EDITORIAL – Trump’s latest racist tweets are absurd, disgusting

An editorial by Mel Rothenburger.

THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS Canada is better at than the U.S. Our air is cleaner, our money is prettier, our comedians are funnier, our health care is better.

But, thanks to Donald Trump, nobody can screw up politics like our American friends. I don’t talk about Donald Trump any more than I have to but this thing about his racist tweets needs to be noted.

In Canada, we have Jason Kenney and a few other Conservative premiers lamely claiming if we don’t get more oil pipelines, national unity could be threatened.

In other words, we might start thinking about it.

But in Trumpland, they really know how to do national disunity. They don’t talk about possibilities; they just go out and do it. Every single day.

Some days are more noteworthy than others. Trump began the week with a tweet telling four Democratic congresswomen of colour to “go back where you came from” if they don’t like it in America.

He insists he doesn’t “have a racist bone” in his body. That the comment was racist is beyond question. It’s a common slur against those of a different colour or ethnic origin, especially immigrants.

The absurdity of his insult is highlighted by the fact that three of the four women were born in the U.S. The fourth is a naturalized American citizen.

Yet, almost no Republicans have criticized him and a few even insist the remark wasn’t racist. They continue to battle it out with the Democrats, who got a resolution through the House of Representatives condemning the president’s remarks.

America is a country so divided one wonders whether it can ever be made whole again. It’s one thing we don’t want to be better at.

Mel Rothenburger is a former mayor of Kamloops and newspaper editor. He publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a director on the Thompson-Nicola Regional District board. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.