Oh, Yes. He's the Great Pretender...
Oh, Yes. He's the Great Pretender...
On Saturday, August 3, 2016, reality TV star Donald Trump, who also happens to be the Republican Presidential nominee, visited a predominantly African-American church in Detroit, Michigan, in a hopeful attempt to gain more minority votes in November. When speaking to the half-full crowd, Trump unveiled his "plan" to implement a new civil-rights agenda, which includes being able to live in a safe neighborhood; the choice to send children to charter schools instead of public ones; and the security of a job that is protected against any foreign competition, while also being "enjoyable." He brought along former Presidential hopeful Ben Carson, who was born and raised in Detroit, for good measure. You know, because "some of his best friends are black."When speaking about jobs being outsourced overseas, he told the gathering (I wouldn't call it a crowd) that globalization violates "the civil rights of American citizens by failing to protect and prioritize their jobs and wages from foreign competition."As laughable as his non-plan is (he clearly doesn't understand the term "civil rights," because these aren't them), he left out the part about how much of his "success" has been built on the backs of underpaid foreign workers both here in the states and overseas. Trump's clothing and accessories line alone is manufactured in China, Bangladesh, Honduras, and other underrepresented countries; 85 of them to be exact. Then again, the rules don't seem to apply to him and his supporters don't seem to care.Trump would like us to believe he supports the country's Mexican and African-American population. That is, when he's not spending his time re-tweeting comments made by known White Supremacists, refusing to denounce the support of proud Klansmen David Duke because he "doesn't know enough about him" (if you're not sure who he is, I suggest you look him up), encouraging violence during peaceful "Black Lives Matter" protests and claiming Mexicans are "rapists," "criminals," and "drug-dealers." But I guess if pretending to care about anyone other than himself gets him the most powerful seat in the country, he'll play make believe as long as he has to. Honestly, the fact that the overwhelming amount of evidence to the contrary does not resonate with (and frighten) those who plan to vote for him is unsettling, to say the least. They know he thinks they're all "losers" anyway, right?
Bloodied African-American male being forcefully removed from Trump rally; image courtesy of dailymail.co.uk
Sources:
Trump has profited from foreign labor he says is killing U.S. jobsTrump calls for new civil rights agenda in visit to black churchTrump Debuts 'A New Civil Rights Agenda For Our Time'David Duke
About Susanna Leighton
Susanna Leighton is a freelance writer and editor based in Southeast Michigan. A graduate of Eastern Michigan University, Susanna holds degrees in speech pathology and human services. She is a former special education teacher, an avid lover of all things science, and a steadfast supporter of justice and equality for all. She is currently working on her first book of personal essays entitled, 'A Day Leighton, A Dollar Short.'