Last Saturday, we were reminded that racism and bigotry is still a big problem in this country as hundreds of KKK members, Nazis, white supremacists, and other bigots gathered in Charlottesville, Virginia. Reporters are saying they were there to oppose the removal of a statue of Robert E. Lee -- but that was just a pretense. They were there to proudly display their hate and bigotry.
One might think the leader of this country would be quick to condemn these bigots as un-American and evil. I think any of our past presidents (of either party) would have quickly done that. Donald Trump did not. He said some vague statement about groups that promote violence, but refused to specifically call out the white supremacists, nazis, KKK, and other racist groups -- even when given the chance to do so by reporters.
On Monday, he finally spoke out against those groups (but still linked his opposition to them committing violence -- as though the racists and bigots were acceptable if they were not violent). It was too little, too late. I had the impression he was like a naughty child being dragged kicking and screaming to be forced to make an apology he didn't mean and didn't want to make.
Trump seems to want to occupy some kind of middle ground on the issue -- calling out hate to please the vast majority of Americans, while doing so in an obviously grudging manner so he doesn't lose the support of racists and bigots. He doesn't understand that there is no middle ground when it comes to racism and bigotry.
You't can't be neutral when it comes to racism and other forms of bigotry (misogyny, homophobia, religious hatred, etc.). You are either racist or not. You are either misogynistic or not. You are either a homophobe or not. And you either believe in religious freedom or not. There is no middle ground, and silence is equal to siding with evil. If you do not oppose racism/bigotry, then you support racism/bigotry.
Trump's failure to immediately oppose racism and bigotry is a failure of leadership, and shows us which side he is really on.
“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor” – Desmond Tutu
“We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented” – Elie Wiesel
“Washing one’s hands of the conflict between the powerful and the powerless means to side with the powerful, not to be neutral ” – Paulo Freire
“The hottest place in Hell is reserved for those who remain neutral in times of great moral conflict…[an individual] who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it” – Martin Luther King Jr.
