It’s that word again. The word racism; it’s a loaded gun really. Not all those who voted for President-elect Donald Trump were motivated by hatred. Some of them just wanted something different; some were simply sucked in by all the anti-Clinton hysteria.
Still, all of them had at least one thing in common. They were all prepared to set aside misgivings about Trump’s misogyny; they were willing to forgive his bigotry.
Oh, and they were able to set aside that word — the word racism.
Which is why Trump’s stance on many issues has emboldened so many of America’s less savory characters regardless of the motivations of the masses.
His surprise victory infused certain right-wing extremist groups with a sense of political legitimacy. The Ku Klux Klan have been targeting non-Trump voters with threatening flyers for a start. For seconds, former KKK grand wizard, David Duke — who shortly before the election called for Hillary Clinton’s execution — has been gleefully tweeting about Trump cabinet picks for days.
And it doesn’t help that Trump has retained the services of Breitbart’s Steve Bannon; a known anti-Semite.
Least Most Racist Person Ever
For Trump, being racist is more about how you feel about the word than what it actually means. He has been persistent, no question about that. Despite his patronizing plan to save Black people, his belief that they are lazy, his attacks on Hispanics, and his ham-fisted Taco bowl Tweet, he still considers himself to be the least racist person ever.
He can think that if it helps him sleep at night. At least that would spare us the 4 a.m. tweets he vomits out like a puppy that has accidentally mistaken a box of equestrian emetics for its usual doggy treats.
For most of us, that Trump harbors some deeply racist opinions is a no-brainer. Everyone knows it, even some of his most ardent supporters.
When the Huffington Post’s Queer Voices executive editor Noah Michelson returned home from his Thanksgiving dinner he found three identical letters waiting for him. The had all been written by a person claiming to have gone to school with him.
Writer’s Schlock
The writer, who signed the letter…
“A former Prairie School Student and Huge Donald Trump Support [sic] and Huge Supporter of the Christian Coalition”
…seemed to feel that Michelson should quit his job adding:
“I see that you are not happy with the election. I would suppose that you would not be given that you are a stupid Jewish f*ggot.”
Though far too much of a coward to sign his own name to his letter, he was nevertheless prepared to wax lyrical about his idol Trump, writing:
“I love Donald Trump because he is anti-semitic [sic] and anti-islamic [sic]. He is also xenophobic.”
He then added:
“Once I receive about 1000 signatures I will send them to your bosses at the Huffington Post to have you removed immediately. In addition, I am in the process of filing a civil suite [sic] against you and the Huffington Post for your postings on Facebook.”
Before ending with:
“I do not like Jewish people and I do not like you.”
Rapid Response Ream
Michelson’s response was delicious:
Here's my response to the hate mail I got from a Trump supporter for being a "stupid Jewish faggot" https://t.co/HZSwSCczUH
— noah michelson (@noahmichelson) November 28, 2016
Though he took the time to bullet point out some of the inconsistencies contained in the letter, he also noted the disturbing rise of hate crimes that have been reported since Trump’s victory.
Not that he left it at that.
He finished his reply with the kind of response such drivel warrants. He wrote:
“Finally, and perhaps most importantly: Fuck you! As scary as it is to know that people like you (from my own past, no less) exist ― and feel comfortable enough with your hate to publicly (though anonymously) broadcast it ― I’m not afraid of you. I’m worried sick about all of the ways you and your cronies could corrode our country in the next four years ― but I refuse to be afraid of you.
Yours,
Noah Michelson, a former Prairie School student and proud (half) Jewish faggot who isn’t afraid to sign his name to the statements he makes.”
Featured Image via screenshot from YouTube video
