Burying White Privilege by Miguel A. De La Torre

Author:Miguel A. De La Torre
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

3

Maintaining and Sustaining Self-Deception

Some white Christians voted for Trump out of a profound dislike for his political rival Hillary Clinton. Others claimed they voted for him because they believed in his vision of “Making America Great Again” or because he promised the country would “tire of so much winning.” Maybe some voted for a pro-life Trump because he vowed to safeguard the Supreme Court from liberal entrenchment by making conservative appointees. And still others might have believed a pragmatic businessman in the Oval Office would be good for the country. Yet Christian nationalists continue to be his most ardent supporters due to the overt racism and ethnic discrimination he continues to exhibit, a racism made quite evident throughout the campaign season and his presidency.

Regardless of the apologetic reasons white Christians give for casting their lot with Trump, their true motive was their fear of Latinxs swarming over the border like cockroaches, Muslims seeking to enact Sharia law while carrying bombs under their burkas, black rapists lusting after white women, and a homosexual agenda that threatens traditional marriages by forcing everyone to be gay. Fear of the other and a patriotic desire to return to a simpler, more racist time had more to do with casting votes for Trump than the wish to fight against any politically correct alternative offered. White Christian nationalists may insist they too are horrified at Trump’s actions, behavior, and tweets; yet, they continue to justify voting for an avowed misogynist racist by arguing they voted for a president not a preacher, and that God can use even the pagan Cyrus to bring about God’s will. The not-so-secret reason as to why white Christians voted for and continue to support Trump was their desire to ensure the White House would be white again and would remain so for the forseeable future.

But to continue supporting Trump after his failure to condemn Nazi and Klan activities in Charlottesville is deeply troubling and reflects a national moral crisis. Support for Trump does not waver because Euro-American Christians are aligned—and historically have always been aligned—with his racist, white-nationalist viewpoint. To stand before the public, as Trump did, after a white man purposely drove his car into a group of peaceful protestors and say there is blame on many sides is to provide cover for white terrorist groups who are fueled by hatred for people of color and their allies (both right- and left-of-center) who stand with them. To say all sides are to blame ignores how only one side carried guns, while the other side wore clerical collars. One side chanted epithets toward Jews and blacks while the other side prayed for love and peace. Trump appealed to white Christian nationalists because of his explicit rhetoric of reinstituting and reinforcing white supremacy. If the president or his white Christian allies cannot bring themselves to condemn the perpetrators of home-grown terrorism, then both the president and his white Christian allies are racist. Yes, I know white people hate being called racist, but

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