was until a few years ago.
White Privilege, described by Christine Emba, is the level of societal advantage that comes with being seen as the norm in America, automatically conferred irrespective of wealth, gender or other factors. It makes life smoother, but it’s something you would barely notice unless it were suddenly taken away. For example, if you buy a house in a nice neighborhood, you wouldn’t even question if your new neighbors would be pleasant or neutral toward you. It’s simply assumed. Not so for Black Americans.
I have worked hard, but my success in life came easier because I am white. I went to Brentfield Elementary and almost everyone was white. As a young child, I thought most people were white, and that white was the norm. Although I was a little different (Jewish), I still felt white. And it turns out, being white was pretty advantageous.
If I was born Black in South Dallas to parents to whom banks and decent school systems shut out for the previous 300 years, I would have been at a disadvantage when applying for college, taking the LSAT, going to law school, trying entrepreneurship, etc. No doubt.
I benefited from the entrenched racism in the system that I grew up in. And I barely noticed. I was essentially silent, because I guess it worked for me.
My Point: White Silence = Consent for Systemic Racism. Even if you are not a bit racist.
It’s Time to Forcefully Speak Out
So, sitting quietly in your suburban home, while black Americans are mistreated by police, or mistreated economically, you contribute to the problem.
When false rumors swirl on social media that Black Lives Matter is coming to your gated suburban neighborhood to riot, and you say nothing, you are part of the problem.
When a friend tells a racist joke, and you nervously laugh instead of call them out, you are part of the problem.
Your silence is perpetuating racial injustice and tension that will not go away until you SPEAK OUT. Your kids will grow up in a less peaceful America unless you speak out.
Don’t forget, Hitler made great political gains early on because good people remained silent.
It is time for YOU to speak out in some way, even if you are not a tiny bit “racist”. You can start by simply re-posting this message.
As a lawyer and a student of history, I truly, deeply believe in the brilliance of our Constitution and America’s potential. There is nothing like it in the history of humanity. But we have to live up to it — it doesn’t work on its own.
We can build an awesome society that works well for all Americans, and is an example to the world. And it starts now with speaking up, and not remaining silent about racial injustice.