Letter to the Editor: Democrats and Republicans Alike Should Condemn Trump’s Racist Rhetoric

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Trump’s latest racist tweets against four women of color in the House of Representatives are just the latest of many such tweets, or statements, in which he makes derogatory comments about non-white immigrants. 

In the past, he has said: He doesn’t want immigrants from “s---hole countries” like Haiti and those in Africa; that Mexico is sending us their “criminals,” “drug dealers,” and “rapists”; the migrants coming from Haiti all have AIDS; Nigerians will never go “back to their huts” once they see America; etc. Trump’s tweets are, as usual, full of lies and misrepresentations. He told the women to go back to where they came from. Three of the four were born in the US and the other woman is a naturalized citizen. He said they are trying to tell us how to run our government. 

They were all duly elected to Congress, which makes it their job to take part in running our government. He said they are complaining about our country so they should leave. Trump complains about our country on a nearly daily basis, but apparently doesn’t think he should leave. The House of Representatives passed a resolution condemning Trump’s racist tweets — a mild rebuke of the President. Yet, our representative, Jaime Herrera Beutler voted against the resolution. She told the Columbian newspaper that she believes Trump was wrong to tweet those comments, but she voted against the resolution because “it further contributes to our country’s racial division.” Wrong! 

What further contributes to our country’s racial division is watching our Congress split along party lines when it comes to denouncing racism from our President. What would help heal some of the racial division in this country is if we saw our Congress stand together and condemn Trump’s behavior! He needs to hear loudly and clearly that his behavior is not acceptable — and not just from Democrats and very few Republicans. I believe Jaime Herrera Beutler when she says she does not agree with Trump on his assessment of non-white immigrants (her own father is of Mexican heritage), but she needs to get off the fence and take a strong stand that makes this clear to Trump.



 

Susan Miller

Onalaska