It’s what lies below the surface
To the editor:
Trump’s campaign often directed hatred toward anyone who wasn’t white, Republican or Christian. His crowds cheered an underlying message of making America white-washed again. But meanwhile, frustration grew among those being suppressed and targeted. The outcry following George Floyd’s murder was only the tip of an iceberg that Trump helped grow but didn’t see coming.
Trump’s rallies set the tone for “us vs. them.” He armed his supporters with derogatory labels (“Crooked Hillary,” liberals, Democrats, “radical left,” “fake news,” etc.), and he led the chanting. He proclaimed that people were “out to get him,” so anyone who criticized him had to be an enemy. Projecting hatred toward the other political side worked. Dissension grew, even among families.
Trump spread hatred toward different races, ethnicities and religions. He said Mexicans were bringing crime (footnote 1) and that immigrants were a threat and a drain on our country (2). He used an executive order to illegally ban Muslims (3). He villainized a black football player for taking a knee to protest police brutality. He spread fear and anger toward “the other.” This resulted in ethnic children being bullied at school, legal immigrants being harassed and more police brutality. His hate campaign succeeded.
Trump’s approach empowered a segment of hatred in America. White supremacy and neo-Nazi groups have increased by 55% since 2017 (4). Conspiracy theories have multiplied to name “enemies.” Vigilante groups like Boogaloo Bois bring guns and swastika flags to peaceful protests, purposely agitating and often turning things violent. It’s happening in the cities of protest, but Trump ignores the right-wing agitators and points the finger at a favorite target, the “radical left” (5).
Trump knows that enragement draws his audience. Even in the middle of a national coronavirus crisis, he turns people against one another. Those taking precautions seriously and wearing masks are pitted against those encouraged to be defiant.
Trump’s tactics to convince his supporters to hate everyone except him have brought American frustration to the boiling point. People who have endured being unjustly targeted want to be heard, and those with compassion, listening to their message of desperation, will understand.
Trump and his media will continue to elicit harsh judgment and condone violence against people he wishes to silence. But given the tone of a hurting America, I think it’s too late for him to avoid the iceberg of unrest that will sink his ship of undisguised hatred and injustice. Ultimately, there is more love than hate.
Martha Hodges
Massena
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Footnotes:
1. https://time.com/4473972/donald-trump-mexico-meeting-insult/
3. https://www.aclu-wa.org/pages/timeline-muslim-ban