|
Where to start....where to begin!
Start at the beginning. If you read several of the
daily newspapers and summarize the statistics from the
Census Bureau, you will note that "white" Americans will be
considered a minority group by the year 2025...give or take
a few years.
For some Americans that news drives them apoplectic
because in their mind's eye, they see themselves as
grasshoppers in the face of giants and thus, in a few short
years, they will be unable to take the land or at least
continue to monopolize the levers of wealth and power.
If you have been taught and have been accustomed to
being the center of the universe and are indoctrinated with
a sense of racial superiority and that those "other" people
are placed here to do your bidding, that is a gut grabbing
statistic to deal with...much less be at peace with it.
For some white Americans, to be told that one day you
will not rule the roost by your sheer numbers but that you
will have to make peace with black and brown and Asian
people as friends, neighbors, in-laws, judges, power
brokers, senators and providers of your goods and services,
that can be a body blow to your psyche.
If you are antsy about sharing resources and power and
wealth with "others,” those statistics would make you search
for some terra firma by which you can make a stand and, if
need be, circle the wagons readying for the fantasy attack
or demands of retribution by hordes of angry minorities.
Herr Trump, being of a mindset which sees black men
being birthed by female dogs or that Mexicans are rapists
and murderers or that immigrants are infecting our country,
says in no uncertain terms that people are on the cliff
about this race thing in America.
When W.E.B. Dubois said the problem facing America in
the future will be the color line and Malcolm X said the
chickens have come home to roost and Dr. Martin Luther King
Jr., said that if we do not learn to live together, we shall
all hang together, they were prophets speaking to a country
that has gone a'whoring after other gods.
America was always reluctant to do the right thing
when it came to racial justice and equality. It had to be
brought, kicking and screaming, into compliance with basic
standard of fairplay and justice in area of equal rights for
housing, bank loans, employment, federal benefits, higher
education and local policing.
Nothing was done seemingly without a fight, struggle or
people losing their lives or freedom over trying to move
this leaded rock called America to fulfill its calling as
articulated in the Declaration of Independence and the US
Constitution.
Now, we have a sitting president who glibly and gladly
utters racial provocations to comfort his base and let them
know that he is one of them; and that as long as they remain
loyal to him, he will run interference for them...but on the
condition that they turn a blind eye to his non-stop stream
of lies and duplicities.
On this past anniversary of the riot in
Charlottesville, Herr Trump had a chance to act presidential
but said nothing about the bombastic statements of those Neo
Nazis nor has he ever addressed the nation to articulate a
positive vision for our two Americas.
He won't and he cannot because he has no moral
reservoir from which to draw and much less the credibility
to make it sound half way believable.
Herr Trump has never been a person who is comfortable
in his skin being cognizant of and accommodating regarding
people of color.
Oh sure, he will grin and smile in the presence of a
Kanye West and spoof around with a Don King but when it is
time for substantial discussions about race in America, Herr
Trump is clueless and A.W.O.L.
So...what is on tap for America from the ranting Tweeter
who claims that he alone can solve all of America's
problems?
Look for these five signals from Herr Trump to tell you the
future state of affairs in these United States: (1)
increasing pressure on the NFL owners to punish NFL ballers
who continue to kneel (2) aligning more and more with
world-wide despots including attacking the media as being
unworthy of being credible (3) calling the upcoming mid term
elections as a referendum on his presidency and the need for
his "base" to turn out in fat numbers (4) continuing to
flail away at any legislation that "Obama" passed during his
eight years as president and (5) hardening the arteries of
civic discourse to the point of Americans not trusting each
other in order to advance the common good.
To say the least, these are interesting times. Be
vigilant and do not be distracted by issues that are minor
red herrings. Herr Trump's goal is to have the truth so
maligned that you are confused and misled by his gibberish.
Contact Lafe Tolliver at
tolliver@juno.com |
