Letters, June 28: POTUS' fearmongering and inspiring humanitarianism

Posted 6/27/18

Fearmongering by Trump called racist

I think it is very fair to say, based on his actions, that Trump is a racist. I am a white, 76-year-old grandmother, and you don’t have to be a person of …

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Letters, June 28: POTUS' fearmongering and inspiring humanitarianism

Posted

Fearmongering by Trump called racist

I think it is very fair to say, based on his actions, that Trump is a racist. I am a white, 76-year-old grandmother, and you don’t have to be a person of color to be acutely aware of this fact.

His highlighting and exaggerating the threat of gang members is just one instance of how he reduces everything down to a malicious stereotype. People who are not white and coming into our borders are no longer people; they are crimes.

By singling out MS-13 gang members, he is using them to denigrate all immigrants who are attempting to cross the border and those who are here legally. His statement about our country being overrun by illegal immigrants is fearmongering and ridiculous.

He earlier referred to Haiti, El Salvador and parts of Africa as “shit hole countries” and suggested that we get more immigrants from Norway. I remember his persistence about Obama not having a U.S. birth certificate. He continued to question the veracity of it, even though Obama produced his longform birth certificate from Hawaii to quell the rumors.

In 1989 he had ads in the New York newspapers pushing for the death penalty for five black and Latino teens accused of raping a white woman. Even though they were found innocent because of DNA evidence, he still insisted they were guilty.

His comment about the Charlottesville violence, “I think there is blame on both sides” and “many fine people on both sides" was not the truth. Spencer, the leader of the white supremacists who rallied in Charlottesville, claims that the white race is “supreme.” How does one compare a group that is there to unite and one that is there to destroy? Trump kowtowed to those who share Spencer’s beliefs to one degree or another.

I fear that by Trump’s appealing to deep-seated prejudices and his embracing a xenophobic ideology will encourage and embolden racists and white supremacists to commit crimes against non-whites.

Judy Rubin West Mt. Airy

 

Inspirational humanitarian

I have seen a great many inspirational stories in the Local about wonderful people from this area, but I was really moved by the article on Carolyn Tague (“Hill humanitarian improves life for African villagers,” June 14), who has sacrificed so much to make life better for people in Kenya.

It is very discouraging to read about the cruel, anti-human policies of the Trump administration day after day. It is easy to be depressed and not even want to read the news, but you always find a way to do upbeat stories highlighting the good people in our community who are doing just the opposite of Trump, people who are quietly making the world a better place with their unselfishness and heroism. They are helping us to survive this Trump nightmare.

Leslie Tracy Wyndmoor

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