I'm a Bernie Sanders supporter and I'm 100% against Trump's divisive, racist and intolerant posturing (I am Mexican, after all). But I also have to say that I'm not happy his rally in Chicago had to be cancelled becase of protesters and supporters fighting and hitting each other.
We've never seen anything like that even in 2004 after liberals wanted George W. Bush out of office badly, or in 2008, after conservatives wanted Obama out at all cost. And it worries me.
First let's gets something out of the way: Donald Trump has the right to have a rally even with his asinine bigotry. I do not agree with him, but I do agree with the First Amendment of the Constitutioin protecting the right of freedom of expression. So I do not agree with any form of censorship. Even against stupid, racist idiots like Trump. The right way to fight hate speech is with facts and with votes.
Having said that, I can also understand why a lot of people are feeling angry as a direct result of Trump's childish pissing contest.
His supporters are simply showing what everybody knew but nobody admitted openly: A large number of conservatives are racists, xenophobes, violent, and ignorant. Trump supporters are by far the best x-ray of the Republican Party and the people who vote for that party.
Why are they angry? Because they know their time is over. The United States of America is moving forward and they still want the country to remain somewhere in the 19th century. Or worse.
Trump has successfuly exploited that anger in order to stay on top of a campaign that's more of an ego trip than a true political offer.
The problem is, in order to exploit that anger, Trump has attacked millions of people in America and elsewhere. Mexicans, Muslims, African Americans, Women, and other minorites are justifiably angry because of Trump's attacks against them.
Why are they angry? Because this isn't a comedian making a joke on television. This is a guy who is campaigning for the office of President of the United States. People can take a joke, but they can't take the prospect of a government attacking them with falsehoods.
And those who are offended do have the legitimate right to protest against Trump. They too are protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution.
The problem is Trump's hate speech has escalated to a point in which it has gone beyond divisiveness and into a more dangerous territory: violence.
"They started it!"
"No, THEY started it!"
Doesn't matter who started it. It started. That's the problem. When rage turns into violence something has broken and things must change.
Should Trump change his rhetoric to avoid violence? I don't think so. That would be censorship and I'm against censorship.
Should protesters not protest? Don't think so either. That would be censorship too.
Then the only solution is to point out the facts: Trump's speech is no longer just offending people; it's pushing people over the edge and turning them violent.
Perhaps if the media point to that fact, people will think twice about supporting Trump. And if people think twice about supporting Trump, then this shameful chapter in American politics will be over in November and the people of the United States of America will have a lesson to teach to future generation: Conervativism's true face was outed by Donald Trump. It's up to people of good conscience to stop the hate and the violence inherent in conservatism by voting, in order to keep conservativism's true face from getting into power ever again.
- Victor Hernandez is a political blogger and the author of Love Robots, a sci-fi novel dealing with social and political issues. The novel is available on Amazon here: http://amzn.to/1Mdm4Nn
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