Chump on a stump

I’m so freaking mad right now that I can’t even focus — that’s how much effort I have to put into restraining myself from jumping on a plane, tracking down Trump the Chump and punching him in the face. Repeatedly. Which makes me even madder because that’s exactly the immature, low-brow, knee-jerk reaction he’s aiming for.

Giving the devil his hellish due, he knows just how asinine and idiotic he sounds. Especially with his latest absurdity: calling for a ban on the world’s 1.6 billion Muslims from the United States. A ban that’s supposedly justified by the terrorist activities of an estimated .002 per cent of that population. Let’s put that into an Atlantic Canadian perspective: we had 20 homicides in 2014. That means we have almost as many murderous Atlantic Canadians per capita as there are terrorist Muslims. By Trump’s illogic, everyone east of Montreal is a bloodthirsty psychopath – how’s that for a weapon of mass stupidity?

Sadly, this latest prejudiced rhetoric isn’t Trump’s first chump speech. Before the Muslims, he was verbally attacking Mexicans. Before that, it was women. And these are the actions of a man who would be president? My mind simply cannot compute.

Ultimately, The Donald doesn’t care that he’s a serious contender for the title of world’s biggest tool. He deliberately chooses to be a misogynistic, racist, xenophobic, fear-mongering, hyperbole-peddling moron because (and his reality TV ratings prove it) that’s what sells to his particular audience. And while he may ultimately be a loathsome pimple on the butt of mediocrity — inciting hatred as a stepping stone to power, invoking nationalism as an excuse for bigotry — he’s not stupid. That’s what makes him dangerous. That, and the fact that thousands of people have seemingly bought into his one-dimensional sound-bite propaganda (and doesn’t that speak for itself on the state of western civilization?).

We have our own chumps in Atlantic Canada. Thankfully, they are nowhere near as incendiary as our neighbour to the south — but their racial and religious bias is just as treacherous (if not more so) because it’s disguised as genuine concern.

How do we know that refugees aren’t terrorists in disguise? Here’s a hint: they’re the ones abandoning family, friends, homes, jobs, professional achievements — everything they’ve known — to escape the terrorists. Besides, excepting aboriginal and indigenous populations, we are all immigrants here. Consider our legacy of residential schools and land claims and native reserves and ask yourself this: who is the refugee and who is the terrorist?

Why should we open our collective doors, and wallets, so immigrants can come here to go on welfare? Would you save someone from drowning? Carry a child from a burning building? Share your food with the hungry? Being born under the right constellation of lucky stars does not make us worthier of security. If anything, it obligates us to share the wealth.

What about the 1.36 million unemployed Canadians who now have to compete with 25,000 new Syrian immigrants for jobs? Thank you — you’ve just identified one of the strongest arguments pro-immigration, particularly here on the East Coast. Our population is declining thanks to too many retirees, too few babies being born and way too many working age Atlantic Canadians leaving for job opportunities elsewhere. That means there are fewer people left to pick up the tax burden and provide essential services; fewer creative minds and dwindling numbers of entrepreneurs. Protecting the status quo won’t boost the economy — we need new immigrants as much as they need us.

What about our own security? Aren’t we supposed to protect ourselves? Of course we are. No sane individual believes the world should naively close its eyes to the very real, despicable and homicidal cowardice of organizations like ISIL. We must be vigilant to the radical threats, but be equally vigilant about doing so without (as our dear Donald reminds us) resorting to radicalism ourselves.

Never forget what we are fighting against, or what we are fighting for. Anything less makes chumps of us all.