Immediately following the election, we have been asked to rally behind President-elect Trump, and to support him as our incoming President. In some respects, I agree with this idea in principle. However, over the past several days, I have been watching Mr. Trump make several political appointments that is antithetical to any attempt at racial progress. Mr. Trump’s actions does not promote unity, but instead, it promotes division and dissention among the people of the United States and abroad.
How could President-elect Trump call for reconciliation and for America to unify itself, when his entire campaign was all about injecting fear and hatred into the hearts and minds of the American people? I find this notion to be notoriously oxymoronic. On the one hand, he is calling for his group of supporters to stop the venomous rhetoric directed at minority groups, but on the other hand, while on the campaign trail, he was encouraging his supporters to “punch them in the face,” and to disrespect them at his rallies.
How could President-elect Trump explicitly incite and promote violence and white nationalism, then in the next breath call for peace? Such leader is not fit for the oval office. The President of the United States must govern all people from all backgrounds, ethnic groups, sexual orientations, and religious and non-religious persuasions-- just to name a few.
The American people are hopefully watching his malignant actions, and will judge him based on how he leads. Thus far, based on what has been reported by public reports, he is already failing big time. In just a few short days of the election, he has already appointed Stephen Bannon as his chief strategist and senior counselor.
The insidious move to appoint Mr. Bannon to such a key position goes directly against President-elect Trump’s pledge to be president to “all Americans.” Mr. Bannon has a long history of racism and bigotry, and as informed Americans, we cannot and will not stand for this type leadership to be in the ‘People’s House’. This is 2016, not 1960. We call on President-elect Trump to nominate and appoint Americans who reflect the wide-ranging values of diversity and pluralism reflected in our society.
The leaders of the white nationalist movement, such as Mr. Bannon, vehemently oppose multiculturalism, and endorses a white nationalist ideology to advance “whiteness” at the expense of excluding others who are not white. Our country will not go backwards, but progressively forward. Mr. Trump and Bannon will not push a white nationalist agenda—and if they think that is what’s going to happen, they are seriously disillusioned. There are many people in our society, like myself, that stands ready to vociferously push back against the Trump administration, and make our voices heard.
As a moral voice in our society, I cannot sit on the sidelines and not call this incoming administration to task. And I am asking you to do the same. We have a moral obligation and responsibility to resist downplaying or normalizing white nationalism and supremacy, antisemitism, racism, and misogyny. The mere fact that Mr. Bannon is praised by the KKK organization (and former KKK Grand Wizard David Duke), and the American Nazi Party is absolutely repulsive and nauseating. What is your response to Mr. President-elect? Will you join me and millions of other Americans in demanding that Mr. Bannon step down?