It goes without saying that this election is among the most comprehensively divisive and ire-stoking exchanges of power to take place in recent history. I find that it also ranks among the most telling, exposing the false sense of ownership that those sympathetic to — or, as they often appear, quietly unopposed to — the resurgence of white nationalist rhetoric feel over this country of immigrants. These generally “other-phobic” sentiments, now blatantly expressed under the guise of liberation from political correctness, are insulting to the history of every ethnicity and identity, not only to those of minorities. This taxing state of affairs begs the question of whether or not the voices of Americans are being represented in this election. The root of the answer, I find, rests in one’s definition of “American.”
An informative video released recently by The Atlantic brings to light that the United States is no longer a white, Christian majority, with the percentage of citizens claiming both of those identities falling to 45%. I cite this fact as a neutral statistic with earth-shattering implications only in the minds of those who do not see our country as an amalgamation of identities. The statistic sheds light on the feverish rallying of many of Trump’s supporters around the GOP nominee, a phenomenon that persists in spite of his transgressions against conservative values and elemental human decency. The reluctance of some of Trump’s supporters to denounce overt demagoguery indicates that they are willing to lose face in the name of a larger cause — as stated by Trump himself, it appears that the cause is to “take our country back.” But who, in this context, constitutes the “we?”
I want to make clear the understanding that the white nationalist beliefs touted by the Trump campaign are obviously not linked by default to anyone who identifies as white and/or Christian, nor does it connect to those hesitant to support the Democratic nominee — the truth is indisputably very different. The racism and xenophobia of the Trump campaign disrespects and makes uncomfortable the positions of countless Americans who identify as white, Christian, and/or committed to either candidate. It would, however, be dishonest to deny the presence and influence of intolerance towards minorities in this election. That the intolerance is taking the shape of white nationalist rhetoric is an insult to white Americans and minorities alike.
The issue of insufficient representation of all Americans has frequently made headlines. Earlier this year, football player Colin Kaepernick’s decision to kneel during the national anthem sparked controversy and raised the question of what it means to be patriotic. Regardless of one’s opinion of Kaepernick’s actions, what remains inarguable is that his motivation stemmed from not feeling represented or protected by the American flag. A concern such as this must be respected and heeded if we hope to retain the privilege of calling ourselves a democratic republic.
We’ve also seen a repeated, shameless attack of women on the part of Trump and, by extension of their refusal to rescind endorsements, many members of the GOP. Among the recent transgressions is the penetration of misogynistic rhetoric in the final debate, in which Trump interrupted Secretary Clinton over 50 times and tagged her as a “nasty woman.” The phrase has since been ironically popularized as a slang term relating to unabashed feminism and strength (see #IAmANastyWoman). Another incident that has received far more media coverage is the “Pussygate” scandal, in which the world saw video evidence of the GOP nominee bragging about abusing his stardom to engage in what is, under the definition given by the U.S. Department of Justice, sexual assault. True to the nature of the Trump campaign, the revelation was followed by limp excuses and threats of legal action against those who claim Trump had similarly assaulted them.
I bring up the details of the recent escalating attacks on minorities and women to keep a disturbing fact from slipping under the cover of normalcy. That a major party candidate — and, through standing endorsements, many Republicans — are flapping abuses in the face of minorities and women shows us a few things. First, much of the United States clearly retains the horrifying idea that the American government is tasked with protecting the interests and rights of “real” or “full” citizens — white, male, American-born, wealthy individuals.
Much like the election, the second thing we observe teeters at the precipice of regressive and progressive, with immense potential to become either of the two. In the name of ending “political correctness,” there has been a popularization of abandoning awareness and solidarity when considering the plight of minority groups. Exposing the roots of intolerance opens up the possibility addressing lingering tensions, but it also bears the potential to make that intolerance the norm.
Neither outcome of this election will resolve these tensions. A Trump win certainly will not, but we should be careful to think that a Clinton victory would either, as the fervent support of the current GOP candidate has shown a popular lack of concern for minority Americans. The kind of rhetoric Trump uses to excite and grow his base is chillingly similar to that of Hitler in the prior century — and it took the latter more than one attempt to gain power. Groups that are underrepresented by our political system have both a right and an obligation to make their grievances heard so that there is no need for pause before calling ourselves a representative democracy.
Contact Alizeh Ahmad at alizeha ‘at’ stanford.edu.