Recently, there was a video released of a young African
American woman being physically assaulted at a Louisville rally for
Presidential candidate Donald Trump. Many white men put their hands on the
young woman and tried to physically propel her out of the venue. In the video,
it can clearly be understood that the men are yelling “leftist scum” at the
woman. She did not lay a hand on any of the men. She did not yell at those
barking down her throat. She tried to keep her balance while being shoved
through a large crowd. While this disgraceful situation is taking place, Donald
Trump continues speaking. His speech never pauses in the video.
A Rhodes College sophomore, Ben Rosenberg, recently
protested at a rally for candidate Trump. He brought one poster with him that
stated, “Trump: Making America Hate Again”. His motive in attending the rally
was to call attention to the hate included in Donald Trump’s campaign. Rosenberg
stood silently at the rally and held his poster above his head. His sign was
taken from him, torn to shreds, and thrown at the crowd. However, Rosenberg
said that most people were polite to him and simply stated that they did not
share the same views as him. In an interview published on the Grassfire website,
Rosenberg shared that Donald Trump addressed his situation by commenting, “Don’t
hurt him.”
Both of these situations highlight different aspects of current
society. Ben Rosenberg, a Caucasian male, was treated respectfully by Donald Trump
supporters while the young African American woman was rudely attacked by the
Trump supporters. The two protesters have the right to express their opinion
and were exercising those rights at the rallies. The Independent website
published an article covering the incident involving the woman. The article
revealed that a few of the men who pushed the young woman are confirmed members
of the Traditional Worker Party and neo-Nazis. It is obvious that Rosenberg was
treated well because of his race. His race allowed him to gain the attention of
Trump during the rally. The young woman was not given any attention from the
presidential candidate during the rally. This could possible signify that
Donald Trump cares more for the white race than any other races. America is
made up so many different races and cultures. The nation needs a leader that
not only acknowledges different races but one that also uses their voice to
speak out for people being discriminated against. If Donald Trump will not use
his voice to help people who are being treated unfairly, then he does not
deserve to be President of the United States.
Sources:
It is incredibly interesting to look at these separate issues, and Trump's reaction (or lack thereof) to them. It is also interesting to consider what the audience's reaction would have been if Ben was treated in the same manner as the young African American woman. Would there have been none, like in the case of the young woman, or would the crowd have pleaded for inaction, similar to Trump? Furthermore, This lack of acknowledgement of different races seems to be even more bizarre to me seeing as the current president is himself African American. Even though the president and the presidential hopeful hail from different political parties, it seems that the need to address common issues plaguing the nation should be a bipartisan effort.
ReplyDeleteI had seen the video you are talking about pop up on my Facebook, but I had not heard about Ben Rosenberg. I am sad to say I am not surprised that something like this would happen. I also saw another video pop up about a group of young blacks who were just holding signs and standing quietly at the rally who were made to leave by law enforcement. There is some debate whether or not Trump’s people ordered this—as the law officer told them—or if the officers perceived the group as a threat because of their race and presence at the rally.
ReplyDeleteI'm from Louisville so this was definitely was deeply disturbing for me. No I was not traumatized, I will still feel safe walking through the cities' various communities just as I had before. But just as any other transgression against my people, it will forever be mentally noted in my mind as I progress in life. It will make me think more deeply next time I encounter law enforcement or public officials, were they participants or supporters of this perpetuation of hate and evil? Just as the constant media bombardment of blacks in a negative light socializes the masses into believing in the the deeply problematic narrative of the inherence of violence, ignorance, and mischief in the black population, instances such as these subconsciously effect my perception of whites and their subsequent intentions in associating with me.
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