No more. If it wasn't obvious before he was elected (which it should have been, see:being sued for housing discrimination, Central Park 5, etc, but nonetheless) it's extremely clear after both his response to Charlottesville and now pardoning Sheriff Arpaio that Trump is racist through and through to his bone. Thus, that being said, anyone who continues to support Trump is completely complicit in that racism.
You might say that you only support Trump because he's taken pro-life positions on abortion, that he's trying to create jobs, etc. And that might indeed be why you support him and you absolutely hate the fact that he's a racist fuckwit and despise that part of him.
But nonetheless, if you continue to support him, you accept that having a racist fuckwit in the Oval Office is an acceptable trade-off to have someone who's against abortion, protecting guns, or whatever the case may be as the President of the United States. And no matter what reason you may have, no matter how deeply and passionately you care about those things, having someone who doesn't give the slightest fuck about the civil rights or basic humanity of your fellow Americans and sees them as garbage and so clearly doesn't give the slightest fuck about them should be absolutely, completely 100% non-negotiable.
After all, if it were you, were Trump to be racist and to fundamentally not give the slightest fuck about your humanity and give not even dogwhistles, but flat out megaphones to racists that your race doesn't matter, that your rights don't matter simply based on a color of your skin or your ethnicity/heritage, if you can even slightly begin to conceive of such a thing, people hating you for factors beyond your control decided at the time of conception and wishing you dead simply because of those traits, and the President of the United States of all people giving those people the loudest possible signal that he's on their side and feels that they're right, if you can even slightly begin to conceive of such a thing, even slightly, then you would no doubt hope that no matter what your disagreements with others may be, no matter how much you otherwise don't see eye-to-eye, that people would have your back and not let that type of thing go unchecked. That no matter what your disagreements may otherwise may be, that such a thing is completely 100% unacceptable and as loudly and sharply rebuked as possible, as loudly and forcibly as this dogwhistle to racists letting the President know that he's on their side is, if not moreso.
If you can even slightly begin to conceive that, and would hope and pray to god that people would stick up for you in that type of situation, then whatever your reason for supporting Trump up to this point, I would only hope that you would do likewise for the people affected by decisions like this and let the President know that your support does in fact come with strings attached and is not 100% unconditional: that being basic respect for the humanity of your fellow Americans, no matter their skin color, no matter their ethnicity, no matter their religion, sexual orientation, gender, etc, are human and protected by the rights bestowed to them on the city, state, and federal level and protected by the Constitution of the United States of America and that getting on a megaphone and giving racists the loudest possible message that he does not in fact give the slightest fuck about the Constitution and the rights it gives them as Americans and instead says they, the racists, are the ones that are right and that he's got their backs, not the Constitution's, not rule of law, but the backs of racists and that's what he chooses to prioritize and emphasize.
If you can even slightly begin to imagine what that's like, even slightly, and put yourself into the shoes of those affected by stuff like this, if it were you who had to deal with the President of the United States essentially getting up on stage and saying that "You know what? Racists are right! People's rights don't matter simply because of the color of their skin or where there from and they're rights are completely negotiable! Fuck the Constitution, fuck rule of law and due process, and all of that nonsense! You racists have the right idea! Keep on keeping on!" and how terrifying that is, how completely 100% terrifying that is, and how, no matter what other differences you may have, that people would nonetheless have your back and say that this is absolutely, 100% not in any way alright and must be condemned in the loudest and clearest terms possible, because that's what you would naturally hope people would do for you if it was you on the other end of that, so please, please do the same and make it clear that whatever your reasons for supporting Trump up to this point, that this is a bridge so far and that if he's going to get on a megaphone and tell racists that they have the right idea, that that's just way too far and you cannot, absolutely positively cannot support him if that's the position he's going to take.
After all, that's just an extension of the golden rule in the end, really. One of the most basic and fundamental concepts possible--treat others the way you want to be treated. If you can even slightly imagine that situation, even slightly, and even slightly understand how terrifying that must be and hope that people would do the same for you if was you, then do the same for them, and make it clear that your fellow Americans rights aren't up for debate and that giving racists a thumb's up on a megaphone is just way too much. It's what you'd want if it was you, the way you'd want to be treated, so treat your fellow Americans the same way, and give them the same courtesy and respect. Treat them the way you'd want to treated. The Golden Rule. Please.
Of course, you don't have to do that. Can't make you do anything. You do have freedom of speech and the right to make your own decision. But realize that that's a two-way street and other people have their freedom of speech as well and we're free to use it to criticize and critique your decisions as well. Know that if you choose to do that, to continue backing him even now, deciding that stopping abortion, protecting your guns, etc, are that important to you that you're willing to overlook this no matter how much you personally despise it, that even if it completely eats you up but you're still willing to support him anyway because that stuff is that important to you, that you're complicit.
You don't have to make that decision. You could chose otherwise. But in that case, you're deciding that whatever the case, that those things are worth more than respecting the basic humanity of your fellow Americans and worth the President of the United States giving racists a thumbs-up and you will be loudly and sharply criticized for that as well. As that is your decision, and something you have to completely, 100% own. No one is making you come to that decision. If that's what you decide, it's your's, and your's alone, so own it and accept the fact that despite not having to, despite having alternatives (such as calling for the impeachment of the President and just letting Pence become President, who would still be pro-life, support gun rights and all that anyway), that you nonetheless are willing to throw your support behind that and accept that for whatever reason. If you accept that though, if you accept that despite not in any way being compelled to and make that of your own choice, you must accept that that is your choice and no one else's and that your complicit in empowering that type of racism.
But like I said, you don't have to. Just think of the golden rule. Treat others the way you want to be treated. If you'd want others to have your back, have their's. Otherwise, accept the consequences that if you aren't willing the have the backs of others, that they won't have your's. That's a two-way street, after all, and the corollary for that. If you don't have the backs of others, if you aren't willing to have their backs, you can't then be upset when they refuse to have your's. That makes no sense. So make your choice, but please do your best to consider that from not just your own perspective, but the perspective of those affected by stuff like this, as that's no doubt the courtesy you'd want if it was you would could be affected by something like this, so please, please return the favor, alright?
I know this post was kind of long and meandering, so if anyone actually did take the time to read this, thanks! Like, seriously, thank you! xD Can't make anyone read a post like this, so if you took the time to read it, and think about it and reflect on it, that's definitely awesome and I appreciate it. So well, yeah... Thanks! xD
