Harry Truman said : ” The only thing new in the world is the history you don’t know.”
Some folks may think that Trump’s vile racism is new. Well, think again. Back in the mid- 1800’s bigoted xenophobia was called nativism and there was actually a Know Nothing political movement. Abraham Lincoln – one of the founders of the progressive, anti – secessionist, unionist Republican party – summed it up best in an August 24, 1855 letter to his friend, Joshua Speed :
” I am not a Know Nothing. That is certain. How could I be? How can anyone who abhors the oppression of Negroes, be in favor of degrading classes of white people? Our progress in degeneracy appears to me to be pretty rapid. As a nation, we began by declaring that “all men are created equal.” We now practically read it “all men are created equal , except Negroes.” When Know Nothings get control, it will read “all men are created equal except Negroes, and foreigners, and Catholics.” When it comes to this I should prefer emigrating to some country where they make no pretense of loving liberty – to Russia, for instance, where despotism can be taken pure, and without the base alloy of hypocrisy.”
We are at a crossroad in which we must decide who we are and what we believe. I choose to stand and fight against the darkness and give light to the better angels of our nature. Will you?
Christopher says
I don’t think anyone believes Trump’s racism is new, but quite the opposite. Some of us thought it was so old that we would have gotten past it by now.
fredrichlariccia says
Trump’s election strategy is to start a race war.
fredrichlariccia says
Some thought that the election of Obama meant that we were post racial, too. They were wrong.
fredrichlariccia says
Twitler’s adoration personality cult is fueled with a toxic mix of racism, xenophobia and bigotry.