Nurse the Hate: Gutentag Herr Trump

Herr Trump has once again managed to divide the country on an issue so seemingly insignificant it is laughable, but that’s what he does.  Firmly nestled into the position of “Worst President of My Lifetime”, a title that I thought impossible to wrestle from George W., he never fails to shit in the nation’s punch bowl.  We have elected a man that has absolutely no interest in leading the nation.  Despite having an overwhelming majority in both House and Senate, the man is incapable of accomplishing anything of his agenda (or “evil schemes”… whichever you prefer).  For almost a decade the friggin' Republicans have been screaming about repealing Obamacare, and yet when the road is absolutely free of obstruction, no one can seem to lead an alternate plan through.  No infrastructure, no tax cuts, nothing.  Just arguing and inflammatory speech.  It’s unreal.

So last weekend while major disaster areas languished in Houston/South Florida/Puerto Rico, North Korea threatening nuclear war, Iran pissed off because of his name calling in the UN, and the upcoming healthcare vote, Trump decides to insert himself into a minor protest in the NFL about police brutality that finally seemed to be settling down.  Bam!  Once again, there’s a fire raging out of control of his own doing.  He’s like a girlfriend your buddy dates that only does terrible things, and when you ask why he stays with her, he sheepishly says “Oh, you just don’t understand her like I do.”  Well, it turns out I do.  I really do.

Why the president of the United States felt it necessary to dis-invite Steph Curry to the White House is astonishing.  I remember an incident like that in sixth grade involving a girl named Patti that was invited and then later dis-invited to a birthday party that was quite a scandal at Garwood Middle School.  Then again, we were also 12 years old.  Immediately following that incident, Trump calls out black players for protesting police brutality by kneeling during the anthem.  Trump was so excited to get the applause in Alabama in front of a few thousand zealots, he just went on a roll stopping just short of suggesting “those negroes need to behave”.  I thought he was a racist before, but I know he is now.

I spent the last few days reading arguments from The Other Side (as we all now apparently have to take sides and not just be for “The Good of the Country”).  Fox News has been running with some horseshit that it has nothing to do with race, just being “a good American”.  Fox is always quick to wave the flag and suggest that the checkers playing Trump is actually playing five dimensional chess.  To suggest that there is deeper meaning behind his actions is to imagine Trump having a depth he has never displayed.  The guy that talked about grabbing pussy on the bus is exactly what he appears to be at all times.  Trump took no umbrage at the white supremacy groups at Charlottesville.  His aides almost convinced him to do the right thing, but he just couldn’t do it, so he doubled back to say what he felt about those nice Nazis (as opposed to the bad Nazis?).  It is so far beyond what we have expected from the office of president to have someone protect Nazis and try to bully minorities that it is tempting to try and find a rationale beyond the obvious.  Yet, it is right in front of everyone.  The leader of the United States is a racist.

I am a big fan of “if it walks like a duck, it’s probably a duck”.  This is most definitely a duck.  Patriotism is the last refuge to which a scoundrel clings.  This has been the theme of this latest Trump distraction as a wave of white guys with crew cuts have taken to the airwaves to speak in quivering voices about how a black football player is disrespecting America’s military by trying to get someone to notice that a large swath of the population keeps trying to tell the rest of us something.  The white crew cut guy immediately runs to “the heroes that fought and died for this flag” rhetoric while shaking his fist as he completely misses the point.  The flag is not a symbol of the military.  To make a protest in the proximity of the flag is not to be anti-military.  These are two completely separate issues you stupid cavemen.  The flag is a symbol representing the ideals of the nation (allegedly).  When a segment of this nation makes a gesture to get the rest of us to pay attention to the fact they don’t feel like part of this nation and no one is listening, maybe it is worth stopping to ask “Why would these men bring this type of criticism down on them by their own actions?  Maybe I should listen to what they have to say.  This might be important.”  Instead Mr. Patriot is so out of sorts that he concludes that “those people” are somehow disrespecting whatever family member of his ended up in the service.  

Here’s a quick question.  How many black people have you seen on media that have been more upset about the flag demonstration than police brutality in their communities?  I haven’t seen one yet.  Every single time I look at the TV it is a variation of the same angry white guy.  There are plenty of dog whistles in their language.  There is plenty of dancing close to the edge of what seems to be the bigger issue.  In the early 1960s, these NFL players would have been called “uppity”.  There is a scorn attached to the players as the so-called patriots always mention how much money the players earn as if they should forget any social conscience.  Just be happy "we" are paying "you" and quiet down.  Wouldn’t it be refreshing if they just came out with it?  Just get the Klan robes on and go all the way.  It feels like it is getting close.  When I ask anyone that isn’t white if they think Trump is a racist, I get the exact same expression on their faces.  It is always a variation of “Are you fucking kidding me?”  They know what racism looks like and they are stunned to see how much of the country is on board with that thinking.

These are divisive times.  We have someone that commands a pulpit that is focused on dividing the population so he can get attention and applause from his core.  Trump is exactly what appears to be.  He always has been.  It's "us" against "them" in this New America.