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What does the RNC mean by Monday night's theme: 'Make America Safe Again'? America was never safe!

Does Monday night’s RNC theme of “Make America Safe Again” apply to the kinds of things Black Lives Matter activists have been complaining about or is the theme aimed at the demonstrators themselves? I want to know

Yo, check this out: Monday's Republican National Convention theme is "Make America Safe Again."

The question on a whole lot of minds right now, mine included, is safe for whom?

And also from whom?

In light of all that's been going on nationwide with back-to-back fatal police shootings as well as the tragic killings of eight police officers and the wounding of others in Dallas and Baton Rouge, people really want to know.

I know, I for one, am extremely curious. Does the RNC mean make America safe again from the kinds of things Black Lives Matter activists have been complaining about or is the theme aimed at the demonstrators themselves? Who's the enemy here?

Muslims? Undocumented Mexican immigrants? African Americans? And to what period of time is the RNC referring?

"It's coded language that's deeply rooted in the birth of a nation that's deeply rooted in white supremacy," pointed out, Chad Dion Lassiter, founder of Black Men at Penn School of Social Work. "I'm tired of this."

Lassiter, who's frequently seen on Fox 29 and other media outlets, also asked, if the Republican Party were willing to take on the issue of public safety would it be ready to address "white supremacy, white privilege and institutional racism? Is it really ready to have a frank discussion?"

The water crisis still plaguing Flint, Mich., and ongoing Wall Street corruption, are also examples of violence perpetrated upon Americans, Lassiter pointed out.

"When they say, 'Make America safe again', are they going to deal with economic violence forms of corruption that both parties set the agenda for?" Lassiter said.

Here's what the RNC said when it announced tonight's theme:

"From attacks on our own soil and overseas to the tragedy in Benghazi, the policies of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have left us vulnerable. Our immigration system is broken, leaving our country open to security threats and the negative consequences of illegal immigration.

"A Donald Trump administration will listen to and learn from our nation's heroes who have put themselves in harm's way and pursue a national security strategy and foreign policy that will strengthen our military and make America safe again."

You expect the parties to have differences. It's the American way. But that last little bit - make America safe again - is like a dog whistle to all kinds of folks on both sides of the aisle.

"America was never safe," pointed out Lee Hinton, a nurse who lives in Brewerytown, on Facebook. "Christopher Columbus stole . . . a country that wasn't his...Safe? Please when."

Lawanda Horton Sauter, a nonprofit management consultant/community activist who lives in Germantown, echoed her concerns saying, "We would have to see if part of the Making America Safe again theme includes making it safe for people of color to walk, drive and live without fear that law enforcement officers meet quotas will not come to their neighborhood and interact with them aggressively," Sauter wrote on Facebook.

"But I'm sure he doesn't mean that. Or that Muslims would not have armed men showing up at their places of worship. You know making America a safe place for Muslims going to . I have a sneaky suspicion he doesn't mean that. So I wanna know what he means. Safe for whom?"

Brewerytown's Paul Edward Smith, another Facebook friend wrote, "If they are TRULY interested in making our communities safe, they'll enact legislation that affords real protection for people in high crime areas who are actually brave enough to cooperate with law enforcement as witnesses to crime.

"People THINK those folks don't want safe neighborhoods and they couldn't be more wrong. They're afraid to get involved because they don't want to come home to a house on fire or dead relatives...," added Smith, a host of "Unsolved Philadelphia," a show featuring the families of murder victims which airs Wednesdays at 7 p.m. on Comcast (66 and 966) and Verizon (29 and 30).

On Twitter, John DeStefano wrote, "Are politicians working at trying to make us safe? I debate the 'again' part."

And when was America ever safe? For everybody? I've never once walked outside at night and not looked over my shoulder. I don't know people who don't lock their doors at night. People I know are afraid for their kids. There's nothing new about it.

On tonight's agenda are Republican front-runner Donald Trump's third wife, Melania Trump; former Texas Gov. Rick Perry; and TV personality Willie Robertson "Duck Dynasty" among other speakers.

It should make for an interesting night.

Blog: ph.ly/HeyJen

armstrj@phillynews.com