Veterans for Peace stated recently that while they (and I’ll add “we”) condemn white nationalist’s terrorist attack in El Paso, “we also hold Donald Trump accountable for his part in stoking racism and bigotry.”
VFP also holds that the U.S. Congress’ unwillingness to confront and oppose the racist, bigoted language of the current occupant of the White House to be unconscionable.
VFP now calls on all public officials to speak out against racism and violence, both foreign and domestic.
VFP believes we cannot have “peace at home” without making “peace abroad” a central issue of U.S. foreign policy.
VFP stands with all who seek alternatives to violence within U.S. society as well as globally.
On to the endless supply of outright Trump lies about his racism: Trump repeatedly claims he’s “the least racist person,” but anyone following him since the 1970s knows his long history of racism. While campaigning, he repeatedly made explicitly racist and otherwise bigoted remarks, calling Mexican immigrants criminals and rapists, proposing a ban on all Muslims entering the U.S., suggesting a judge should recuse himself solely because of the judge’s Mexican heritage. Continuing into his presidency, from stereotyping a black reporter to pandering to white supremacists after the violent rally in Charlottesville, Trump hasn’t stopped after his 2016 election.
WaPo’s David Nakamura reminds us of “Trump’s verbal assaults against black reporters, candidates and lawmakers... renewing criticism that...he employs in insults rooted in racist tropes aimed at making his African American targets appear unintelligent, untrustworthy and unqualified.”
Most recently, Trump tweeted that several black and brown members of Congress are “from countries whose governments are a complete and total catastrophe” and that they should “go back” to those countries. Democrats, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, condemned Trump’s tweets as racist. As do I.
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