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“We should soundly reject language coming out of the mouths of any of our leaders that feeds a climate of fear and hatred or normalizes racist sentiments; leaders who demonize those who don't look like us, or suggest that other people, including immigrants, threaten our way of life, or refer to other people as subhuman or imply that America belongs to just one certain type of people. Such language isn't new — it's been at the root of most human tragedy throughout history, here in America and around the world. It has no place in our politics and our public life. And it's time for the overwhelming majority of Americans of goodwill, or every race and faith and political party, to say as much — clearly and unequivocally."
Former President Barack Obama Tweet, August 5, 2019, after the El Paso, TX/Dayton, OH mass shootings
During the writing of this paper, in the summer of 2019, America experienced two mass shootings within thirteen hours of each other. One of them, located in El Paso, Texas, targeted Mexican immigrants. The words above are from the first African-American president. There is no doubt that President Donald J. Trump escalated feelings of alienation and fear with his use of words. Some of his most separatist remarks included:
1. June 2015: "When Mexico sends its people, they're not sending their best. They're sending people that have lots of problems, and they're bringing those problems with us. They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists. And some, I assume, are good people."
2. June 2015: "You have people come in and I'm not just saying Mexicans, I'm talking about people that are from all over, that are killers and rapists and they're coming to this country."
3. January 11, 2018: The Washington Post reported his description of El Salvador, Haiti and certain African nations during a meeting: “Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?” Also reported, the forty-fifth president demanded to know why the United States would accept immigrants from these particular countries rather than places like Norway, whose prime minister he had met with the day before.
4. May 9, 2019: During a rally in Florida, the president announced “it’s an invasion” and asked the crowd “how do you stop these people?” “Shoot them!” someone yelled back.
His use of the word “invasion” wasn’t new: in 1873, the San Francisco Chronicle proclaimed there was a Chinese invasion in progress:
San Francisco Chronicle, Wednesday,
August 27, 1873, page 3.
America, with the words that brought millions upon millions of people to its shores with the words inscribed on the pedestal where the Statute of Liberty sits, words those of us schooled in the 1960s were required to learn, “give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,” seems to ignore them in 2019.[1] The people of West Rock were treated like immigrants in their own community. They were defined as a “the objectionable eyesore along Cantrell Road” and removed.[2] Mary Douglas’ concept of dirt is easily applicable here.
[1] Emma Lazarus, New Colossus.
[2] LR Resolution 2193, April 7, 1958.
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