In wake of the recent terror attack in New Zealand where a man killed 49 people inside a mosque last week President Trump was asked by the media if he thought " White nationalist were a rising threat around the world?" The president responded by saying he does not think they are a rising global threat but a small group of people.
White supremacy domestic terrorism is on the rise in the United States and across the globe, while many of these crimes are not originally categorized as white domestic terrorism in part because of the mass denial of our society but also because of flaws in our justice system that often allow white supremacist terrorist off with insanity pleas.
Donald Trump has repeatedly taken the gentle approach when addressing white nationalist getting criticized for his comments on the Charlottesville riots saying " You had some very bad people in that group, but you also had people who were very fine people on both sides." Even though his comments may not be in direct support of white nationalist they do not condemn them or discourage their actions. Trump is known for taking harder stances than that when he is against something. He once said that NFL players who kneel "shouldn't be in the US."
President Trump has developed a reputation of being reluctant to point fingers when it comes to wrong doings involving White supremacist and saving his harsh words for marginalized groups especially Muslims. Trumps ideology in this regard proves to be extremely harmful. Islamaphobia has been promoted globally by the mainstream media for years and as a result mass hatred and false beliefs about muslims have developed.
It is time that everyone takes an active role in the dismantling of these harmful beliefs that can so easily lead to violence. This involves more than just social media post condemning the shooters actions but community programs educating the everyday Joe about the muslim religion. It means speaking up and stepping in when you witness injustices against muslims just as you would be inclined to do for your own family.
We may not be able to expect this type of behavior from every citizen but it is definitely something we should be able to expect from the leader of our nation. As one of the most influential people on this planet Donald Trump could easily impact the conversation had regarding Muslims and Islam by coming to their defense or by rebuking white supremacist ideologies.
It cannot be denied that Donald Trump is well respected by white supremacist, even if he has never explicitly stated his support for them. It is in his actions where they get their motivation, his policies, and ideals. If Donald Trump does not take a firm stance against white supremacy this epidemic will grow. Instead of taking that stance President Trump deflected and has claimed that the media is trying to blame him for the New Zealand attack.
With the option of taking a hard public stand against white supremacy to clear the air being so easy it makes you wonder why won't Donald Trump denounce white supremacy.
