Listen, I know some good people voted for #45. I know it. But listen to me friends. If you voted for him and you are also horrified by the white supremacist acts of terror committed in Charlottesville, you need to sit down and put some things together. This man appointed the founder of Breitbart as White House Chief Strategist, Steve Bannon. Amidst the outcry of heroes like Coretta Scott King, he appointed Jeffrey Sessions as the attorney general, a man proven unworthy of lesser roles because he targeted black Americans who were trying to help fellow black Americans get to voting polls. These are two of dozens of questionable appointments. If you need to hear it from his own mouth, it is not hard to find racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophilic comments made by Trump both now and all through the years.
It is no accident that it took him 48 hours to denounce the Neo-Nazis. That man is quick on the draw when it comes to Nordstrom but hesitates to be specific about murder in our streets. Why? Because he has surrounded himself with the very leaders who inspire such violence. And yes, that includes himself. I'm not saying you're a racist if you voted for Donald Trump (though giving you the benefit of the doubt there is causing me to cringe). I really am trying to put my old, dusty evangelical hat on and imagine myself voting for him 10 years ago. Not because I thought he was awesome but because I believed all the sexist vitriol published about Hillary for decades. I swallowed all that down willingly. You probably did too. And sometimes he says the things you want to hear. Not the grabbing pussies stuff but the sudden about face in regard to abortion and the like. I get it. You might not be a bad person. But you did a bad thing.
You have participated in an election process that has allowed police brutality to be encouraged (remember when he asked the cops to not be too nice?), terror among the undocumented to rise to unprecedented levels (remember when he said he was only going to get rid of the criminals and now anyone can be deported for any reason?) and where Neo-Nazis know they can proudly surround college students with torches and run over innocent women without fear (not to mention the sucker punches and God-bless-him Deandre Harris who almost died in a POLICE DEPT parking garage by beating). No one has been arrested for Charlottesville, though many of the key players were caught on video committing violent assault and have been identified. You need to sit in the role you have played. Take a quick look at the photographs of Deandre Harris. Do a google search. That blood is on your hands.
Let's be clear: I say this to condemn you. We are all part of the problem, even us progressive whities who are horrified by Trump and wouldn't have voted for him upon penalty of death. No doubt. I have privilege; I have inherent bias; I have benefited from my whiteness, from my Christian faith, from my affluence. Every day of my life. In fact, you're more likely to read my opinion here because of those very factors. But you gave a big nudge in the wrong direction with your vote, most likely for your own gain (whatever political benefit you thought you'd find in Trump - maybe even preservation of the Christian faith as the majority in this country!) I really hope you see the selfishness of your choice and experience great remorse as you watch clips of the terror instigated after the car plowed through innocent people, as you see the blood pouring out of Deandre. I really hope you experience remorse. I have faith that some of you will, I really do.
And, my dear Christian friends, if you do experience remorse, why not take a page out of Jesus' book and lay down your life for your friend? Get off the comfortable Christian white couch and hit the streets. Renounce not just racism but the leader who encourages it. It's okay to make mistakes. It's human. What's more than just human is to not be willing to see them, apologize and make change. Make change. With me. Lay down your privilege. Bind some black wounds. Please. Our nation depends on it. And dare I say it? Brown Jesus would be proud. Peace to your house.