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TRUMP’S RACIST REMARKS

Jan 26, 2018 Editorial

There is no question that President Donald Trump of the United States sees the world, especially the non-white world, differently from all previous US presidents. He is currently facing a maelstrom of criticisms from the international community and massive protests, particularly abroad, over inherently racist comments reportedly made by him at an immigration-related meeting with law-makers at the White House a few days ago.
Even his fellow Republicans view his remarks which he has since denied as offensive, distasteful and uncalled for and have distanced themselves from the White House. Mr. Trump has allegedly labeled Haiti, El Salvador and the countries of Africa–predominantly black nations–as “shithole” countries and asked why America was taking in so many citizens from these countries.
It seems that Mr. Trump’s preference for more people from Norway, a white Scandinavian country, to come and settle in the US, did not sit well with the Norwegian citizens, many of whom scoffed at the invitation, citing their higher standard of living and a far less crime rate than the US as reason to stay at home.
Whether or not President Trump made the comments, the fact is, most Americans believe that he did and have accused him of denigrating the office of the presidency and the United States. Lest we forget, his campaign for the presidency had similar racist overtones, even in his treatment of his predecessor, Barack Obama, who has been most gracious to him all along.
Although he did not mention Guyana and several other Caribbean countries, his trite comments should be a reality check for all countries whose people have the same pigmentation as Haiti and the countries of Africa. His comments can also be taken as a direct reference to us. President Trump ought to know that there are thousands if not millions of Americans living in the countries which he labelled as “shitholes.” Not to mention that millions of people from Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean have and continue to make valuable contributions in the development of America.
This is definitely a time for the people of the Caribbean to take a stand against Trump’s insulting and vicious remarks. As a region, the peoples of the Caribbean have had considerable political power and must now determine how they will mobilize and put it to more effective use to assert their dignity as human beings and, more importantly, influence US policy in the region. They must stand-up for their dignity and not be defined by Trump’s derogatory comments. Without a doubt, words can be damaging but, in the final analysis, it boils down to personal belief.
More than forty years ago, while asking Guyanese to return home and help to develop Guyana, the then-leader Forbes Burnham cautioned them not to become second class citizens or be treated as such in their adopted countries. He took strong objection to what he saw as the indignity suffered by many Guyanese and Caribbean nationals living in Britain and the United States. He believed Guyanese could do better and challenged them to think big, and to focus their energies on developing Guyana in the way Lee Kuan Yew developed Singapore, so that Guyanese could attain self-fulfillment at home.
Trump’s racist comments must be a wake-up call for us in Guyana and the Caribbean to focus on developing the region instead of seeking to develop America. The question, however, is whether we believe that we are capable of achieving greatness. Believing makes the world a difference. However, the process has to begin with an improved governance framework in the region that brings out the full potential of the Caribbean people—a governance that puts the development of people and the service of the region first.

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