America is outraged by Trump. People of color say, ‘It’s about time!’
By Tanzina Vega
Warning: This story contains graphic language.
Donald Trump’s vulgar comments toward women released this week were no doubt disgusting and have made many Republicans drop their support for him.
But Trump has been offending other groups for months, including Mexican immigrants, Muslims, the disabled and veterans.
On Saturday I tweeted out this question: “DT pussy comments were horrific, triggering etc. But so were his comments about the Central Park 5, Mexicans, Muslims, veterans, disabled.”
Many Twitter users including Bill Simmons, the host of HBO’s Any Given Wednesday, were also questioning the timing of the outrage.
“But seriously – why did it take today for people to turn on Trump? He’s been horrible this whole time.”
Julia Craven, a civil rights reporter for the Huffington Post pointed out one key element present in the outage over Trump’s comments — they include white women. “Trump’s racism wasn’t enough to get him shunned but his attack on white women was. Don’t get me wrong. What he said was disgusting.”
“But, historically, it takes an attack on white women before power starts to be exercised against someone.”
Symone D. Sanders, a CNN Political commentator and former national press secretary for Bernie Sanders agreed.
“You apparently can say whatever you want about Mexicans, Hispanics & Black people, but the Republican Party draws the line on white women.”
Perhaps the answer to this lies in how many of those who disavowed Trump’s remarks, including Mitt Romney, also mentioned their wives and daughters as a reason to be outraged.
On Friday Romney tweeted: “Hitting on married women? Condoning assault? Such vile degradations demean our wives and daughters and corrupt America’s face to the world.”
In this framework, Trump’s comments, which on the surface could be addressed to all women, could be taken as mattering more if those women are also an extension to the white men they are connected to.
I tweeted this on Saturday: “The pussy comments are directed to all women, including white women, who are the “sisters, daughters, mothers” being talked abt today”
Shonda Rhimes, the powerhouse ABC producer of shows like “Scandal” and “How to Get Away With Murder” tweeted: “Men, stop with “we have wives, daughters” as reason not to condone his actions. You don’t condone his acts becuz you know right from wrong.”
Prior to that tweet, Rhimes had another prescient thought about the racial double standard this election cycle:
Also, if current President spoke like that, the same peeps shrugging this off would be screaming, fainting. The apocalypse would be nigh.
