Ilhan Omar, In NYT Editorial, Calls On Americans To Do More Than Just Condemn Trump
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Rep. Ilhan Omar is continuing to be the "nightmare" she promised to be for President Donald Trump, rebuking the president's behavior once again in a New York Times op-ed article published Thursday.
The opinion piece, titled "It Is Not Enough To Condemn Trump's Racism," calls on the American public to take a stand against the racist policies implemented by the Trump Administration.
Omar begins by commenting on the widely criticized "send her back" chants heard at a Trump's campaign rally last week, calling the attack "a defining moment in American history."
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The Minnesota congresswoman went on to share her experiences immigrating to the United States, recalling the ways people identified her carried stigmas, leading her to conclude that she was experiencing prejudice as a "visibly Muslim Woman."
"I soon recognized that the only way to ensure that everyone in my community had a voice was by participating in the democratic process," Omar said.
Omar argues that "our democratic institutions have been weaponized" by the Trump administration, and accused the president of working to restrict voter rights, undermining the checks and balances of the Constitution, and using divisive and racist rhetoric to divide the country.
"The reasons for weaponizing division are not mysterious. Racial fear prevents Americans from building community with one another — and community is the lifeblood of a functioning democratic society," she wrote. "If working Americans are too busy fighting with one another, we will never address the very real and deep problems our country faces — from climate change to soaring inequality to lack of quality affordable health care."