When I first saw Trump’s campaign slogan, I laughed. I knew that he was obviously not a well-read man, and definitely not a student of history. What we quickly learned was that for Trump, ‘making America great again’ actually meant ‘making America white again.’

The mistake most Americans make is comparing the dreams and ideals of our founding fathers with reality. They over-estimated mankind’s greed, personal ambitions, and its tendency to choose ignorance over fact.

They ignored the fact that prejudice and therefore ignorance was one of mankind’s greatest weaknesses. The men and women of the south refused to consider the end slavery. The black men, women and children who labored in their fields and homes were nothing but tools for them; they were not considered to be human beings who had intelligence and normal human feelings, needs, and desires.

We know that several of our founding fathers, Including Washington and Jefferson owned slaves. In other words, many of our founding fathers were great orators, but failed to believe their own words.

The Civil War was not entirely a war intended to end slavery. State’s rights, and the overall authority of the federal government was being challenged. When the war finally ended on May 13, 1865, only the shooting stopped.

 Bitterness, anger and even hatred permeated our nation. Peace was an illusion. Nothing has changed today.

If you have ever lived in the south, as I have, you know that an environment of racism exists everywhere. Very strong belief in white supremacy is prevalent among the mostly white population. The south will not rise again because it remains as it was in the late 19^th century.

In the first quarter of the 20^th century heads of corporations such as the Rockefellers, the Carnegies, and others controlled our government and the nation. The majority of the American people; the working class; were treated as slaves. They worked long hours for little pay, and were forced to live in squallier in our largest cities. The men who labored in the mines were forced to work under dangerous conditions, and if they refused to come to work; complaining about low wages and working conditions, the national guard was brought in by the state government and some of the miners and their families were murdered.

As WWI began in 1914, the leaders of the major corporations were eager to join. Propaganda by our government was successful, and recruitment was heavy. False allegations against the German army resulted in an enormous nationalist movement. While very little of it was true, the lies spread, and were retold on every radio broadcast until most Americans believed them to be true.

When our our soldiers returned home they found few opportunities for employment and a government which simply forgot about them. Our nation’s people never recovered from the cost of the war, and in 1929 the great depression began. Post depression America was worse that the early years of the 20^th century. However, racism never died, and our government continued to be a tool of the wealthy.

With the election of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the working class finally had a champion. Anti-trust laws which had been established as early as 1890 were now enforced. New laws and regulations challenged the wealthy class and protected the working man and woman. Programs such as Social Security, Medicare, and unemployment insurance were the result of the great man’s presidency.

WWII once again revealed the fact that the United States of America was a racist country. Black men were not treated as equals by the leaders of our branches of the military.

Born in 1946, I am an original baby boomer. My uncles and my father had returned from the war, and family gatherings never failed to contain discussions about their experiences. Of course they also talked about the one member of our family who did not return. He was killed in action.

I learned later that our government placed thousands of Japanese citizens in interment camps in an act of pure racism.

In 1952, I, my mother, my father, my brother, my maternal grandparents and one of my uncles moved to Los Angeles. Coming from Idaho, I had known no other humans than Caucasians.

I was enrolled in Catholic School and remained in the ‘system’ until my junior year in high school. Venice High School was very diverse in 1962. I had friends from all walks of life. I heard stories from my black friends about harassment by the police, and was shocked.

I graduated in 1964 and enlisted in the Air Force in September. I was sent to San Antonio for basic training, and to Biloxi, Mississippi for ‘tech school.’ In both cities I witnessed extreme discrimination, and was forced to alter my view of the country I loved.

Medically discharged in March of 1965, I returned home to a new nation. Or so I thought. Although the Civil Rights Act of 1964 had been signed by President Johnson, the Vietnam War had begun in earnest. A division between senior Americans and America’s youth was severe. My generation believed in equality, freedom to be ourselves, and that the war was foolhardy, and cost the lives of thousands of men and women for no understandable purpose. Those who lost their lives were mostly low income and impoverished Americans. The black community composed a significant number of those who served in what proved to be an unwinnable war.

With the advent of my generation, racism faded into the shadows; it did not go away. It appeared in many forms, led by a changing Republican Party and their old, wealthy, white benefactors.

Our imperialistic government did not stop at Vietnam. In 2001 we invaded Afghanistan, followed by Iraq in 2003. Once again working class Americans gave their lives for nothing with the exception of corporate profits and political capital. Capitalism remained alive and well in America.

We come to 2016. The most unqualified candidate, and most immoral man in history became the presidential nominee of the Republican Party. For decades the party had been known as the party of racists and bigots, and Trump’s nomination confirmed this fact. Even before his inauguration he admitted that he was both a sexual predator and a white supremacist.

His supporters came out of those shadows, and prejudice in all of its ugly and reprehensible forms felt empowered to stand in the light of day. They have a leader living in the White House.

Our nation is becoming white again. We are being led backwards into our shame and the reason we have never been great, and probably never will be.

Until the Bill of Rights is supported by every American, the United States of America will be one of the worst nations in the world. Our government is the most corrupt on the planet, and has become far worse in 2017 and now 2018.

Several Scandinavian countries, and Canada are rated highly by the people who inhabit their nations. America has now dropped to 20^th in the world, depending on the poll. Our nation has failed to care for its people, placing profit before the happiness and welfare of its hard working citizens. The wealthy are living the American dream, but the working class has been forgotten.

If you are a minority, you live in a different America. Your dreams remain just dreams. Your level of hope has diminished over time as you understand that your government has no interest in you and your family. You have been denied the opportunity to live the American dream.

I do not want to seem pessimistic. However, the administration in Washington today is moving us into the past at an alarming rate. Fascism is replacing democracy, as old, white, rich men are creating a plutocracy.

As a child I recited the ‘Pledge of Allegiance’ daily in school; I was very proud. Sadly, those words mean nothing today. If you don’t know or don’t remember the words, here they are.

“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation, under God, with liberty and justice for all.”

First of all, our Republic is disappearing. Our present Republican controlled government is moving towards fascism with one party dictating the future of our nation. We are no longer ‘one nation,’ we are more divided than at any time since the Civil War. The reference to ‘God’ is now a commitment to one religion, not to the beliefs of all Americans. ‘Liberty and justice for all’ is a fallacy. In 2018 only wealthy, rich, white men receive these guarantees.

America has devolved, not evolved, thanks to a failed government.

I admit that I hated writing this article, but I always promise you the truth.

Op-ed By James Turnage

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