President Donald Trump sunk to a level that may be considered low even by his own standards when he reportedly uttered the derogatory and racist comments in a meeting with a bipartisan group of senators on immigration yesterday.
“Why are we having all these people from sh**hole countries come here?” Trump said, according to these people, referring to countries mentioned by the senators. El Salvador and Haiti were specifically mentioned but his hateful comments were directed to Africa- yes- the entire continent of Africa!
Folks who know me know I don’t use foul language- in speech or in my writings. I had trouble trying to figure out how to point out what he said without using the actual word but couldn’t find anything that would have conveyed the ugliness of verbiage our president used, so I decided to keep it on the header but have blanked out couple of letters most everywhere else. Update January 23, 2018- I have decided to bleep the vulgarity. It’s too painful to re-read it).
“Why do we need more Haitians?” Trump said, according to people familiar with the meeting. “Take them out.” Trump then suggested that the United States should instead bring more people from countries such as Norway- his excuse being that the education level was high in that country.
White House issued statement yesterday but did not deny that he made the statement. The hateful comments were all over the news last night and he came under fire even from the lawmakers in his party. True to his tradition, he did not apologize, and denied that he used the ‘sh**hole” word but did admit he used some “tough language”. Senator Richard Durbin refuted his denial and confirmed the president not only used these words but used them repeatedly. Senator Lindsey Graham also confirmed the reports.
The real question is this: why are people surprised by this? He has been derogatory throughout his public life. He has made numerous rude comments about women (the famous hollywood movie, which to this date shocks me as to why it was not able to derail his presidential campaign). His racist comments about Mexicans being rapists, or removing a federal judge because was Mexican and ‘could not possibly be fair’. His famous “Islam hates us” needs no commentary- yes the religion of over 1.6 billion people came in the line of his fire. Then the travel ban 1.0 against the Muslim countries was handed down, even though there has been no terror attacks committed by the citizens from any of the originally listed countries.
Even more shocking is that his supporters are defending him! When asked to denounce the president’s hateful, racist remarks by CNN’s Anderson Cooper on his ‘AC 360’ show last night, couple of his Republican guests would not budge- even when A.C. pushed them several times and gave them plenty of opportunities to do so. They could have said “if they are indeed true, then these words are indeed shameful and racist and beneath the presidency”. Instead they continued to defend him by saying the president wants to invite skilled and educated people to the USA and they went on a tangent about illegal immigration which was not even the topic of the show.
African countries are not the sh**hole countries. It is the white house that he has turned into a sh**hole. It is the presidency of the United States of America that he has turned into a sh**hole. It is the republican party- the party of Lincoln that abolished slavery, that he has turned into sh**hole.
Republican party: who needs enemies when you have a friend, and a president like Donald Trump?
This is even more senseless, insensitive and cruel as these comments came on the eve of the 8th anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti. It is even more racist than ever, as these racist remarks come as we near the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King in a few days.
I am definitely upset and very critical of him and his (so many) hateful and racist remarks that we have become accustomed to. I am reminding myself to not hate president Trump despite his hateful and racist remarks. Critical and upset? Heck yes. Hate him? no. As we near the MLK day, I would end by quoting the immortal words of Dr. King:
Darkness cannot drive out darkness. Only light can. Hate cannot drive out hate. Only love can.
Though I must say I am having a very hard time loving this president. I know the 68% of the country would understand that. I hope the remaining 32% who still support him, would understand it too.
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