If It Walks Like A Duck
If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck and hangs out with other ducks, good chance it’s a duck. If he tweets like a racist, talks like a racist, adopts racist policies, invites racists and white supremacists to the White House, chances are pretty darn good he’s a racist.
The President’s tweets and controversies about the “squad” are emblematic of his Presidency – all are strong, young women, one a Latina, one an African American, two Muslims and one immigrant from an African country; all have been very effective critics of the President’s leadership and decision-making, and all are outspoken progressives who have been critical of the leadership of House Democrats as well. They were elected by large popular vote majorities in their districts; they believe in the American Dream for their communities, and are unabashedly fighting for it. Yes, they make many freshman mistakes in their zeal and yes, some of their policy proposals are not yet well-enough thought through.
The President seeks two things here: 1) he wants to run for re-election against “the squad”, not Joe Biden, Kamala Harris nor Elizabeth Warren, and 2) he seeks to distract from the failures of his incomptent, divisive and chaotic leadership and his Administration’s signal lack of accomplishment and abject failures on most domestic and foreign policy fronts.
The media and elected leaders needed to call out his incessant racism and condemn it; he represents the “American Nightmare”. Let’s not be overly distracted however by the rabbit holes of his racism or potential impeachment.
The House Democrats need to move next to discussing the legislation they have passed to the Senate and are considering on health care, better wages, reversing climate change, and improving economic opportunity for all. The nation needs to focus on the multiple-choice opportunities for our 46th President. And we need to thank and acknowledge Representatives Upton, Brooks, Amash, Fitzpatrick and Hurd for their singular courage this week in rebuking President Trump’s racism.
Irrefutable evidence of Trump’s racism is long standing: his Central Park 5 lies nearly leading to the deaths of five innocent young African American teenagers, his birther conspiracy rants and lies, his Charlottesville commentary equating neo-Nazis and white supremacists with the protesters, his dishonest rants about Mexicans and immigration and prominent black athletes. Any and each of these should be disqualifying for the eminent position he holds. They have been essential to his rise to prominence, and he believes they will fuel his re-election campaign. They soil the proud party of Lincoln, which has plenty of other recent dirty laundry in its closet, as do the Democrats. They mock the proud principles on which our nation was founded. They embarrass the nation abroad. They encourage white supremacists at home and abroad. They infect and debase the public’s civil discourse. They put women and all people of color at increasing risk in going about their everyday lives.
The nation will be well served only when he is overwhelmingly turned out of office and returned to his Mar a Lago pleasure palace and golf course where he can angrily and joyfully rant away in the company of the like-minded who enjoy his company.
Prepared by: Lucien Wulsin
Dated: 7/18/19