“I was able to get him to produce it, he should have produced it a long time before”
If there is a single thing you heard from Donald Trump last night that disqualifies him in every way to be an American leader in this century, it is his utterly unapologetic belief that there was nothing wrong with his crusade to force an American president to show us his papers. For African-Americans, for Japanese Americans, for Jewish, Italian and Irish Americans, for Hispanic Americans and for so many others that proudly call our nation their home, the compulsion to show us your papers harkens to the worst and most despicable moments in American and world history. It is a vile command intended to weed out the people who don’t belong from those that do; to segregate those that cannot be trusted or are unwelcomed simply because of their skin color or ethnic origin. To remind people that they are inferior because of their religion or hue. Trump’s twisted notion that “I did a great job and a great service in getting him to produce his birth certificate,” betrays his core belief that people who don’t look like him need to prove they belong. It is entirely vile and disgusting. It is racist.
I was disheartened when our President capitulated and produced his “papers.” I wish he hadn’t because I believe that racism and bigotry are never appeased. Even after President Obama produced his birth certificate, Trump continued his racist rant for years because there is always someone willing to appeal to the very worst in people.
I have to believe our nation is better than that. Better than Trump.
