We Must Not Fail To Connect The Climate and Culture Dots

• Reporters and activists were outraged that White House press secretary Sean Spicer was curt with American Urban Radio Networks correspondent April Ryan during Tuesday's press briefing, and told her to please stop shaking her head.
• President Donald Trump on Thursday asked April Ryan, an African-American reporter and longtime White House correspondent, if she would arrange for him a meeting with the Congressional Black Caucus. 
• “The O’Reilly Factor” host Bill O’Reilly said in response to a clip of Maxine Waters that he “didn’t hear a word” she said because he was “looking at the James Brown wig,” referring to her hair. 
• A white man from Maryland who told police he traveled to New York to kill black men turned himself in on Wednesday, about 24 hours after he fatally stabbed a man he encountered on the street, officials said. Authorities described the suspected attacker as someone who had long harbored feelings of hatred toward black men before violently acting on them this week. Police said he carried out the attack in a way that intended to draw attention. 
• A woman walking on a sidewalk in Queens was shot in the face with a BB gun by men laughing and yelling an anti-Latino slur from their car, police say. 
• "This is a new low," he [Michael Flynn] said, retweeting a message that read: "Not anymore, Jews. Not anymore." 

Unfortunately, the list of hatred can go on and on.  SLATE, an online magazine is keeping a running tally of the hate crimes that are occurring in a similar manner to how I started this post in an article Hate in America an updating list.  Let us not be naive in thinking the increase in these types of crimes is not connected to the bullying persona of our current leader and his team. The views, arrogance, chaos and blatant disregard for those who do not share the president's perspectives are indeed fueling what we are experiencing as a part of the culture and climate of the country.

In this current environment, closet racists are seeming to feel empowered and emboldened to come out in the open in myriad ways. They've watched President Trump instruct bouncer-like security/ police officers to remove people from audiences, ("Get'um outta' here") name call, berate entire ethnic groups for the actions of some, degrade women, praise a dictator and demean anything that was done by his predecessor, Barack Obama, an African-American. They watch nightly the arrogance of  White House Press Secretary, Sean Spicer as he condescendingly spews "alternative facts" and lies through his lettuce filled teeth.

Some will argue that this began with President Obama and this is partially true as it was driven by the fact that many could not and would not accept the fact that an African-American man became the most powerful man in the world. As a result, racism heightened due to that dissonance for too many. In fact, if you notice, it seems Trump is obsessed with undoing everything Obama did and even most likely ran for office under the notion that if a Black man can be elected president, anybody can. He thought the seat was an easy seat based on a Black man [Obama] holding it.

It's been my observation that followers, subordinates, or whatever term you would like to use to describe those who are being led, take on the characteristics and personality of their leader. I have seen this phenomenon in schools, churches, corporations, fraternities, sororities, the military and even households. Sadly, the U.S. is mimicking the behavior of her leader and the victims are racial groups, gender groups, sexual orientation groups and anyone else who differs from Donald Trump's point of view. I can't even call it a Conservative view because in my mind it is a Donald Trump point of view. At the end of the day, Donald Trump is about Donald Trump and everyone else be damned. It's his way or the highway. Don't believe me, read THE TRUTH ABOUT TRUMP by Michael D'Antonio.  You'll see that Trump has not changed an iota over the years. His tone, words, and body language have stirred up his would-be imitators and wannabees and that's why we are seeing the hate crime numbers increase.

The views and opinions expressed in this blog are solely my own. You can agree or disagree as I really do not share my thoughts for agreement or disagreement for that matter. I share my thoughts to encourage thinking. Come up with your own conclusions based on research and your own observations. If you do this, you will be able to connect the dots for yourself. Something to critically think about........

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