We wonder in a time of pandemic and economic hardship if Americans really care about century-old statues and the values of our forebearers, now long gone, who erected them. Last night, Donald Trump, in a setting draped in American patriotism, delivered one of the most divisive speeches of his presidency.
CNN called it a “jaw-dropping speech that amounted to a culture war bonfire.” He spoke of a left-wing mob that aims to end America. They are on a “merciless campaign to wipe out our history, defame our heroes, erase our values, and indoctrinate our children,” Trump said.
“If you do not speak its language, perform its rituals, recite its mantras and follow its commandments, then you will be censored, banished, blacklisted, persecuted and punished,” Trump said. “It’s not gonna happen to us,” he said to cheers, as he revived his familiar “us versus them” language. “Make no mistake. This left-wing cultural revolution is designed to overthrow the American Revolution.”
The speech, near Mt. Rushmore in South Dakota, was delivered to a crowd that was mostly mask free. The Washington Post writes:
“Thousands of unmasked guests, awaiting the arrival of the president, sat shoulder-to-shoulder in black folding chairs tethered together in a kind of coronavirus chain of denial. The VIPs would, of course, be seated separately onstage — not six feet apart but not amid the storm of exhalations, coughs, vociferous cheers and sneezes. And just to add to the upside-down, inside-out madness of the mass gathering, Ivanka Trump, the president’s adviser and daughter, tweeted a reminder to be safe over the holiday weekend by social distancing and wearing a mask. Her nearest and dearest did not listen to the plea.”
America is changing fast. George Floyd’s death saw to that. Now many in the country are trying to right the wrongs of their ancestors. And Donald Trump is driving his brand of racism against a current that may drown him and his party come November.
