Letters to the Editor: Raging against Trump’s racism gives him exactly what he wants

To the editor: I’ll say up front that I’m convinced President Trump is racist, based on the totality of his history. But, it is a huge mistake for the Democrats in the House and virtually all of the liberal media to focus their discussion of his recent attacks on four members of Congress on the narrow question of whether it was racist.

Telling any American citizens that they should “go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came” is outrageous on its face, and it would still be outrageous if his targets were all white. It is especially so when they have been elected to important offices by their fellow citizens.

Focusing only on race has allowed Trump to avoid the broader outrage and to argue (unconvincingly) that he’s not racist. Had the Democrats framed their House resolution condemning Trump differently, they might have attracted more Republican votes.

Let’s criticize Trump for things he actually says and does, which are bad enough, rather than on his motivations, however bad they may also be.

Larry D’Addario, Pasadena

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To the editor: As someone else on Twitter said, the hoods are off now.

Trump has gone full-blown racist in his attacks on Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and the other women of color in Congress he has chosen to single out. He whipped the crowd at a recent campaign rally into chants of “Send her back,” even though Omar is a duly elected congresswoman and has been a naturalized citizen longer than First Lady Melania Trump.

For the president and his followers, cruelty is the point. As long as he can show his base that he is treating people of color poorly, they will continue their support.

Many of these “very fine people” likely consider themselves to be good Christians. All Americans of good conscience must renounce this blasphemy and show the world that this is not who we are.

Scott Hughes, Westlake Village

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To the editor: Please tell me what makes Trump’s tweets racist. If there had been four white men demonstrating similar contempt for our country as Reps. Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Ayanna Pressley (D-Ill.) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Trump would have said the same.

Trump was misinformed about where these women were born. If he had said, ”If these women don’t like the United States, let them go try some other country,” I would echo his sentiments.

I don’t think it’s just “Trump and some of his allies” who “believe these women are out of the mainstream,” as one of your articles says, but the majority of our citizens.

Connie Veldkamp, Laguna Niguel

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To the editor: The president does “seem to be intentionally widening U.S. racial divisions.” With one tweet he exploited people’s fear and hatred of persons with dark skin, immigrants and women in positions of power.

Shrewdly, Trump hit a triple and pleased many voters.

Sally Cook, Camarillo