Donna Dufresne
Hate is not protected by the Constitution, any more than the right to kill people with semi-automatic weapons. The confederate flag and confederate statues, although historical relics, are more a reminder of hatred, racism and treason than a reverence for the past. Their presence in public spaces is offensive to anyone who holds the ideals of the Constitution, equality and civil rights dear. Likewise, the flying of the Confederate flag is not a Constitutional right, but an act of defiance against the progress and the good which was accomplished by the civil rights movement before and after the civil war. Freedom of speech and the right to bear arms have been usurped and misinterpreted by right-wing racists and fascists who falsely flaunt the Constitution as a shield to protect their racism, anti-Semitism, and beliefs in white supremacy. They represent the antithesis of the founding values of this country. They are not patriots, but cowards marching in a perpetual temper tantrum over the erosion of their white entitlement. Unfortunately, they believe they now have a friend in the Whitehouse, who will both stand up for them and join the fray. Shame on anyone who equates this violent hateful display as being even-sided. There are no “good people” in the white supremacy movement. Shame on anyone who doesn’t have the guts to call it what it is.
It is an American travesty that we the people have allowed the alt-right movement with their radio-wave rhetoric to infiltrate the Whitehouse. While we have been distracted by fabricated conflicts and the daily misguided rants of presidential tweets, our civil rights are being eroded, i.e. freedom of the press and the right to voice our opinion in protest, to name only a few. They have been systematically squelched by the misinformation campaigns gassing out of the president’s bully pulpit. Without these most basic Constitutional rights the People will not have an informed voice in order to keep the government in check. Instead, we are being fed propaganda and insinuations, by the president [The violence in Charlottesville was not the fault of the neo-Nazis and white supremacists, but those who were protesting against them], implying that those of us who dare to stand up for justice and speak out against hatred, deserve to be verbally and physically attacked. In fact, the president himself has been the perpetrator of verbal attacks which have ignited and empowered the extreme right to do his dirty work. Unlike any of his predecessors in over 200 years of the U.S. Presidency, this president lacks the moral character and leadership to stand with those of us who love our country and the ideals for which we stand.
Because he is a “businessman” and an ideologue, rather than a scholar of history and governance, Trump does not realize that the Constitution washumbly created by men who knew that they were flawed and that their society was flawed. Yet they created a document which could be amended over time, based on the founding principle of Equality – holding out an ideal for generations to live up to. (“Constitutions are writ broad for ages yet unborn”). Rather than living up to be the leader of the people and protecting the Constitution, Trump has chosen to align himself with those whom Hillary Clinton rightly called his “basket of deplorables”. While Steve Banon pulled the puppet strings behind the scenes, dismantling civil rights, affirmative action and environmental protection laws, the president fed us propaganda and corporate speak to cover up his treasonous acts. Obviously, the president flunked American History since he prefers to buy into the likes of Steve Banon’s alt-right white revisionist history. Unfortunately, he is not alone.
The corporate model and corporate speak have not only edged their way into government. They have also infiltrated public education, with an emphasis on privatization, data-driven test scores and high-stakes testing as a means to dismantle yet another uniquely American right – the opportunity to acquire an equal education. Public education was meant to be the great equalizer, giving a leg up to all citizens regardless of their race, religion, ethnicity or economic status. It was also cleverly derived to teach American history as a means of cultivating citizenship. Thomas Jefferson, who believed that “An educated citizenry is a vital requisite for our survival as a free people”, must be rolling in his grave. I imagine that Sandra Day O’Connor, who led the charge to teach civics in elementary schools, must be equally dismayed.
In the age of the Corporate Industrial Complex, many schools have stopped teaching social studies. Like the president, we have generations of Americans who do not know their history. It is a sad truth that immigrants and naturalized citizens know more about the Constitution and American history than the average American Citizen, myself included, even though I am a lover of history. Perhaps this explains the America First anti-immigrant rhetoric of Trump and his ilk. I like to imagine that for the most part, new citizens hold their civil liberties dear, and that many are willing to protect our civil rights while the rest of us stand idle in our presumption that the government will do the right thing without our voice.
It is unfortunate that so few of the republicans have had the courage of former Senator McCain to call Trump out for what he is. Only now, as the momentum of outrage rises in public sentiment against Trump’s racist policies and incendiary rhetoric, do we hear the voices of the moderate right. Call it like it is. Speak the truth. Trump is and always has been a racist who identifies with extremist right-wing views. In 1927, Donald Trump’s father, Fred Trump was arrested during a KKK riot that took place at the Memorial Day Parade in NYC. Although charges were dropped, and it’s not clear why he was there or what his role was, it is doubtful that Fred Trump’s presence was innocent. It is naïve to suppose that Donald Trump’s racist views are purely his own, given Fred Trump’s track record for red-lining real estate, blocking African American’s from renting certain properties. In fact, both father and son were investigated in the 1970’s for breaking equal housing and anti-discrimination laws. Given the past events in Charlottesville, and the president’s inept remarks, it is time for democrats and republicans to work together toward impeachment for the numerous treasonous and anti-American acts he has committed – in thought if not in deed.