Destry Adams
Oh, I can hear people click-clacking away on their keyboards, leaving angry comments by the dozens based solely on what the headline is. And yes, I wholeheartedly stand by my opinion. Trump has said and implemented policies that are racist. And if you vote for him, you are contributing to racial inequality that is present in various institutions across the United States.
As a student on campus, I have seen people proudly supporting our president, with stickers on their laptop, wearing MAGA hats or going to that Turning Point USA rally last year. Speaking of that rally, a lot of the protestors were saying that Trump is racist, but some people did not understand why. From my own perspective, I think the president is considered racist based on the policies he has implemented. Now to be clear, I don’t think people who support the president are inherently racist.
But before I list down the policies Trump has implemented that have hurt various communities, we must first define what racism is. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the term racism as this: “A belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.” While this is a decent definition of the word, it barely scratches the surface of the topic.
Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, the author of “How to Be an Antiracist” and the founding director of the Boston University Center for Antiracist Research, said, in his TED Talk, that being racist also supports policies that lead to racial injustice and inequality, such as police brutality, the justice system and job hiring.
Now that we have defined racism, has Trump implemented racist policies? Yes, and here is a fraction of all the stuff that Trump has implemented that has impacted or targeted various racial groups.
Trump has put a ban on refugees from countries with large Muslim populations, despite most trying to flee from violence.
We can’t forget about his wall because Trump believes all crime comes from Mexico, despite a lot of illegal activity happening over the Canadian border. Jeez, I wonder why?
A lot of minority and women-owned businesses did not have access to the stimulus checks — around 90% to be exact!
White households also received their checks sooner than Black or Hispanic ones.
The Trump administration has rolled back Obama-era policies that try to reduce racial bias in the police.
Trump has reduced the Bear Ears National Monument size by 85%, despite it being an important landmark to various Native American tribes.
Affirmative action guidelines have been dismantled by the Trump administration, making it more difficult for people in disenfranchised communities to be admitted into college.
Just to remind everyone, there are still people caged and separated at the U.S. border.
The Trump administration sent a secret police force to Portland to kidnap people protesting police brutality against people of color.
Also, Puerto Rico is still suffering after Hurricane Maria, and Trump has the nerve to trade the people there for the giant sheet of ice that is Greenland, allegedly.
Trump’s insistence on voter ID laws will make it difficult for some people to vote.
Trump was a major proponent of the racist conspiracy that Obama wasn’t born in America.
I could sit here and list more policies, but I only have so much time in the day. Now, I can hear some people saying “AFricAn eMplOYMeNt NUmbERs,” or something like that. The trend was actually started under the Obama administration, and because Trump bungled the response to COVID-19, unemployment numbers are high again. Just like the racist failure of a businessman that he is, Trump takes the credit of a Black man and somehow makes it worse.
Some people will also say “bUT joE BIdeN.” Listen, I am also not a big fan of Joe Biden. In fact, he has said and done some racist stuff in the past. For me, not every politician is going to pass a law that will solve the social and economic issues that people face. But, they can implement policies that can make it more bearable. Considering all the policies Trump implemented, I will take Biden in a very reluctant, three-shots-of-tequila heartbeat.
Racism is not just yelling slurs or committing hate crimes, but also upholding a status quo that intentionally creates disproportionate and unequal outcomes. More than enough evidence has been provided that Trump has upheld and strengthened the racist status quo.
If you were going to vote for Trump and realized how he has hurt people and are reconsidering, I applaud you. The first step of fighting against racism is to acknowledge your racial biases and try to correct an unjust system.
If you are going to still vote for Trump, all I can say is why? This isn’t an us vs. you issue. Issues that plague minorities still affect white people, just not as much. White people are still mistreated by the police, have inadequate access to health care and are impacted by other problems as well. By addressing minority issues, it will be beneficial to you as well.
If, after my rationale, you’re still voting for Trump, I leave you with this: You are okay with supporting racial injustice and inequality.