After the massacre of 49 individuals, and the injury of 53 more in a gay Orlando nightclub, most of our nation and the world mourned. The one notable exception was the leader of the Republican Party and his followers. Donald Trump used the tragedy for assumed political gain.
Trump has been joined by extremist Republicans in the House. Denying equal protection under the law, the 14th amendment, GOP representatives voted against a law forbidding “discrimination in the workplace based on sexual orientation.” Desperate to retain the support of one of its largest voting blocs, the Christian religious right, Republicans once again displayed their homophobia by ignoring the rights of all Americans to feel safe in their daily lives.
Openly gay Democratic Representative from New York, Sean Patrick Maloney, attempted to add an addendum to the defense spending bill which would have protected the LGBT from additional discrimination.
“It’s hard to imagine that any act that is so horrific could lead to anything positive. But if we were going to do anything, it would be a very positive step to say that discrimination has no place in our law and to reaffirm the president’s actions in this area,” Maloney told The Hill. “Seems to me a pretty basic thing to do.”
Republicans disagreed. They continue to support the party’s standard bearer and favor racism, bigotry, misogyny, and homophobia.
Trump has exposed his party’s lack of principles and morals. The fact that Republicans are the party of mostly rich, white Americans is not new; now, it is no longer a clandestine truth. They continues to oppose same-sex marriage although the rights of the LGBT community to share the rights of heterosexuals has been upheld by the Supreme Court.
Trump will be soundly defeated in November; there is no question about that unless you believe the propaganda in the media and the GOP’s personal marketing tool, FOX Noise. If the majority of the American people continue to believe in the principles of our founding fathers and the Constitution, they will refuse to vote for a man who has openly displayed his disdain for American ideals.
Hopefully, after the election our nation will begin to resist rule by fear and anger. The reaction to a Trump candidacy will hopefully return control of the Senate to Democrats, and reduce the majority of Representatives in the House now held by Republicans.
The United States of America was not built on fear; it flourished when positive action was taken to alleviate a problem or situation. Trump excels at fearmongering. Because he has no knowledge of how government works, he is forced to resort to grandiose promises which will never come to fruition; and that’s a good thing. The majority of the American people reject his “wall,” and favor legalization of over eleven million undocumented workers which is fair and just. Most Americans support the first amendment and refuse to consider banning all Muslims from entering our nation.
Although the LGBT community has the support of most Americans, including their right to marry, Republican politicians continue to act in a homophobic manner. Homosexuals are the new blacks of the 1950’s and 60’s. Republicans continue to resist granting them equality with heterosexuals.
It’s past time for our nation to grow up and leave the Republican Party where it belongs; in the mid-twentieth century.
Op-Ed
By James Turnage
Photo Courtesy of Diana Beato
The Truth With No Restrictions 