Trump Says Black Lives Matter is “Bad For Black People”

Once again, Donald Trump came out swinging at Black Lives Matter. In a recent interview with Laura Ingram of Fox News, Trump stated, “The first time I ever heard of Black Lives Matter, I said, ‘That’s a terrible name.’ It’s so discriminatory. It’s bad for Black people. It’s bad for everybody.”

Like most of the garbage that comes from his mouth, it’s hard to listen to someone with so many plot holes in their supposed logic act so smug and condescending. It reminded me so much of that time Joe Biden told Charlamagne tha God that, “If you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t black.” How can these people be in such powerful positions be so ignorant? And better yet, who the fuck told these haggard old white dudes they are the authority on what is and isn’t good for African Americans?

The War Against BLM

Right off the bat, Trump shows his ignorance with flying colors by demonstrating his lack of basic comprehension of the English language. ‘Black Lives Matter’ as a statement isn’t exclusionary in anyway (or as Trump elegantly put it ‘discriminatory’) and arguing such only diverts the conversation in the most mind numbing and childish way. Think of ‘Matter’ as a group, and to matter is simply the same as being in the group. So stating Black Lives Matter in no way takes away from any other ‘lives’ in the group. To put it simply – if someone says a black life matters, they aren’t secretly telling you that yours doesn’t.

But again, these are tactics used to divert the conversation – it’s the same as saying ‘All Lives Matter’ in response as if someone stating Black Lives Matter is some kind of question, or an invitation for those unsettled by the phrase to share their discontent. Here we are, spending so much time trying to break down the syntax of the phrase that we forget to discuss what the movement is, where it came from and what it actually stands for. The unfortunate side of it is that these tactics are (and have always been) effective in creating disapproval from the general public in support of a group or cause, despite these claims not really being rooted in reality.

Why Is BLM So Controversial?

According to the BLM website their, “mission is to eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes.” And they plan to do this by “imagining and creating a world free of anti-Blackness, where every Black person has the social, economic, and political power to thrive.” Unless you would believe that we America is well beyond the need for a civil rights conversation and white supremacy is simply a thing of the past, there really isn’t much there to argue with.

At most, BLM has grown to be effective in creating representation for African Americans in politics and in various forms of media, most particularly the news. Instead of simply being the topic of conversation, we are now apart of the conversation to some degree, with actual black people speaking on black issues, instead of more haggard old white dudes saying anything and everything to win the monolithic black vote.

Black Lives Matter is Trump’s Boogeyman

While Trump would have you imagine a boogeyman that controls Biden’s every move, Black Lives Matter in reality is something similar to the NAACP – while its inception may have been immediately influenced by some big social event or series of events, (in the case of BLM, the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s murderer) the scope and depth of the conversation is much broader. And it’s a shame that people like Trump can use their position of power and influence to not only divert the conversation trying to be had, but almost dismiss it entirely.

The Danger In Trump’s Rhetoric

Trump and those on the right that have made it a mission to make Black Lives Matter public enemy no. 1 go out of their way to act as though there is absolutely nothing to be concerned about, and it’s all in your crazy, liberal head. The recent Republican National Convention seemed to be a desperate plea to the nation that the Republican Party was not the party of racism, all the while having the parties token minorities insist that if they can make it to where they are, then anyone can – therefore, racism doesn’t exist.

The fact is that this country was founded upon White Supremacy ideals and human trafficking and acting as though these things have absolutely no influence on the social fabric of today is not only dangerous but….. disturbing. I find it appalling that anyone can watch the George Floyd snuff film and go, “but wait….. what did he do?” It’s the equivalent of asking what a sexual assault victim was wearing at the time of the assault. Watching an unarmed person having their life taken from them by those given the job to protect it is NEVER OK.

Trump Chooses to Divide

At every turn Trump has gone out of his way to dismiss BLM and absolutely anyone that entertains their ideals. Instead of doing his best to find ways to unify those with differing views, he has sought to fuel the flames, pushing fear and insisting that the American Dream will crumble if the BLM-controlled radical left is voted into power. In reality, Biden and Trump aren’t that different – simply working alongside and being seen with a person of color (or woman) becomes this photo op that demands national attention, and instead of using their power to actually enact social change that could benefit communities ravaged by issues particular to their experiences, they simply attempt to “play the part”.

Trump made a choice when he decided that at every turn he would disparage the name BLM. You can disagree with a group without attempting to eviscerate everything they stand for, yet he has chosen to do just that and I can’t for the life of me understand why. And even though his methods are that of a shitty con artist, willing to lie, cheat and steal his way to the top, it has proven time and time again to be incredibly effective.

The Unconscious Bias of America

Personally, I believe his rhetoric appeals to a certain bias that exists in the white American psyche, a bias that has been reinforced by media and politicians alike for years. And this bias seems so powerful that it can drive otherwise sane people to do, think and feel illogical things. But even in spite of the tight race that seems to be coming up in November, Trump has doubled down on the fear and divisiveness. What exactly is his end game? And what will a Donald Trump look like when re-election is no longer a concern?