We all know two things about the Trump campaign; his slogan is ‘Make America Great Again, and the second is that he doesn’t understand what truly made America great in 1789. Neither do his supporters.
When a young black woman, Krystal Lake, 22, wore her custom made hat, which claimed that “America Was Never Great,’ a Home Depot customer photographed the employee wearing the hat and intruded on her privacy by posting it online.
If this would have happened at a Trump rally, she would have been beaten to death with the approval of the Republican standard bearer. However, because she was working on Staten Island, and it was a Sunday, Trump supporters resorted to posting death threats and racial slurs. Ms. Lake says that she has been called the ‘N’ word multiple times since the posting.
“The message that other people are trying to send out is that, America’s this wonderful place, like nothing bad ever happened in the world, but it never was great so I feel like it was a lie, so I wanted to show people that, no, it never was great,” she told the Staten Island Advance.
Republicans cannot handle the truth, and that is the prime reason for the suggestion of Republican officials in many red states that only the positive side of America be studied in our schools. Our nation’s evils have been many. We are no greater a country than any other developed nation. The truth is that the United States has been rated 14th in the ‘quality of life’ around the world.
Although when we recall our nation’s ills, the first thing to come to mind is slavery. But our nation’s leaders are guilty of multiple crimes against both our people and the people of the world.
Our government has been the most likely to be involved in a war since history was recorded. American Imperialism is the prime reason for its hatred from other nations.
Under the protection of our government, early settlers murdered the original Americans and took their land. Racism and bigotry have been rampant throughout our nation’s history. Blacks, Chinese, Irishmen, and Hispanics received oppressive and often violent treatment by white Americans. During WWII, Japanese internment camps were created in the western United States. Thousands of young Japanese-American men were forced to leave their families and often returned to learn about the death of a mother or father. The United States is the only nation who has ever used an atomic weapon during war time; killing tens of thousands of innocent men, women, and children in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
If I had a hat made for me, it would claim that “America Will Never Be Great.” Growing racism, bigotry, misogyny, and homophobia have guaranteed that ‘greatness’ is not in the American vocabulary. Red states are attempting to return our nation to the politics and policies of the 1950’s and 1960’s. They are using the façade that their actions are supported by their ‘Christian faith,’ although their actions deny the teachings of Jesus Christ.
America can no longer hope to be a great nation as long as one family lives in poverty or is forced to become homeless. If our government continues to support the one-percent and ignore the majority, it will soon become one of the most despised nations in the world.
I cheer Ms. Lake for having the courage to make a statement and reveal the truth.
Here is just one of the moronic tweets aimed at the young woman; you can read the rest on the link if you choose.
“#krystallake is unamerican and an ugly heifer to boot.
8:37 AM – 20 May 2016.”
There was at least one positive response:
“You all are just mad #KrystalLake doesn’t agree with the white supremacy and the oppression of minorities that America considers great. 💁🏾
4:21 PM – 19 May 2016”
Op-Ed
By James Turnage
Photo Courtesy of Mike Mozart
The Truth With No Restrictions 