Now that President Donald Trump has made the demise of Obamacare all too clear, millions of Americans stand to be left out in the cold, both figuratively and literally. There are hundreds of things that are now termed as “pre-existing conditions," and an easy way to let insurance companies deny people the healthcare they need to survive. As much as the most recent assault on the marginalized by the Trump administration incenses me, we need to stop for a moment to reconsider the ways in which we criticize Donald Trump. “Narcissistic," “Psychotic," “Crazy," “Insane” are just some of the everyday words that liberals deploy when signaling disgust and outrage against the head of the current administration. While I may remind people that dictionaries in the West are not the end-all authoritative standard of language, Merriam-Webster defines ableism as “discrimination in favor of able-bodied people." Some may be aware that discrimination can occur in the form of microaggressions, that structural violence is reflected in daily language. That is what leads me to criticize those who use ableist language instead of critical thinking to attack Trump -- say nothing of the homophobic language that has also been deployed of late (though that is another article for another time).

You do not need to be mentally ill to any kind of bigoted evil. I mean, we are talking about the same guy who made fun of a physically disabled reporter at one of his rallies, right? Do you really think it’s appropriate to use ableist language to criticize him? And for the record, “ableism” as an oppressive structure is as real as sexism and racism and must be combated in our daily lives if we are to build a better society. Don’t believe me? Trust the professionals who’ve already documented what violence against physically and mentally disabled people look like. Disabled folks are devalued by society because the disabled can’t be easily commodified to sell their labor like able bodied folks can. You need to realize, if you are not disabled, what kind of structural advantaged you hold over disabled people, just as white folks must realize that the current global paradigm favors us in the mantle of White Supremacy. These are material realities, and we must break them down, interrogate them, and know how they function.

The next time you hear someone attacking Trump calling him names that

historically have been used against disabled people to marginalize them, delegitimize their lived experiences, and otherwise discourage their participation in “normal” society, please consider correcting them. There are countless ways to examine the policies of the Trump administration and satirize his buffoonery without throwing disabled folks under the bus. Do better, find other words and ways of thought to describe your animus, your rage. Direct it upwards, not downwards. In this manner, we can bond and create links of solidarity instead of spreading hate.