“All that is necessary for evil to succeed is that good men do nothing”- Edmund Burke
On numerous occasions, Donald Trump has described himself as the least racist person you could know in the world or other variations of the same. True, he has condemned white supremacists, but he has also called them very fine people.
All the while, he refuses to admit he is a racist, even when the House of Representatives condemned his comments about four Freshman Congresswomen as racist.
So, which is it?
Former Republican Congressman Paul Ryan says Trump represents the textbook definition of a racist.
His comments have been used to support mass casualty shootingsboth at home and abroad. His most recent comments called Jews disloyal if they vote for Democrats .
How can anyone not see these as racist and/or anti-Semitic; the very things he accused female minority members of Congress of being?
Sadly, his supporters don’t see it this way. Indeed, they would also deny that they, themselves, are racist. What they are is what I’m calling passive racists. They will openly condemn racism while denying they are supporting a racist.
Much like Trump, they don’t see themselves as racists. Yet they blithely ignore their own racist actions, such as supporting the Muslim ban, stricter restrictions on immigrants, and labeling Antifaa terrorist group. Conversely , they will not label the organizations or individuals who have committed the most horrific mass shootings as racists.
Instead, his base, which is largely comprised of Evangelicals,white supremacistsand the NRA, have all thrown their lot in with Trump and his racist comments. While Evangelicals will deny they are racist, their religious intolerance and refusal to call out Trump on his comments make them passive racists.
What can be done to fight this?
We need to continue to speak out. We need to make these passive racists see the ugly truth that lived within them. We need to stamp out racism, bigotry and religious intolerance in all its forms. Only then will we be able to be a truly United States.