According to The Associated Press, President Trump said it four times is seven seconds on Dec. 2: “Somali immigrants in the United States are garbage.”
Days later, five “Legendary Entertainers” went and accepted their awards presented by Trump, apparently not aware of or not caring that our nation’s leader had made such a demeaning and disparaging remark.
Where is the public outcry? Are ministers, rabbis, priests and people of faith speaking out against this?
What about our other political leaders? If not, why not?
While federal leaders remain silent, Minnesota state Sen. Jim Abeler is an example of one elected official who has had the courage to speak out. He wrote his letter to the president in which he said, “ … please do not call them ‘garbage.’ No man, woman or child is more or less in the eyes of our Lord God Most High and none of them are trash.”
Every instance of hate speech should be called out.
Given their leadership roles, Vice President JD Vance, Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson should be pressuring the president to retract his statement of Dec. 2.
If he refuses, then Congress needs to pass a resolution condemning this rhetoric.
We cannot be silent; we must hold them accountable. Do not delay.
Contact Vance at vice.president@whitehouse.gov. You can contact Thune and Johnson through their websites or via the U.S. Capital Switchboard at 202-224-3121.
Therese Stokan
Neah Bay