Scapegoating is a tool of opportunists, a tactic used by Donald Trump to spread hatred towards immigrants during his presidential campaign.
This time, he Targeting Legal Haitian Immigrants In Springfield, Ohio, he made it his goal to have Americans embrace him as an anti-immigrant savior during George H.W. Bush's 1988 election campaign. Portrait of Willie Horton Trump used the ominous phrase “black people” to symbolize the nationwide rise in black crime. Hannibal Lecter-like fiction Of black immigrants eating pets.
Like most of his claims about immigration, Trump is not telling the truth. Springfield Mayor Rob Lu said Trump's claims are It's just an unfounded rumorMeanwhile, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine (Republican) State police announced a strong presence throughout the city. As a precaution to protect residents — not from pet-eating mobs. Bomb threat This is the result of lies by the former president.
For Trump, the facts are simply inconvenient. He and his running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), continue to double down on fiction on both counts. On election campaigns and on social mediaMore recently, Trump Deporting Haitians from Springfield To Venezuela.
Venezuela?
Of course, such an attempt would likely be blocked by the courts and would lead to an international incident that would violate Venezuela's sovereignty. But for Trump, baseless attacks and absurd threats are just part of the path to victory. Demonizing the weak is his answer to legitimate political positions, and it's working. Victory in 2016 We will prove it.
In fact, such attacks are relatively easy because immigrants, especially illegal immigrants, have little political power and are easy targets. There are no supporters of politicians.
Trump spreads unfounded rumors to galvanize his supporters, even if it ends up scaring his targets as a side effect. Since he first made the claim, schools and government buildings in Springfield have been repeatedly evacuated due to daily bomb threats. Clark State University switched to remote classes after receiving bomb and shooting threats. And the local Haitian community I was nervous. They face the possibility of violent attacks.
But targeting immigrants is nothing new for Trump. In his 2016 inaugural address, he said that some immigrants coming to the US “Drug dealers, criminals, rapists.” When the Trump administration took office in the White House, it began separating migrant children from their parents at the border. CageHis family separation policy also The death of innocent children and the abuse of thousands.
Trump's hatred won't stop there, he promises. Mass deportations If re-elected, immigration will increase.
Many Americans don’t understand that immigrants, especially illegal immigrants, are invaluable to our economy. They Essential workers In agriculture, construction and other service industries. Trump's goal will not only hurt your wallet, but the actions he takes to achieve that goal will also impact many innocent Americans.
The last mass deportations took place in the 1950s, shamefully. “Operation Wetback“The 1950s forced deportations of hundreds of thousands of immigrants, U.S. citizens and Hispanics alike, led to death and starvation. Now, those dire consequences could well be repeated under the Trump administration.
In fact, Trump's xenophobic attacks Probabilistic terrorismwhich is the public demonization of a group of people;Indirect, vague, or coded attacks Give permission to the speakerAbandon Refuse to accept responsibility for any acts of violence. This terrorism seeks to dehumanize its targets, stoke hatred, and often leads to deadly consequences. Past leaders, some of the world's most notorious dictators, have stoked the flames of fear with their words to achieve such ends.
For example, Adolf Hitler's Nuremberg rallies in the 1920s and 1930s were a highly effective propaganda tool to consolidate the power of the Nazi Party and to influence the German public to target and dehumanize German Jews. These efforts Nuremberg Laws of 1935, It legally made Jews inferior to their Jewish neighbors, ultimately leading to (and psychologically encouraging) the atrocities of the Holocaust.
If you think you are safe because you support Trump, you are sadly mistaken. How long will it be before you and people like you become the target of his rage? If not refuted and ultimately defeated on Election Day, Trump will continue to spread hatred and give Americans the right to attack immigrants. These outcomes are not a reflection of who we are as a nation. “Light Sign”By our golden doors, as proclaimed by Emma Lazarus' iconic and inspiring American Promise.
Edivert Roman p isHe holds a Juris Doctor degree and is Director of the Immigration and Citizenship Initiative at Florida International University.
