The United States of Racism

One of my heroes is Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Stricken by polio at an early age he did not let this devastating disease to keep him from his professional and personal goals. He was elected to the Presidency four times. He gave the country hope to survive the great depression and the very darkest years before and during WW II.  Historians agree that those years, when he was struggling with polio, allowed him to gain deep insights and develop much personal empathy for the American people and their very real personal and economic problems in the depths of the great depression. More on that in a future blog post.

In FDR's First Inaugural address (March 1933) he stated:
"I am certain that my fellow Americans expect that on my induction into the Presidency I will address them with a candor and a decision which the present situation of our people impel. This is preeminently the time to speak the truth, the whole truth, frankly and boldly. Nor need we shrink from honestly facing conditions in our country today. This great Nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper. So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance. In every dark hour of our national life a leadership of frankness and vigor has met with that understanding and support of the people themselves which is essential to victory. I am convinced that you will again give that support to leadership in these critical days."

Eight years later, after the bombing of Pearl Harbor by Japan there was something other to fear other than fear itself.  The irrational and racist fear of Japanese citizens of the US. This lead to the Japanese Internment, ordered by FDR shortly after  the attack on Pearl Harbor. It was the forced relocation and incarceration in camps of about 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry who lived on the Pacific coast. More than 60% of whom were US Citizens. A truly shameful action all caused by irrational fear.

I do not think the United States is a racist country. Nor am I calling anyone a racist, though I could make a very long list. But there are so many examples in US History that irrational  fear directly results in shameful acts that endanger our freedom and the values that are the foundation of this country. 

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." - US Declaration of Independence.

President John Adams, in the late 18th century signed the Alien and Sedition laws. They made it harder for an immigrant to become a citizen and allowed the President to imprison and deport non-citizens who were deemed dangerous. Even worse it criminalized making statements critical of the federal government.  At the time the US was a small and weak nation in a world of European super powers (England, France, Spain). But throwing out due process of law, not to mention the First Amendment was another shameful act.

The institution of slavery, the 100 years of Jim Crow after the Civil War, and the continuing fight for Civil Rights is a topic in it's own right. Institutionalized racism continues to exist. Shameful.

In 1882 the Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act prohibiting all immigration of Chinese laborers. After the Chinese came here the build the railroads they were told they were not wanted. Thanks for building the railroads. Now leave.  It was the first law implemented to prevent a specific ethnic group from immigrating to the United States. It was repealed in 1943.

The US has a long history of restricting immigration. The immigration act of 1924 imposed the first permanent numerical limits and began a national-origin quota system.  The law was primarily aimed at further restricting immigration of Southern and Eastern Europeans especially Italians and Eastern European Jews. Jews trying to escape the Holocaust of Nazi Germany found the doors to the US slammed shut. See "While Six Million Died - A chronicle of American Apathy".
In addition, it severely restricted the immigration of Africans and outright banned the immigration of Arabs and Asians. 

In the 1950s, the fear of communism was the root cause of Senator Joseph McCarthy's shameful witch hunts against alleged communists in politics and the arts. Very few people stood up to him. See the Army-McCarthy hearings.

Now we come to Trump's travel ban on seven Muslim-majority nations.  A major statement of America's new posture towards Islam. This is NOT going to make us safer. It is going to do the exact opposite. It is going to only foster more radical Islamic fundamentalism.

Not to mention the the ban on ALL Syrian refugees means that the US is showing no compassion for the victims of this awful humanitarian crisis.

Just to be clear. It is a Muslim Ban. It is about Religion.  It is NOT about Terror.

Lastly, the incompetent way this was rolled out by the administration (total chaos) only portends more of the same. It's not like we did not know all about Trump's lack of policy experience and his total incompetence.

When will we ever learn?

Andrea Nicole Baker