I used my red brick as “my dog,” where I put a string on it and named it Cujo.
I predict that former VP Joe Biden will defeat Pres. Donald Trump, or the “Hustler-in-Chief,” in 2020. Biden can’t win, however, without our help. He reminds me of a fictional story that I’ve recounted over the years based on my imaginary red brick that I “played with” as a kid in East Los Angeles’ Ramona Garden public housing project or Big Hazard projects. Given that I grew up in abject poverty, where I couldn’t afford to purchase a toy car or pet, I “relied” on my red brick. One day, I converted it into a car with spray paint, pushing it around my bedroom. I pretended it was the General Lee car from the old television show Dukes of Hazzard. Someone should’ve warned me that it was a racist show given the confederate flag on top of the car! On another day, I used my red brick as “my dog,” where I put a string on it and named it Cujo. I pulled Cujo around my brick apartment building.
Like in the case of my imaginary red brick, we must push and pull Biden to victory in 2020!
I’m well aware, however, that lot of people—progressives, liberal Democrats, independents and, let’s not forget, the radio personality Charlamagne tha God—are fretting about Biden. While they have legitimate concerns about Biden’s past and current policies that I agree with, moving forward, we should all pressure Biden to adopt progressive policies, make sure he doesn’t select Sen. Amy Klobuchar as VP and move mountains to defeat Trump.
Relentless attacks on Joe Biden will only secure Trump’s re-election.
For any individual/group who opposes Trump and bashes Biden, wounding him even more, these relentless attacks will only secure Trump’s re-election! This doesn’t imply that we shouldn’t pressure Biden to do the right thing.
That said, let’s all take a deep breath and step back to consider the eminent threat that Trump poses to democracy (e.g., totalitarianism streak), human rights (e.g., putting brown children in jails) and our planet (e.g., accelerating global warming).
This is the same guy who, along with his racist father, settled a housing discrimination with the federal government.
He’s the same guy who, during the late 1980s, played a key role against the wrongfully convicted black and brown youth in New York’s infamous Central Park Five case.
He’s the same guy who played a key role in the racist birther movement against then-Pres. Barack Obama.
He’s the same guy who, on June 16, 2015, uttered the following racist/xenophobic words: “…When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re not sending you. They’re not sending you. They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists…”
He’s the same deplorable guy who was recorded on Access Hollywood with then-anchorman Billy Bush, boasting about his abusive treatment towards women: “I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it, you can do anything… grab them by the p____.”
He’s the same guy who, according to The Washington Post, has made “18,000 false or misleading claims in 1,170 days” since assuming office (up until April 3, 2020).
He’s the same guy who, on January 20, 2020, tweeted the following stupidity, where he continued to downplay the threat of COVID-19 for several critical weeks: “China has been working very hard to contain the Coronavirus. The United States greatly appreciates their efforts and transparency. It will all work out well. In particular, on behalf of the American People, I want to thank President Xi!”
Trump’s inhumane policy to separate children from their parents/guardians, put brown children in American cages.
He’s the same guy who, along with his racist/xenophobic lackies, implemented a cruel and an inhumane policy to separate children from their parents/guardians, whereby putting brown children in American cages. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Trump and his inhumane administration (let’s not forget about the equally racist and immoral VP Mike Pence!), are deporting these caged children to their countries of origin at great risk to their well-being. This represents a crime against humanity!
Lastly, this is the same self-centered and callous guy who played golf while almost 100,000 Americans lost their lives to the coronavirus!
At the end of the day, I’ll support my imaginary red brick against the atrocious Trump. He’s one the most incompetent (e.g., Herbert Hoover), reckless (e.g., Jair Bolsonaro) and corrupt (e.g., Ferdinand Marcos) world “leaders” in history.
During his disastrous response to the COVID-19 pandemic and financial meltdown of the economy, Trump is politically vulnerable since he can’t rely on the inherited booming economy from Obama/Biden, neo-Nazi style campaign rallies and fantasy border wall that Mexico will never pay for.
In short, to put an end to Trump’s racist, cruel and inhumane charade of a presidency, we must unite and act to ensure his defeat in 2020!
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Copyright 2002 By Álvaro Huerta, Ph.D. Álvaro Huerta, Ph.D., holds a joint faculty appointment in Urban & Regional Planning and Ethnic & Women’s Studies at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. Among other publications, he’s the author of the books: Reframing the Latino Immigration Debate: Towards a Humanistic Paradigm (2013) and Defending Latina/o Immigrant Communities: The Xenophobic Era of Trump and Beyond (2019). He holds a Ph.D. in City and Regional Planning from UC Berkeley. He also holds an M.A. in Urban Planning and a B.A. in History from UCLA. All photos in the public domain.