In June of 2015, immediately after declaring his candidacy for the Republican nomination, Trump held a rally for his cult. The theme of this and all future rallies was immediately apparent. Other than the obvious need for stroking his enormous ego, his plan to divide our nation and replace understanding and compassion with anger, hatred, and violence was foremost in his goal to steal the presidency.
After 40 months of hate speech and attacking anyone who refuses to agree with and worship him, he has succeeded. Our nation is more divided than at any time since the Civil War. Anger and hatred dominate the headlines, and this sad situation has escalated into violence all too frequently.
Make no mistake about the facts, the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis was ‘murder by cop.’ However, the ensuing protests and riots are about much more than the death of a single black man. They are representative of the mood of the American people who are demanding an end to the illegal actions of racist law enforcement officers across the nation.
Throughout our nation’s 244 years there have been opportunities for America to become a “great nation.” However, that has never happened and will never happen as long as racism and bigotry are acceptable.
For eight years of intelligent and compassionate leadership, the worst of America hid in the shadows, and crawled back under their rocks. The United States was moving forward and preparing to join the rest of developed nations. Then disaster struck.
With the assistance of Russia and the television media, the least qualified schoolyard bully in history was gifted the Electoral College and illegitimately claimed the title of President of the United States of America. We are still waiting for Trump to act like the president of 320 million people.
This con man immediately proved what I and others had been reporting for years. Trump has no principles, no morals, and is without a shred of dignity. We cringed as he revealed to the world that he was not only a white supremacist, he is the leader of this anti-American movement. The world learned that he is an Islamophobe, a homophobe, a sexist, and a xenophobe. His desire to be America’s first “king” exposed his belief in fascism, and his intent to destroy democracy.
The angry protests occurring across America today were inspired by the death of another innocent black man by the very men and women who swore to “serve and protect” us. However, these events are actually about the continuing mistreatment of minorities, and the rise of plutocracy in America. The lives of the majority are in control of one percent of our nation’s wealthiest citizens, with the support of the Republican Party.
Our corrupt government allowed nearly 90 percent of manufacturing jobs to leave our nation and use cheap labor in less developed nations to manufacture products, most of which would be sold to the American people.
The Republican Party refuses to serve the American people: they serve special interests. Corporations continue to enjoy outrageous profits, while wages are stagnant, and jobs are lost to artificial intelligence.
When President Obama focused on “green energy,” he helped create thousands of new, good-paying jobs. When Trump replaced him, he ended government’s focus on non-fossil fuel energy, and jobs were lost.
Collusion between Trump, his party, and big business is obvious. Millennials and other young Americans are aware that they will make less money in their lives than their fathers and mothers. The American Dream has died; buying a single family home is impossible for most young men and women.
Minorities are not only treated differently by law enforcement; they are ignored by our government. Republicans refuse to increase the federal minimum wage and black Americans who once worked in our factories, located in or near our inner cities are forced to take low-paying jobs in fast food joints, and other businesses which fail to provide a living wage. Many black men and women are working as many as three jobs each day to provide for their families.
“Malcolm (X) talked about the need to shift our focus from race to class, both among one another and between ourselves and the white community. He said he believed that was the root of our problems, not just in America, but all over the world. Malcolm was saying, in effect, that it is a struggle for the poor — for those who have been left out and left behind — and that it transcends race.” John Lewis
When our government refuses to serve the electorate, they must be removed from power. We can save our country, and return America to the legacy of FDR. This nation belongs to the people, not to a political party. Please vote on November 3rd: it’s now or never.
Op-ed by James Turnage
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