Apparently, Until Recently There Were No Racist Events Anywhere

I hate hate. Racists are idiots. My God demands I treat everyone as His creation. 

Am I the only one who questions the ‘uptick’ or ‘surge’ in racist stuff, supposedly blamed on Donald Trump’s election?

Courthousenews.com

From Whitefish in the northwest to Billings in the southeast, Montana is experiencing a rise is hate-related speech and propaganda, according to Rachel Carroll Rivas, co-director of the Montana Human Rights Network. She said incidents include Nazi graffiti, language launched at people of color, anti-gay slurs, anti-Semitic and racist leafletting, and bullying of youth and teachers of color.

The increase in hate speech in Montana is tied to Donald Trump, Carroll Rivas said.

“The election of Donald Trump emboldened and validated some people’s efforts to subject others to hateful beliefs and to use intimidation to instill fear,” she said. “And there is a heightened awareness of bigotry because of the microphone and podium the president-elect has given to discriminatory and biased ideas. Both are real reasons and we don’t expect either to subside.”

These two statements are at odds. I suppose it is possible that some idiots somewhere feel emboldened. Maybe even validated, though that’s not a word your average goober might use. I really don’t think that’s widespread phenomenon.  

I agree with the second sentence, which I’ve put in italics.  Well, half of it. Has Trump has given a podium to discriminatory and based ideas? And what an odd phrase that is! A responsible person can’t say he’s said racist things.  Oh, the average Mexican living in the U.S. illegally might try to say that, but he has only been politically incorrect.  Even clumsy.

This writer needs several words to work around the idea that Trump hasn’t said stuff that’s racist, but that he has given a podium to…certain ideas. Whenever the left starts couching words in terms like “swirling with…” or “given a podium to…” you know they are hedging.

Secondly, is there a heightened awareness of bigotry? I’d say the awareness is so heightened that every little thing — including fictional or third-hand accounts — are now blamed on Trump, as they occur since the election.

FYI: Everything over the last few weeks has been ‘after the election.’  Not all have been because of the election. 

I’m pretty sure there were incidents of racism before Trump announced for president. Sadly, there will be some even after he is out of office.

I am sympathetic to those who are concerned about the country, as someone whose ideas they reject is now poised to be president.  I’ve been there.  Twice.

I’d be concerned if I thought we were headed down the road to racism.  Maybe because I can easily listen in on white guys talking that I can share some good news: Most of the talk after the election has been about jobs. Oil and coal production.  Patriotism. Some worries about Trump doing something stupid or saying outrageous things. 

If there are pockets of morons, their cousins/wives and slack-jawed kids talking about how the country now belongs to the white man, like God intended…I think those guys were around before this election.  They’re not a big part of our country.

If you are liberal, black, Hispanic, LGBTQ or all of those things…maybe you’d want to see these Trump years as a challenge.  How will you react to a different tone in Washington?

Will you seek out any incident and insist that Trump caused it? Put away you heightened awareness.  Insist on a fair and just America, but don’t expect the Klan on horseback every time you hear hoof beats.