Donald Trump doesn’t want to see Harriet Tubman on the $20.00 bill because he is both racist and sexist. Period.
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Will the wonders of Trump’s depth of depravity never cease to amaze?
If that sounds a bit melodramatic, the times call for what the times call. We’re in an election cycle that is more tragedy, less comedy by the day. What began as the benignly entertaining concept of a futile, doomed Trump campaign has morphed into the ever-growing possibility of a Donald Trump candidacy.
The stakes of that prospect are ominous. Though Hillary Clinton (or, less likely, Bernie Sanders) would almost certainly beat Trump in the General Election, the risk is simply too great.
What if Hillary Clinton did end up indicted? What if Bernie Sanders suffered some sudden health setback? (That sounds Seussian. Hey! So did that descriptor).
Today, as is the case most days lately, Trump offered another distinctly gross comment on a political issue, that of the Treasury’s decision to feature Underground Railroad member, war hero, and anti-slavery activist Harriet Tubman on the $20.00 bill.
This is apparently an affront to the current face accosting you every time a $20.00 is called for, that of slave holder and seventh U.S. President, Andrew Jackson.
Yes, according to Our Man Chauvinist, Jackson should not be tossed off such a prominent bill. Especially not when he is to be replaced by Harriet Tubman. You know, a woman. And a black woman at that!
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Yes, according to our man chauvinist, Jackson should not be tossed off such a prominent bill. Especially not when he is to be replaced by Harriet Tubman. You know, a woman. And a black woman, at that! (Side bet: I’ll put a Ulysses S. Grant down that Donald Trump probably had no idea who Tubman was, nor what the Underground Railroad was, until today).
I do wonder: just who does Trump think he’s winning over here? I mean, the guy has the angry white man vote LOCKED DOWN. They’ve never seen a candidate so unimaginably perfect. And white women with a case of mild to severe racism are already on his team as well.
Everyone else in this country loathes Andrew Jackson, if they even know who he is.
So the rest of America either a) is thrilled to see Jackson get the boot, or b) doesn’t know enough about our loathsome s prez to care either way.
So what’s the point, Trump? What in the everlasting hell are you trying to accomplish by suggesting that Harriet Tubman should maybe get an honorary $2.00 bill nod, and leave Andrew Jackson alone?
And I suppose it could be to keep the headlines on him, because we pretty much know Donald Trump is textbook case study of narcissism.
And that’s what leads me to believe that “Donald Trump being outrageous” is really just Donald Trump being himself. If a black woman who daily risked her life to free human beings from grotesque, systemic abuse is a threat to your sense of who you are, then who you are is in serious need of reform.
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But there are other ways of keeping the spotlight on you. Boatloads.
And that’s what leads me to believe that “Donald Trump being outrageous” is really just Donald Trump being himself.
He doesn’t want to see Harriet Tubman on the $20.00 bill because he is both racist and sexist. Period. That’s really as simple as it gets. For Trump, white men need to be the primary symbols of power, and few things are as fundamentally symbolic as the face on your hard coin.
This is a kind of brutish, ignorant, dangerous strain of faux masculinity. If a black woman who daily risked her life to free human beings from grotesque, systemic abuse is a threat to your sense of who you are, then someone really missed the mark in teaching you character.
If the stakes were significantly lower, I think I could find some sympathy for Trump and his ilk. When you cannot appreciate, respect, defend, and esteem people whose heroism clearly sets them apart, simply because they are somehow different than you, then you must be a deeply miserable person.
But the stakes could not be any higher. And this form of sickness, parading itself as masculinity, must be fought. On all fronts, always.
Photo: Flickr/ Gage Skidmore
Spot on article!
Thanks!
To all of your responses, my sentiments as well
Hi Tom,
Thanks, as always, for reading! I’ve written a response to Reader Comments today:
https://goodmenproject.com/featured-content/donald-trump-harriet-tubman-comment-response-jhlh/
I think these irrational and emotional attacks are going to lose you more of the independent vote in the general election. You’re going to help Trump right into the White House.
Thank you for reading! After the many comments on this post, I’ve written a response today. Hopefully it will clarify a few points. https://goodmenproject.com/featured-content/donald-trump-harriet-tubman-comment-response-jhlh/
I’ve posted similar comment elsewhere, but perhaps it is also appropriate here. We can argue this for a milinia, but the argument will not change, but perhaps the participants can flux a bit. Certainly one might suggest that it is just more placating to the far feminist left (which I am certainly no fan of), but on the other hand, when we clear the smoke, is it the right thing to do? Can we blow through the personal angst and ask why it has not been done well before this as the very fabric of our history as a nation… Read more »
Hi DJ,
Thank you for reading, and offering this thoughtful comment. I’ve quoted you in an article today, as a response to the many posts here.
https://goodmenproject.com/featured-content/donald-trump-harriet-tubman-comment-response-jhlh/
You should stick to writing about ways to improve our Education system. Your foray into dissecting a personal opinion has failed.
I agree with you, but if you are really that upset about a former slave-owner being on the $20 bill, maybe you should consider asking Congress to change the $1, too – George Washington also owned slaves, as did many white men back then. Also, I think in regards to your two choices for Americans on Andrew Jackson, there should be a C option – “They learned about him once in history class, then really honestly didn’t care enough to follow up and learn more about him, and they also couldn’t really care less about WHO is on the $20… Read more »
Thanks so much for reading! I agree that many Americans probably don’t know enough about Andrew Jackson (or even WHO is on the $20.00 bill) to have much of an opinion. But for those of us who do, this is definitely an important issue. As to George Washington… man, that is tough. I cannot reconcile the man who gave up power and so courageously won the Revolutionary War with the man who owned many slaves on his Mt. Vernon Estate. It makes no sense, and I have no answers. The small defense of Washington I offer is that he did… Read more »
Btw I’d truly love to hear your ideas on improving schools you might just have a winner in there because they are in general terrible with the outcomes of their intended purpose
You’re really out of line here Jessica what trump said was it was pure political correctness that gets Turman on the 20 and he’s right He is a conservative. Conservatives don’t like quick change. No pun here. He thought perhaps a new legal tender with her on it would be fine. But you’re twisting it to day he’s misogynistic and a racist to boot. You’re learning your liberal lessons well. But if you ever have aspirations of being a serious journalist you seriously need to learn to research the topic. But you know as well as I that soundbite media… Read more »
Hi Mark,
Thank you for reading, and for offering your thoughts! I’ve quoted you in an article today, as a response to the many comments this article received. Hopefully it will shed a bit more light on the argument I’m making here.
https://goodmenproject.com/featured-content/donald-trump-harriet-tubman-comment-response-jhlh/