The Time to Speak is NOW

Make no mistake, friends.  On Saturday, August 12th, this country experienced a terrorist attack in Charlottesville, Virginia.  I don’t know that because the President of the United States of America said it. Indeed, no, he hasn’t said it AT ALL.  He did not come out immediately in condemnation of the attack but rather spread the blame.  He did make a statement condemning the white supremacists later but then rolled it back AFTER David Duke, the grand poo-bah of the white sheets, got his white sheet in a knot and called him out on pandering to the left.  When questioned about his equivocations, he began to dither on about how many jobs he has created (BS) and how much better the stock market is now than ever before (more BS).  

A white supremacist DROVE HIS CAR into (here I’ll quote Indivisible directly because it can’t be said much better) “counter-protesters who had gathered in response to a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. It was an act of domestic terror, perpetrated by a white supremacist. One person is dead as a result of the attack.”

That attack was criticized across the board.  His own VP, daughter, and wife spoke out on the horror that took place in Charlottesville before the President of the greatest country in the free world did. When the one black member of his cabinet resigned, he went on a Twitter tirade slamming the man. He showed his true colors when this weekend, just in case there are a few of you who were still on the fence, wondering about his allegiances and alliances. Let me, again, quote from Indivisible for a moment.

“Donald Trump has encouraged violence, racism, and xenophobia from day one. It’s not surprising that Donald Trump refused to condemn the attack as an act of domestic terrorism. Throughout his candidacy, and through his actions as president, Trump has actively used fear to divide communities, encouraged violence against those who would disagree with him, and has advanced racist and xenophobic policies. Here are just a few examples:

*Picked Jeff Sessions to lead the Department of Justice, a man with a decades-long track record of advancing racist, anti-immigrant, and discriminatory policies (edited to add, now he says “we’ll see” about Bannon);

*Hired racists and nativists like Stephen Miller and Steve Bannon to advise him on policy matters;

*Issued a Muslim and refugee ban as one of his first actions as president;

*Unleashed ICE officers across the country who continue to terrorize immigrant communities with near impunity;

*Insists on the construction of a useless and costly border wall and ramping up his mass deportation machine;

*Exploited the tragic death of Kate Steinle in order to go after sanctuary cities;

*Proposed focusing the Department of Homeland Security’s Countering Violent Extremism program exclusively on Islamic sources—ignoring the dangerous threat posed by white nationalist organizations;

*Actively weakened and undermined Civil Rights offices within the federal government, which are charged with enforcing civil rights protections for Americans; and

*Has publicly encouraged police brutality and the use of more aggressive methods by law enforcement officers.”

Sadly, this list is not all inclusive.  As a matter of fact, if you still have any questions, I’d suggest you give a listen to Seth Myers' thoughts on whether the President is racist.  Don’t worry, I’ll wait.

I am very disappointed in my friends and family who still support this man and hold him up as a good and honorable person, an example of American exceptionalism.  He has shown, time after time, his real nature but the apologists and sycophants have made excuse after excuse for him.  It’s OK for you guys to admit that you were wrong.  Because you were.  It’s OK for you to say, “Hey, Terri.  I’m a fiscal conservative.  I don’t support same-sex marriage or abortion rights.  I believe in states’ rights. That’s why I’m a Republican.”  Those are real issues and I can respect political differences.  We may not agree but I can respect that.  What I can no longer respect is your continued support of a man who has insulted women (bragged about grabbing them by the privates, calling them ugly, fat, bleeding from their eyes, etc.); Hispanics (they’re all rapists and thugs); Muslims (all terrorists, of course), and, in fact, almost every group of people you can think of.  His response this weekend should not have been a surprise to anyone who has been paying any attention at all.

Silence is no longer an option for truly good, honorable people.  Call this man out for what he is:  a menace. Stick to your conservative values but STOP defending the indefensible.  

The time to speak is NOW. Will Republicans continue to hitch their wagons to this falling, corrupt, and irrevocably broken star?  Will Republicans have the mettle to call this man out for his behavior.  America, and the world, is watching you.