To the editor:
President Trump’s recent comments about immigration are troubling and clearly run counter to the ethos that has been the hallmark of American society almost from its beginnings.
According to lawmakers who were in the meeting with Trump, the president used vile, profane language to describe immigrants from Haiti and Africa (nations of predominantly nonwhite residents) and then added that the United States should have more immigrants from Norway (a predominantly white nation). The second half of his comments speak more to his fundamental racism than the former, as despicable as his characterizations were.
However, equally troubling are the refusals by Republicans, in particular Indiana Republicans, to condemn in clear terms both the comments themselves and the spirit behind those remarks. This lack of moral courage is disappointing at best.
If former President Barack Obama or any current national Democratic figure had made comparable remarks, the Indiana GOP delegation would be howling for heads to roll. So where is the moral outrage over Trump’s remarks?
Our local officials in Congress need to tell Hoosiers and the rest of the country that these remarks have no place in the public arena. They need to publicly announce to the president that this language is inappropriate, unhelpful to public debate about immigration policy, damaging to the nation’s image abroad and most importantly just plain wrong.
Rep. Trey Hollingsworth and Sen. Todd Young, this is your opportunity to demonstrate what Hoosier values really stand for.
Richard Gotshall
Franklin
