Trump is Racist? I Don't Think So

Do not presume to tell me what I do or do not understand. Who do you think you are? Clearly, you are the one who does not understand that people do not have to live in a particular area to have a viewpoint or an understanding of what is going in this country. Don't tell me I don't understand taxes-MA is commonly known as Taxachusetts, as we have a very high tax rate. Don't tell me I don't understand the opioid crisis-we have multiple towns and cities that have been devastated by addiction and it's ramifications. I've cared for many patients who are addicts or who have family members who are. We have a lot of homelessness here, as housing is beyond the reach of many in this state. So be careful what you say. You know not of which you speak.

Still waiting to hear what you consider racist, Daisy. Why won't you answer that question? You feel strongly that Trump isn't racist, so tell us what racist dialogue looks like to you? Oh, by the way, shame on you for your comment about the Khan family "putting themselves out there" at the DNC so they have to expect some ignorant comments like the ones Trump said. For shame for denigrating a Gold Star family who lost a son defending THIS country. That is just plain sick.

I stand by what I said about anyone who doesn't live in a particular area not understanding the problems of that particular area, so likewise, I would not say that I do understand your area and did not say that! I have already addressed the "racism" dialogue and as I have stated I am not going to endlessly argue with anyone, its called an impasse. I also said I didn't think what Trump said re: the Khan family was appropriate but yes, when you put yourself out there politically you can certainly expect some comments in return (ie they were not just made out of the blue). And if you think someone should respond to everything someone says why didn't you respond to me about everything I have said?

I stand by what I said about anyone who doesn't live in a particular area not understanding the problems of that particular area, so likewise, I would not say that I do understand your area and did not say that! I have already addressed the "racism" dialogue and as I have stated I am not going to endlessly argue with anyone, its called an impasse. I also said I didn't think what Trump said re: the Khan family was appropriate but yes, when you put yourself out there politically you can certainly expect some comments in return (ie they were not just made out of the blue). And if you think someone should respond to everything someone says why didn't you respond to me about everything I have said?

No, she asked why you don't respond to questions specifically directed to you. Apparently you can't.

No offense personally bc I don't know you personally but you are coming off as very condescending.

None taken. I'm not surprised if I do come off as condescending. Arrogance is probably my most prominent character flaw. I try to reign it in, but perhaps I'm not always successful.

People do not have to (or keep having to) explain themselves to you, and that doesn't mean that you are right just because they don't want to endlessly argue their point. We are all entitled to our own opinion!

You don't have to explain anything. You have the opportunity to do so, in case you want to change the perception I, and perhaps others, have of you. But if you're comfortable having me believe that you fully embrace every ugly aspect of your current President, then you shouldn't waste any time authoring a response.

The thing is though, I get the impression that you don't want to be painted with the same brush as him, yet strangely you seem utterly incapable of criticizing the things he does and the policies he implements. I think that you feel that being a racist is an ugly thing. You don't want to be labeled a racist but since you do find yourself in the situation of agreeing with Trump, you are faced with a dilemma. It logically follows that you simply can't admit that he is one. Not to us, not to yourself.

I am tired of people twisting my words, like you with the Mexicans crossing the border statement. I didn't say all, and the comment was in reference to another statement.

I know you didn't say all. That wasn't my point. My point is that your President chooses to focus on and only mention the very small percentage who engage in criminal activites, thus blowing the whole thing out of proportion, and painting an erroneous picture of reality. And many of his supporters buy into his narrative hook, line and sinker, many times because it meshes beautifully with their own anti-immigrant bias and ethnical/racial prejudices.

And, if you don't believe that statement and/or think its not a problem here come on down to the Southwest and have a look around.

I lived several years in La Jolla, CA. It was then, and probably still is, an affluent and predominantly white community in the northern parts of San Diego. I still keep in touch with some friends I made during my time there.

Considering its location in southern California, of course there were many immigrants present when I lived there and the topic came up in conversations quite frequently.

There was a certain part of the population who voiced anti-Mexican sentiments even back then. There have always been people around who blame everything that ails society, on immigrants. This is nothing new. The only difference now is that Trump has legitimized these feelings with his rhetoric and many people feel emboldened.

I see you live in MA so you do not really understand some the issues out here either (mass homelessness, job loss, opioids, taxes).

I know this wasn't in response to me, but what does homelessness, job loss, taxes and the opioid crisis have to do with what we're discussing? We've been discussing racism and immigration. I don't follow your train of thought here. Is there a correlation in your mind? Do you want to clarify?

And as far as the Republican party goes, again you do not live here (in the US) and experience life in the way we do and probably have a very skewed view of what is going on from the "news", so again please do not judge until you walk a mile.

The Republican Party has changed in the last ten or twenty years. Are you arguing that it hasn't? I don't even think it's genuinely a conservative party today, as much as it is a cult following of Trump. You have a supposedly conservative congress who aren't causing a major ruckus even when the President decides to impose tariffs of all things. Yeah, that's a real conservative policy. No, of course it isn't. It's a nationalist and isolationist policy. And it hurts you as much as it hurts anyone else. Trade wars are bad for the economy.

Why is news in quotation marks? News is a real thing. As I follow both "left-leaning" and "right-leaning" media, I get a pretty accurate picture of what's going on in the U.S.. Of course I don't limit myself to the media, I also check available statistics from reputable organizations and governmental entities. And I listen to what actually comes out of the mouths of politicians. I also talk to people. More about that later on.

And, if you think it is unidirectional umbrage I urge you to take another look.

I have looked. How many times have you called out those posters who use terms likes idiots, half-wits and crying babies when addressing a Trump opponent?

Nothing wrong with a different perspective as long as it is kept in context with actual people who live here and are actually affected by policies.

Daisy. What Donald does affects the ENTIRE world.

And yes I agree that we should not have a lawless country but it doesn't help when we have Congress running around instigating people to harass those they don't agree with (see Maxine Watters). This is an embarrassment to our country, but then again, you probably didn't see that on the liberal news.

You have a strange preception of liberal media. What Maxine Waters said was widely reported on all the news outlets I watched. I regularly watch MSNBC and Fox, and CNN to a lesser extent. I follow news in my own country of course but also British, French, German, Russian, Chinese news and Al-Jazeera.

Since I do want to follow news in so many countries and parts of the world, I have to limit the number of media outlets or newspapers I peruse in each country, but I do try to look at the news from "both sides" in every part of the world. If you were to watch several news outlets, you would know that what Maxine Wathers said, was reported.

If you think Maxine Waters is an embarrassment for your country, how do you feel about Jim Jordan and Trey Gowdy? The way Jordan aggressively questioned the deputy Attorney General was actually ugly to watch. Both Deputy AG Rosenstein and the Director of the FBI are Republicans by the way, and Wray is a Trump appointee.

To have Trey "Benghazi" Gowdy complain about the duration of the Mueller inverstigation was pretty ridiculous, and if the stakes weren't so high I would have laughed. But Jordan... Oh, boy...

That Daisy, was your "checks and balances" crumbling and disintegrating before your very eyes. Congress is supposed to provide oversight. They are not supposed to act as the President's bodyguard by hounding public servants, in order to attempt to protect him from potentially politically damaging fallout of a legitimate investigation.

Harrassing public servants who are only trying to do their job and fulfill their duties to the American people is an absolute disgrace in my opinion. Banana republic territory. That's what I think you should worry about.

I also said I didn't think what Trump said re: the Khan family was appropriate but yes, when you put yourself out there politically you can certainly expect some comments in return (ie they were not just made out of the blue).

I CAN NOT believe that you still refuse to just outright condemn what Trump said. He was a candidate to become Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Armed Forces. A Commander-in-Chief does NOT speak like that to parents who have lost their child in his or his predecessor's service. I can't believe that I as a foreigner have to tell you that.

The power balance between bereft parents and a future President is not level. Your country owes their son Captain Khan a debt of gratitude. What his parents got was cruel and callous remarks. Shameful.

And if you think someone should respond to everything someone says why didn't you respond to me about everything I have said?

Again, I know this wasn't directed at me, but if you ask me a direct question, I will answer it. I don't think you have, if you have I've missed it.

Don't tell me I don't understand taxes-MA is commonly known as Taxachusetts, as we have a very high tax rate.

I didn't know that. I've only ever been to Logan. Anyway, sounds like Sweden :lol2:

Like it or not, we live in a larger world and what our country does or says is not confined to the USA bubble.

We are no longer respected as a great country by most of the world. I just returned from a week helping others in a so-called shithole country. Most of the people I spoke with no longer want to come to the US, so you can rest easy. They see us as a lawless country where citizens shoot each other, and our government is being controlled by a dictator.

(partial, edited quote).

I mentioned talking to people earlier in this post as a way to help me form opinions on things. About a month ago, this years tourist "invasion" started so I speak to a lot of folks from all over the Place, as I take walks through my city. I meet many Americans and it's funny how politics and your President always seem to be come up in these conversations. Even in short interactions when someone is just asking me for directions to a specific place, they almost always say something along the lines of "you must think we're crazy for electing Trump".

The tourists I meet are very aware of what we think of him and they seem to feel like they have to distance themselves from him. I makes me sad. It also makes me wonder if Trump supporters travel abroad? I haven't met any, at least not any willing to admit it. And I've met Americans here, in Norway, in the UK, in France, in Italy, in Greece and in the Netherlands during the past 18 months or so.

He has really dragged your reputation through the mud and we no longer regard the U.S. as a dependent ally. He treats traditional allies poorly, but he heaps praise on the dictators and autocrats of the world. I don't admire Putin, Duterte, Xi Jinping, Erdogan and Kim Yong-un, but it seems like your President does.

BCgradnurse, thank you for travelling abroad and helping those less fortunate amongst us, and also thank you for your kind words! I appreciate them :)

Edited Jul 4, 2018 by macawake

No offense personally bc I don't know you personally but you are coming off as very condescending. People do not have to (or keep having to) explain themselves to you, and that doesn't mean that you are right just because they don't want to endlessly argue their point. We are all entitled to our own opinion! At some point you are just at an impasse. I am tired of people twisting my words, like you with the Mexicans crossing the border statement. I didn't say all, and the comment was in reference to another statement. And, if you don't believe that statement and/or think its not a problem here come on down to the Southwest and have a look around. I am tired of people judging who have no clue. I don't see how so many people do not see the problems here (especially the one who live here in the US, and again, even within the US we have differing geographic areas with different problems so maybe some don't see it daily) and that is scary to me! And as far as the Republican party goes, again you do not live here (in the US) and experience life in the way we do and probably have a very skewed view of what is going on from the "news", so again please do not judge until you walk a mile. And, if you think it is unidirectional umbrage I urge you to take another look.

IMHO, you haven't explained your inability to see Trump's racism. You have dismissed the information which demonstrates years of racist attitudes and insisted that it doesn't rise to your standard for racism while conveniently failing to describe what that standard actually includes.

In spite of repeated requests, you have refused to explain yourself. It's almost as if you have decided something in spite of the evidence to the contrary and now are finding it difficult to quantify how much racism is too much racism for you personally.

Where's the OP I wonder.

Where's the OP I wonder.

I believe he posted that he was going on a trip or would be away for few days.

Do not presume to tell me what I do or do not understand. Who do you think you are? .

Spidey's mom?

Is this some of the disrespect you see here or is it all the liberals who do so?

Respectful discourse does not insult or assume another does not understand what he or she is speaking of, because he/she disagrees.

I agree, there is disrespect here. But I am seeing a lot of it from the conservative side. When they can't prop up their arguments with facts, they tend to denigrate or make nasty assumptions about what the "other side" understands or knows. THAT is insulting.

The OP took a break and admonished the rest of us to be "civil".

I was embarrassed. I don't think people should be confronted when just living their lives.

But they're not "just living their lives." As members of this administration, they are public servants, and accountable to the public. They are actively involved in policies and practices that many of us, whether others agree or not, believe are doing serious damage to the country, and we have a constitutional right to express our views peacefully. I, for one, am happy to see members of the administration experience some personal consequences of their actions. If they don't like it, they are welcome to find another line of work, one in which they are not accountable to the public.