Rising Hate and Racism are Cause for Unity

Before Hitler took over Germany, he began to propagandize against Jews. Germans who were formerly friendly with their Jewish neighbors began to view them with mistrust and eventually hatred. Jews became “others” not worthy of existence, and were wrongfully accused of being the cause of the country’s economic decline.

And just as conspiracy theories were used by the Germans, so too are they used today by MAGA supporters.

Donald Trump began his political career by targeting Mexicans. He openly despised people from “s--thole countries,” which includes every country where its people are brown and Black.

Synagogues and other attacks on Jews are on the rise. People are openly antisemitic again. In fact, it is now fashionable to be openly racist. The right extremist wears the racist label as a badge of honor.

Last weekend, there was an attack on a gay nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colo. Gays – like Blacks, Asian and Jews – are also frequent targets of unreasoned hatred.

We are in a period of increased hatred and violence against “others.” By others I mean anyone who is not a white heterosexual male. This hatred is driven by a series of lies that Mexicans bring crime, drugs and rape women; that Blacks are led by Antifa, which seeks to destroy the country; and that Asians are taking away our jobs.

The last couple of years under Trump’s racist-fueled administration saw an elderly Asian woman beaten in Georgia, lynchings in Southern states, and attacks on synagogues and Black churches. Then, just recently, Louisiana voted against a ban on slavery and indentured servitude. Yes, you heard me right.

During this era of hatred, we cannot let closed-minded people lead us to more division. We must understand that the attacker of a synagogue is probably also going to be the attacker of a Black church. We cannot turn a blind eye on an attack of a gay nightclub in Colorado Springs, because a similar attack could occur on a Black club, which it has.

America is no longer safe for “others.” You cannot send your child to their school without worrying about a crazy person shooting it up. Your elderly mother cannot shop at a supermarket without fear that someone with an automatic weapon will enter and randomly kill her and other patrons. It is no longer safe to go to church for a prayer meeting because some random lunatic could come in and shoot everyone inside.

When a famous Black person spouts antisemitism or adopts the racist language of MAGA people, it makes my stomach turn. They seem to forget the color of their own skin and that when it comes down to it, a Herschel Walker and a Kanye West are still “niggas” just like the rest of us are “just niggas” to the racist people of this country. Fame and wealth may make them forget that fact, but reality has not changed.

Reginald J. Clyne is a Miami trial lawyer who has practiced in some of the largest law firms in the United States. Clyne has been in practice since 1987 and tries cases in both state and federal court. He has lived in Africa, Brazil, Honduras and Nicaragua.