Commentary: Trump is bringing out the worst in millions of Americans

By Susan McCarthy-Miller

Long before Donald Trump arrived on the political scene, a two-pronged tempest of gargantuan proportion was gathering power in the form of "tolerable racism."

As President Obama assumed the highest political office in the world, the innermost feelings of our citizenry were slowly being roused by the election of a biracial Hawaiian. These heretofore broad-minded voters were now accessing their deepest racially prejudiced feelings, long tamped down in the name of political correctness, social harmony, and high-minded tolerance.

Racism, for all of its clarity, is really a tricky entity. Millions of people could stand before the face of God and swear they are not the least bit racist, and they would be telling the truth. To many Americans, racism does not actually exist unless it involves burning crosses, white robes, hate speech, and other overt acts. But in reality, racism lives in our hearts, words, and thoughts. It lives with us like a smoldering fire ready to ignite with the puff of an encouraging breath. Enter Donald Trump.

He is the pied piper of anti-political-correctness, speaker of the truth, champion of the frustrated oppressed who are never allowed to speak their not-so-generous points of view. We could finally cast aspersions on groups of people in the name of politics, not prejudice.

As people railed against Obama's policies and programs, many also questioned his birthplace, religion, and dedication to America, with sentences that usually started with, "It's not because he's black." We had crossed into the land of blameless racism, where prejudice was masked as political disdain.

Of all the nonsense being espoused on behalf of verbal freedom, the most egregious is the ceaseless railing against political correctness - misidentified as the antithesis of free speech, the First Amendment, and honesty.

In actuality, being politically correct is following certain political principles, especially a belief that people should avoid language, images, or behavior offensive to any group. The ideal of political correctness was respect and tolerance, but that lofty goal has been ground into the mud by the self-righteous high priests of something barely resembling what was once honesty and truth.

There are other names for political correctness, including compassion, courtesy, humility, empathy, understanding, and goodwill. These characteristics are not weakness, and there is no pride in ridding ourselves of our humanity in the face of unleashed racism and bigotry. Hatred is not an American value, but neither is distrust, meanness, spitefulness, narrow-mindedness, or injustice.

Watching the minions of Trump, it is clear that what abolitionist and writer Harriet Jacobs said is correct: "Cruelty is contagious in uncivilized communities."

Trump is entertaining in an "I hope to God he's not looking at me" sort of way, but he is not kind, fair, empathetic, sincere, or even Christian. He is a thin-skinned bully, a master of withering disdain, a tyrant with anger issues. Trump has brought out the worst in millions of Americans. He has made ignorance a badge of honor and kindness a weakness.

What is next for us Americans? What happens in the next nine months in Trump nation? Will we even recognize ourselves again? When he loses in November, what happens then? How do we return to Pandora the sins of our behavior?

Susan McCarthy-Miller is a retired professor of education at Springfield College in Massachusetts. susanmccarthymiller@gmail.com