Donald Trump and his excusers tell us that he isn’t being racist when he tells four elected women of color to go back where they came from. But if I said those very words to a co-worker, I could be prosecuted under federal law for racial harassment:
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has written specific rules that protect people, mostly immigrants, against employment discrimination on the basis of their national origin. The agency is responsible for enforcing laws that prohibit discrimination and harassment based on race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age and disability.
“Ethnic slurs and other verbal or physical conduct because of nationality are illegal if they are severe or pervasive and create an intimidating, hostile or offensive working environment, interfere with work performance, or negatively affect job opportunities,” the commission said on its website to describe harassment based on national origin.
“Examples of potentially unlawful conduct include insults, taunting, or ethnic epithets, such as making fun of a person’s foreign accent or comments like, ‘Go back to where you came from,’ whether made by supervisors or co-workers,” it continued [Sanjana Karanth, “Federal Law Says, ‘Go Back to Where You Came From’ Counts as Discrimination,” Huffington Post, updated 2019.07.18].
Some Republicans are trying to get out from under the wreckage of Trump’s racist words and trying to divert us into a label war of “socialism versus freedom.” Even Trump is trying to cover his own racism, lying about his response to inciting his followers to vocal racism:
Trump attempted to distance himself from the racist chant on Thursday, saying “I wasn’t happy with that message that they gave last night.”
“It was quite a chant, and I felt a little bit badly about it. But I will say this, I did — and I started speaking very quickly. But it started up rather fast,” the president added.
However, as NPR’s Tamara Keith noted, “in reality, Trump stood there for 13 seconds as the chant continued, waiting for it to die down before he resumed his remarks” [Merrit Kennedy, “Rep. Ilhan Omar Receives Hero’s Welcome Home Amid Trump Attacks,” NPR, 2019.07.19].
No more excuses: the EEOC makes clear that a leader who incites his followers to shout “Send her back!” is creating a hostile environment and ought to be punished.
Imagine the hissy fit from repubs if Obama had used the chant against trump’s wives or mcconnel’s wife.No doubt SDs congressional delegation would have pulled their heads out long enough to scream reverse racism.
Maybe Trump really wants to lose. The establishment got their tax cuts and so maybe they have had enough of this orange mess and realize he’s a mentally ill idiot.
These racist rants are dangerous and he looks miserable being President. Registered independents support for him since this latest meltdown dropped a percentage point, 4% to 3%. There is more to winning the election than his base.
Orangey has fired up MN. Welcome home Ilhan!
Trump needs to be gone as president. He’s brought Americanism to a new low. The sad thing for me is the USA citizens that support him. Why? To what purpose is hate for those different than caucasian? They believe his lies. It’s troubling and worrisome.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4tykIi-8Ng
McCTurtleface and Miss Lindsey Graham stumped on Jeopardy. Hillaryous!
mfi, I have to admit that like McConnell and Graham my spouse was stumped about the correct answer to the Wheel of Misfortune (not Jeopardy) puzzle on your video link. There was no meaningful way to decide whether the missing letter was a “C” or a “P.” This was a real dilemma.
Cibvet: Our three amigos are too busy muttering “seig heil” to face reality.
Unfortunately, I think this actually fuels his base. The more radical he makes them (the Squad) and the Dems look and the more racist he is (but claims no racism), the more headstrong Trump’s supporters become–and more likely to vote. Sorry state of the union we are at this point–and with little chance of going back to civility. Acting like 5th graders (actually an insult to 5th graders everywhere) is the new/now normal smh.
In the course of a long life, in which I have traveled a good bit and have expressed my opinion on many political issues, I have been mistaken for many ethnicities (please, folks, get your cultural stereotypes correct!) and have been told many times to go back where I came from. And every time it’s been a Republican and/or racist/bigot that said it.
Like Hitler, Trump found a fear and picks it open until it’s an ugly, bloody, scab, on America’s dignity. Don’t be afraid, little racists. Use Your Brains.
Under the historical “one drop of non-white blood” rule, whites will become a minority in 22 years. But, under a more expansive census definition that counts as white anyone who so identifies (even if they also identify with another race or ethnicity), the white population is not declining; it’s flourishing. The Census Bureau’s inclusive projections show a white population in excess of 70 percent of the total for the foreseeable future.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-demise-of-the-white-majority-is-a-myth/2018/05/18/60fc897c-5233-11e8-abd8-265bd07a9859_story.html?utm_term=.4b17f0ac5626
The largest newspaper in Montana just put out a doozy of an editorial condemning their senator and trump for being racist to embarrass us all. As they note, it makes us all look bigoted and racist. They also note that Daines is a transplant from California and it he practices what he preaches, maybe it’s time for him to be sent back.
“There is no shortage of fools in Washington, D.C.
Or even in Montana.
Because fools, as the saying goes, rush in where wise men fear to tread.” https://billingsgazette.com/opinion/editorial/gazette-opinion-more-a-sycophant-than-a-senator/article_c74645cd-8d4c-5f06-8d77-cf29919577a4.html
Wow, wouldn’t it be a hoot if the papers in South Dakota would put Rounds, Thune and Dirty on that list of disgusting racists and call them out? Naw, the only news source that has any balls whatsoever is Dakota Free Press. Many thanks Cory, for pointing out for the locals what they should be concerned about.
The largest newspaper in Montana just put out a doozy of an editorial condemning their senator and trump for being racist to embarrass us all. As they note, it makes us all look bigoted and racist. They also note that Daines is a transplant from California and it he practices what he preaches, maybe it’s time for him to be sent back.
“There is no shortage of fools in Washington, D.C.
Or even in Montana.
Because fools, as the saying goes, rush in where wise men fear to tread.” https://billingsgazette.com/opinion/editorial/gazette-opinion-more-a-sycophant-than-a-senator/article_c74645cd-8d4c-5f06-8d77-cf29919577a4.html
Wow, wouldn’t it be a hoot if the papers in South Dakota would put Rounds, Thune and Dirty on that list of disgusting racists and call them out? Naw, the only news source that has any balls whatsoever is Dakota Free Press. Many thanks Cory, for pointing out for the locals what they should be concerned about.
Under the one drop of blood rule, everybody is BLACK! Bwahahahahaha!!!!! DNA proves it.
Rancid Racist’s incitement has already resulted in a death threat against Rep. Omar. The perpetrator has been arrested. She and Rep. AOC have been forced to always be accompanied by body guards due to threats the GOP keeps silent about.
Apparently Rancid Racist is outraged at the celebratory welcome Omar received at the Minneapolis airport. Bwahahahahaha!!! He’s guaranteed there will be plenty more of the same. I hope NY, Michigan and ? do the same.
Trump now contradicts himself and labeled the Lock Her Up chanters as patriots. The United States President is encouraging the most racist among us to surface. He’s 💯% responsible for the rise in racism and an ongoing crime in progress.
Yes ,trump is responsible for the rise in racism, but lets not give a pass to our congressional reps along with the neighboring ND, Montana, and Wyoming closet racists insisting ” I’m not a racist, but it’s just free speech, you know.
Trump’s going to use this message to win the same way Nixon destroyed McGovern.
– My opponents don’t just disagree with me… they hate me. They hate you. They hate America. They hate everything you stand for and have built. The women are not really Americans, they are aliens, socialists, communists… immigrants who have spit on the gift we have given them.
Nominate a moderate or we’re toast!
Nominate a fighter who calls out racism for what it is. Hang that racist plaque right around republicans racist necks. Independents will win the day and they ain’t having that racist crap staining themselves. A woman moderate like Elizabeth Warren or Kamala Harris would fit the bill.
Repeat after me, Rounds is a racist, Thune is a racist, Dirty is a racist. You don’t need me to show that, they prove it day in and day out. Let them know who they are. Dirty actually proves it more by the Wounded Knew Medals of Dishonor. GNoem is a classic example of proven racism, so much so that Pine Ridge forbids her to come.
I can’t help but wonder whether labeling someone a racist that does not accept that label is really an effective way of changing racist behavior. It is so simple for someone to deny to himself or herself that he or she is a racist. One can look to whatever non-racist behavior he or she has engaged in as evidence that no, he or she is not a racist.
But if the focus is changed to labeling behavior racist rather than labeling someone a racist, denial and deflection becomes a bit more difficult. One can’t argue that he or she did not engage in the challenged behavior. And one can’t argue that racist behavior is okay if one’s refuses to accept being a racist. That leaves the issue as not whether one is a racist, but whether the behavior one engaged in might be considered racist behavior.
Questioning behavior rather than someone’s fundamental nature might just keep the door of communication cracked open a bit. Questioning someone’s fundamental nature, however, seems a sure way to quickly get the communication door slammed tightly shut.
bear,
In general, yeah, I agree. If someone says racist things once or twice, maybe they have lived under a rock for 40 years and not been adequately socialized.
Or, maybe they have viewed Republican rhetoric over that time where various dog whistling has made it just a bit chic to be snidely racist. Maybe all these folks just want to get rid of what they think is “social correctness,” so that their various terms for minorities won’t earn them the badge of racist. Maybe the constant effort by Republicans to strip the vote away from minorities through voter ID, taking away “souls to the polls,” and closing DMV offices in minority neighborhoods so they can’t get an ID, maybe all of that and more is just, oh, and innocent effort to reduce government waste.
The thing is words intimidate, and words excite. Words are behavior. And when someone uses racially charged words or phrases to intimidate or to excite racial hatred, those people label themselves as racists.
Good psychology, BCB. Bravo. American politics does seem to be mired in a labeling war. Labeling a person rather than labeling behavior. Keeping the door cracked for possible common ground is essential for Dems to come to the center; the only place we can win.
Labeling four outspoken yet accurate Congress people as aliens, socialists, communists, and immigrants who have spit on the gift we have given them doesn’t currently reflect a willingness to compromise. That’s why we must move to the center and do the right thing, this election.
LOSING TO TRUMP … (my ongoing series) ~ Trump’s reelection is still playing the pre-game show. The players haven’t all been introduced. It won’t begin until Republicans play the abortion card. Notice the deafening silence on the subject, lately?
-Trump has the “Christ’er Voting Block” (born-agains and Catholics) nailed down (no pun intended :) ) He’s spoken more on religious tv than anywhere else and he’s the biggest hit since The Man himself.
-We can quickly lose all hope by demanding a hard-line maximalist position. While the public leans pro-choice, its views are quite nuanced. So, instead of talking about abortion as “safe, legal, and rare”; if we demand the legalization of late-term abortions, focus on taxpayer funding and express as much contempt as possible for people with different views we’ve got 4 More Don.
-A model for this error is Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who compares being anti-abortion to being racist. Talk like that and we can kiss the moderate, centrist, swing voters, adios! Trump’s campaign is way ahead in electoral college count. We’re playing catch up and it’s still pre-season. Use Your Brain
Here is an idea. Win the senate! Independents are already coming around to that. By winning the congress, we can eliminate the power of the president to wage these ridiculous tariff trade wars while putting an anvil on the filibuster and tossing it off the deep end of the pier. When the senate is won, having trump or not having trump will be a matter for the impeachment proceedings. That is the will of the people.
If Beto, and Bullock, for two, would wake the hell up and know they have a better chance to do something great for America by being senators, we will finally be able to do something to correct the terrible wrongs the republican fascists have forced on us.
The national media has lost its patience with trump and is directly calling him a liar in every distinct news report. Something has happened and i like it.
PBS eliz hoover took sen cruz to the cleaners this week after 10 minutes of his refusing to characterize trumps “go home” as racist behavior.
Lookee what immigration does to already fragile wingnut noggins…. https://the-immoral-minority.com/study-finds-that-immigration-does-increase-chances-of-terrorism-right-wing-domestic-terrorism-that-is/
But Drumpf refuses to say the magic words….radical honky terrorists (his base) so the terrorists win.
Cop in Looseranna wants to send AOC back tho where she came from dead.
https://www.rawstory.com/2019/07/cop-says-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-should-be-shot-following-trumps-racist-targeting-of-the-squad/
New wingnut cop motto…To Reject and Shoot.
ps Cop’s demeanor above is moar pervasive in right wing ranks than most people believe.
Our Racist-in-Chief, via the Strib:
“For the fourth season of ‘The Apprentice,’ Donald Trump searched for a gimmick to bolster ratings. His idea was simple if explosive — pit an all-white team against an all-black team.”
“Long before he ignited a firestorm by telling four Democratic congresswomen of color to ‘go back’ to their home countries, even though three were born in the United States and all are citizens, Trump sought to pit Americans against one another along racial lines.
“Over decades in business, entertainment and now politics, Trump has approached America’s racial, ethnic and religious divisions opportunistically, not as the nation’s wounds to be healed but as openings to achieve his goals.”
“Taking on competitors of his Atlantic City casinos, he questioned whether rival owners were really American Indians entitled to federal recognition — then later teamed up with another tribe when there was money to be made.”
“‘Let me be clear: Donald Trump is a disgusting, filthy, petty racist and he is trying to start a race war in this country, and what we saw this week is just the beginning,’ said Omarosa Manigault Newman, a former ‘Apprentice’ star fired after a stint in the White House.
“Anthony Scaramucci, who briefly served as White House communications director, wrote on Twitter that Trump would never have told a white immigrant to go back to his country. ‘That’s why the comments were racist and unacceptable,’ he said, remarks that got him disinvited from a Republican fundraiser.”
http://m.startribune.com/for-decades-trump-has-used-race-to-help-him-achieve-his-goals/512992552/
“Love it or leave it, in other words, with a bigoted edge — which is not a populist corrective to exceptionalism, but exceptionalism’s dumbest form.”
Ross Douthat
😆😆😆😆😆
So then, what does it all mean? We are no longer a nation of importance, we are just corporate America just like corporate Russian and corporate Kenya.
“Last month, Facebook announced that it is introducing its own currency, Libra, which the more than two billion users (or “citizens”) of the platform will be able to use to pay for goods and services.
“There is no America. There is no democracy. There is only IBM and ITT and AT&T and DuPont, Dow, Union Carbide, and Exxon. Those are the nations of the world today … The world is a collage of corporations, inexorably determined by the immutable by-laws of business.”
The famous monologue from the film Network delivered by actor Ned Beatty in 1976 reflected growing anxiety at the time that corporate power could eventually overturn democracy. Today, what was feared 40 years ago is becoming a reality. Corporations have become the nations of the world and they increasingly act as such.”
Great show, Are we mad as hell?
Just for the [gag] fun of it, I dug out a transcript of Trump’s acceptance speech at the RNC in 2016 – and if the Republicans think Ilhan Omar trash-talked America (which she didn’t), he certainly did:
“Our convention occurs at a moment of crisis for our nation. The attacks on our police, and the terrorism in our cities, threaten our very way of life. Any politician who does not grasp this danger is not fit to lead our country….
(Death, destruction, etc…)
Our trade deficit in goods reached — think of this — our trade deficit is $800 hundred billion dollars. Think of that. $800 billion last year alone. We will fix that…
The budget is no better. President Obama has almost doubled our national debt to more than $19 trillion, and growing.
Yet, what do we have to show for it? Our roads and bridges are falling apart, our airports are in third world condition, and 43 million Americans are on food stamps…
The irresponsible rhetoric of our president, who has used the pulpit of the presidency to divide us by race and color, has made America a more dangerous environment than frankly, I have ever seen and anybody in this room has ever watched or seeing…”
And more of the same.(https://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/full-transcript-donald-trump-nomination-acceptance-speech-at-rnc-225974)
And he hasn’t fixed a damn thing.
BCB,
I share some of your concerns, but this Twitter thread, with the exception of casting aspersions on the efficacy of the debate team, also rings true.
Where Drumpf got his love it or leave it inspiration…https://the-immoral-minority.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/love-it-or-leave-it..jpg
In a story you just can’t make up, Texass wingnut guv, Greg A-Butt signed the save Chik fil a law and swears discrimination is not allowed in Texas. Chik fil a is allowed to discriminate against LBGT people on religious grounds making A-Butt just another in the endless string of hypocritical effing wingnuts.
https://the-immoral-minority.com/the-governor-of-texas-literally-signed-a-save-chick-fil-a-bill-into-law-saying-it-protected-religion-freedom/
Accompanies above post.
Mike, we are (correctly) so concerned when corporations became “people” that we overlooked the many ways those newly created “people” have rights and protections extended to them that FAR exceed the actual people of this nation. Instead of owners hiding behind corporate protection, the corporation ought to be held responsible for discriminatory and criminal actions. There is no reason we cannot have corporate jail (suspension of the ability to do business) or even the death penalty for corporate crimes.
As to the racism of the President, I still say the real question is what does it say about this nation that willingly and knowingly elected a racist. This is not a new turn for President Trump; it even seems to be a re-election tactic to lean into it. The president is not the one who needs to be shamed or educated, his electorate is.
Kal, your Twitter link is excellent. I recommend it to everyone.
I think the Democratic candidates need to run on policy and such in the primaries to get the nomination, though whenever the subject is Rancid Racist, they should definitely follow the guidance of Tim Weise’s Twitter thread.
Once a candidate has the nomination, go after that Nazi monster hammer and tongs for exactly that and ask voters if that’s the kind of nation they want the USA to be. The majority do not want RR. Rancid Racist’s minions will not change, but the good guys, the anti-nazis, must turn out every single voter possible.
Frame this election in desperate terms — Because It Is!
“Only the Bard of Avon could do literary justice to the tortured madness of Donald Trump, who fluctuates between petulant self-pity and weird self-praise.”
Jim Hightower
Mandatory COOL labeling for all Americans!
Debbo, Jim Hightower is right on the money! King Lear meets Othello, with a touch of the Dogberry.
Jerry’s on the right road, now. How about electronic VIP chips implanted in all white babies at birth. MAIA – Make America Identifiable Again
Indeed Porter, as long as we’re going down the racist road, let’s really shake the nest and require DNA testing results as well just to get a drivers license. None of that World War Two tattoo Holocaust stuff either, a bar coded chip for modern times. Men will have to drop-trou to see if they are circumcised or not and all genders will be offered and required to consume tofo without making faces.
When identified with COOL, the label will speak out when the words “Send her (him) back” are registered. No slacking. Example for jerry “Send him back” identifier speaks out “Xanadu” and I break into break dancing. Can’t wait. For trump “Send him back” identifier comes back “Hell” and holograms of Hitler and Mussolini appear embracing him. We want honesty.
“Immigrants and their children founded 45% of U.S. Fortune 500 companies, according to a new study by New American Economy, a pro-immigration group.
” Some of the nation’s iconic founders have immigrant ties: Henry Ford’s father was born in Ireland … Steve Jobs’ biological father was born in Syria … Jeff Bezos’ adoptive father was born in Cuba.
” Why it matters, from Axios’ Stef Kight: The share of the most successful and globally-recognized U.S. companies that have immigrant founders is growing, according to the group. At the same time, the Trump administration has made it more difficult for immigrants to come to the U.S., often claiming that they take American jobs and lower wages.
“The big picture: Immigrants may have a negative impact on the work prospects of some U.S.-born workers, as Harvard economics and social policy professor George Borjas wrote for Politico. But they also are increasingly a vital part of the U.S. economy.
” Fortune 500 companies founded by immigrants or their children employ 13.5 million people and had $6.1 trillion in annual revenue last year, per the study.
In Illinois, the revenue brought in by immigrant-founded Fortune 500 companies was equal to 70% of the state’s GDP.”
Mike Allen, Axios AM
Mike Pence’s son is allegedly a ringleader in campaign stop chant startups for Drumpf’s campaign. He allegedly organizes, starts and stops the chants.
https://theguardiansofdemocracy.com/ex-trump-aide-outs-pences-nephew-as-section-leader-who-orchestrates-chants-at-trump-rallies/
Drumpf the hump couldn’t go and pay respects to former Scotus Justice Stevens without a foul mouthed attack on 4 Democratic freshmen congress women. Drumpf just oozes ooze and none of it has any class at all.
True that, but that still doesn’t mean squat to these guys who think this is their ancestral home, it isn’t. They are immigrants and the only way to prove that to them is to chip them. The white supremacist in Leigh, North Dakota found out that not only was he black he came from the deepest darkest part of Africa. Dude was so black he was blue.
Craig Cobb, the whitest white guy ever…is 14% black. ” Well, that’s awkward: A white supremacist who made headlines worldwide for plotting to take over a town in North Dakota received the results of a DNA test — and the results say he’s 14% black.”
Los Angeles Times https://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-white-supremacist-dna-20131112-story.html
Life is funny like that. Now, all you white guys who think like trump, stick your tongue out and take that DNA test, then you’ll know why you can do that country swing thingy out on the dance floor. Think just because you might be from a Nordic country you’re immune to that, think again. Vikings were trading with Muslims and getting sweet on them for centuries, you all ain’t pure breeds. You’re mutts just the like the rest of us.
Kal’s link is important. One difference in the David Duke episode, however, is that Duke was openly and proudly a racist if my memory is correct. Normalizing such open behavior would be a terrible result, and my suggestion is not to normalize any racist behavior, open or dog whistle. Rather, such behavior should be the direct focus of criticism rather than using the racist label on someone who, contrary to Duke, does not identify as a racist and acknowledges that racism is an undesirable charactistic.
My supposition, or more accurately hope, is that confirming the latter attitudes can make a challenge to the racist behavior more effective than labeling the bad actor. Someone who does not identify as a racist, contrary to Duke, would seem to be more likely to be offended by racist behavior (i.e. less defensive) if not opposing a label about his or her character as a person.
Jerry, this is hilarious! “Now, all you white guys who think like trump, stick your tongue out and take that DNA test, then you’ll know why you can do that country swing thingy out on the dance floor.” 😄😄😄
BCB, I think I’ll try to remember to stick with the line that “the racists think you’re a racist.”
This country swing thingy brought to us by the Pence family dancers. They’re out. They’re loud and they love Uncle Mikey and his boss Donnie. Yee Haw 🤠
~ The Git Up by Blanco Brown-Pence (grudz on fiddle)
https://youtu.be/Xx-y87AE4z8
LOL, perfect Porter, perfect.
Meg Hoover, FIRING LINE
I found this on FB via Sioux Falls LEAD:
“This editorial board believes that our members of Congress hold themselves to be good men with a reliable moral compass. But too often they demur to the whims, language and actions of the current president rather than standing up for basic American values, such as the right of all citizens, no matter their skin color or background, to offer dissenting views and challenge the status quo.
“This country was built on the backs of those who came from somewhere else, those who look “different,” those who disagree. To stand back and allow inflammatory language to the contrary smacks of political cowardice, or the opposite of principled leadership.”
It’s from the SFAL. Kudos to them for this.