News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. Jan. 15, 2015: On January 8, 2016 in Rock Hill, South Carolina, I watched in shock and awe as the crowd at a Donald Trump rally turned ugly quickly. They looked like a pack of rabid blood hounds ready to tear apart any human being who had the gall to leverage their constitutional right and disagree with Trump.
It started as some began streaming in to the Winthrop University auditorium. Upon seeing a number of White young men protesting against Trump right outside, many of the supporters began yelling at them to “go home” and “get a job.”
That energy no doubt spilled over on the inside. By now everyone has seen or read the story of Rose Hamid and Marty Rosenbluth who somehow managed to get tickets to the event.
When Hamib wearing a hijab and a T-shirt that read “Salam, I come in peace” stood up after Trump’s rant on Syrian refugees and Marty Rosenbluth, wearing a yellow sticker that said “Muslim” stood up alongside her, the crowd turned their anger to them.
They were booed and told to “get out” by the rowdy crowd who had come to see Trump.
One person even shouted at Hamid, “You have a bomb, you have a bomb,” according to Hamid.
What was not reported but seen were the black Trump “supporters” in the audience who cheered wildly as he insisted that he will “build a big beautiful wall” around the US, with “a door” to let people in or out.
That was the most shocking part of the rally for me as only hours before I had met a Vietnamese immigrant who was proud to tell me he grew up with an African-American family upon coming to America as a boy and now owned a Soul Food restaurant.
It was a sad day in my life – sad because as an immigrant in these United States, I’ve always been impressed at the melting pot of cultures and nationalities that makes this nation so great. To have it torn down and relegated to Trump-mania is pure madness.
Especially as Friday’s incident came a month after Trump called for banning Muslims from entering the United States following the attack in San Bernardino and as Anti-Muslim incidents have increased around the country in the weeks since.
After Friday’s incident, one can no longer deny that the rhetoric from Camp Trump is having an impact on the rise of hate across the country regardless of what he claims.
As Hamid 56, told CNN” “This demonstrates how when you start dehumanizing the other it can turn people into very hateful, ugly people. It needs to be known.”
Rosenbluth, speaking to Amy Goodman on Public radio summed it up this way: “The thing that shocked me the most, after being now in three Trump rallies is the reaction of the crowd. And like Rose was saying, I mean, people seemed really nice, but the more he speaks and the more he goes on ranting and raving, you can actually see the hate and the fear grow in people’s eyes.”
The rise in hate comes as the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) says there are now 276 anti-government militia groups – up from 202 in 2014, a 37 percent increase, across the nation. Why? Because the right wing continues its conspiracy theories and trafficking hate is much better than trafficking love.
The Republican Party leaders must send a clear message that such hate will not be tolerated and rein in the insane rhetoric of their candidates. Immigrant voters must take note, ensure they are registered to vote and vote in huge numbers to ensure we send such actions into the graveyard of insanity.
The writer is CMO of Hard Beat Communications, which owns the brands News Americas Now, CaribPR Wire and Invest Caribbean Now.
