Dear Donald,
You recently graced my state with your presence to discuss national security after the Orlando nightclub shooting on June 12th. Crowds of people (mostly white) squeezed themselves into Saint Anselm College in Manchester to hear your opinion on the tragedy, "crooked Hillary," and, more notably, to ostracize Islam.
While I am disappointed that you would use your position in front of a large national audience to spread hatred, I am not surprised (although the irony of condemning one violent act with more violent acts is not lost on me). I've paid close attention to your speeches targeting the Mexican "rapists" and the "lazy" blacks, and even closer attention to your discussion of Muslims. I am both repulsed and offended (as much as a non-Muslim can be) at the accusations and dangerously inaccurate assumptions you preach about Islam.
After cringing through the entirety of your 35-minute long speech about "radical Islamic terrorism," I have a few constructive notes I think you will benefit from.
1. Do not underrepresent the role homophobia played in the Orlando shooting.
You are so blinded by your fear of Islam that you remain ignorant of the real problem which arose from the shooting. You called the attack an "assault" on the freedom of Americans and gave a moment of silence for the LGBT+ community, but you never discussed how the shooting affects the LGBT+ community. You selfishly used the deaths of 50 people (and the injuries of 53+ others) to advance your personal vendetta against Muslims. You exploited this tragedy, a tragedy for not only Americans but LGBT+ Americans, to continue spreading hate.
Not once did you discuss the impact this shooting had on the LGBT+ community. Instead, you used your fame and privilege to denounce an entire religion for the actions of one man. The Orlando shooting was an attack on this community as much as it was an attack on the U.S. You not only failed the global LGBT+ community in your ignorance, but those injured and killed in the attack.
The victims were killed because of a hatred against them, and you have the audacity to continue spreading hatred in their memory. Do not exploit this tragedy to continue spewing Islamophobic hatred. Make no mistake that you do not represent us and you do not fight for us, and your neglect of this community during your speech made that very clear.
2. Stop your blatant ignorance, disrespect and racism toward Islam.
The undisguised hatred you harbor toward Islam is sickening. People have watched you relentlessly attack our Muslim counterparts for months, with no remorse for the carnage you leave in your wake. You insist you are the "least racist person," even as you hold Muslims to an impossible standard (one you neglect to apply to Christians and Jews).
Your quest against Sharia law* and "radical Islamic terrorism" is frivolous because of your ignorance toward the religion. You fail to grasp a basic understanding of and respect for Islam, and in doing so you are alienating an already vulnerable population.
*which is not what you think it is, and not all Muslims (especially not "99 percent of all Muslims") believe in its modern use.
You continuously spread Islamophobia and discrimination against the Muslim community, and then question why "Islam hates us" (which, by the way, they don't). You are so entranced with your own delusions, you fail to recognize that your oppression of Muslims is helping organizations like ISIS grow. The misconceptions you spread are dangerous and irresponsible.
3. You do not speak for us.
Every time you stand at a podium or step in front of a camera to address the world, you claim you are speaking for the American people. I do not know if you are more pathetic or more delusional to believe that we agree with your bigotry, your racism, and your misogyny. I've watched your speeches and skimmed through your Twitter, and every time I am left angry. I'm not angry at the minorities you scapegoat for causing all the "problems" white Americans face; I'm angry because you're wrong.
You repeat the same buzzwords at your rallies to energize your crowds, with no deeper understanding of their meaning. You incite violence and spread hatred, and then have the intrepidity to question why shootings like Orlando happen in the first place. You use your privilege to exploit the socioeconomic and political positions of women and minorities and expect praise for your "renowned" observations. You're not clever for stating what "everyone else is too afraid to say;" you're just a xenophobic cretin.
What you fail to recognize is how out-of-touch you are with American values. The U.S. is not a country of hatred, or racism, or misogyny. We do not believe in the oppression of people, and we do not believe in the obstruction of freedom. We are vulnerable now, and you are preying on our insecurities to steal the 2016 presidential election. You think you represent the American people with every asinine fallacy you yell at the camera, but you do not.
You are not one of us, Trump.
