The following article reflects the opinion and views of the author, Johnathen Sweeney, and does not present the thoughts from the Ohio University College Democrats.
Yes, Stephen Miller, one of President Trump’s closest and most trusted advisers, is a white supremacist. This, again, has entered public conversation after Minnesota Rep. Omar tweeted, “Stephen Miller is a white nationalist. The fact that he still has influence on policy and political appointments is an outrage,” last Monday in response to a Splinter News article. Some were so offended by these comments that they labelled her as anti-Semitic, again, because Miller is Jewish.
If you weren’t aware, Miller is the architect of Trump administration policies such as the Muslim Ban, which coincidentally did not include Saudi Arabia, and the infamous family separation plan at the border. This is the same separation policy that saw thousands of migrant children being lost and unaccounted for, and even put into cages. They even allowed some of the children to be adopted by U.S. citizens without the consent, or even knowledge, of their parents.
Yes, it is true we cannot look into Miller’s heart and see if he is racist, but as an article in the New York Magazine stated:
“Reasonable people can disagree about whether or not it is worth maintaining a semantic distinction between individuals who openly identify as white nationalists and those whose words and deeds betray an ideological commitment to maintaining the United States as a majority-white nation. But it is impossible to understand the Trump administration’s immigration policies without stipulating that it subscribes to a “soft-core” or reformist version of white nationalism.”
Miller reportedly told a colleague that he didn’t care if another refugee came to America, or that he reportedly told a middle school classmate he couldn’t be friends with him because he was a Latino. Miller has also pushed to block Chinese immigrants from attending American universities and for years has pushed for a policy to deport Vietnamese refugees.
To make things more interesting, Miller’s uncle and childhood Rabbi have called him out. According to his uncle, many of Miller’s family members hate him for his beliefs. In third grade, a former classmate of Miller’s claimed he would use glue to mark boundaries.
Some outlets have seemed hesitant to call Trump and his advisers out for their racism. However, we need to call out bigotry and hatred whenever we see it. Even the newest editions to the Associated Press Style Guide affirms this.
Not calling out problematic statements because it’s not “civil” or “nice” is a slap in the face to the millions of non-white people in the world who are forced to deal with the effects of white supremacy ideology. By not calling racism and other bigotries what they are, you are contributing to white supremacy. And, it’s always interesting to see that benefit of the doubt given to white people about if they’re racist or not, but that same fervor is never given to black and brown people shot by the police.
You might lose friends and family by calling out their racism. But, what’s more important: how other people feel or the lives and dignity of non-white people?
Again, it is true we cannot look into Miller’s heart and see if he is racist. However, when we put all his actions into context, we have to call him out for what he is: a white supremacist, and a white supremacist who is literally in in the ears of our president…in 2019. So, whenever anyone tells you racism is a “myth created by the left to cause division,” or that “racism ended (only) 50 years ago”, remember that. Be mad about it. Do something about it.
Johnathen Sweeney is a third-year studying strategic communication at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to reach the College Democrats? Send them a tweet @OUCollegeDems.
