Xenophobia and Ethnocentrism is in Abundance

Here is a piece from 2015 that is especially critical of Trump.  I admit, I am not a fan.  As someone that has a degree in Sociology, I believe there is no way I could be pro-Trump because I see the issues he creates and issues that fester under his "rule."  I am a very frustrated American, and I will not criticize you if you voted for him, but I will ask you this: Has he improved your America?  My personal answer is emphatically "no." You may see things differently.

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Xenophobia is defined as an irrational or intense dislike or fear of people from other countries.

Ethnocentrism is the tendency to look upon other cultures or people from other societies as being wrong, essentially believing one's own specific culture or society is superior.

Since the summer of 2015, we have seen ethnocentric beliefs when condemning Mexican immigrants, and xenophobic banter about Syrian refugees.  It is spreading like disease across our country.

I get it, we are scared of a repeat of 9/11.  We are scared of mass shooting.  We are scared of ending up like many countries in Europe and the Middle East, where we are not safe.  We do not want another Boston Marathon bombing.

However, we can not turn our backs on the needy, the helpless, the homeless.  We shouldn't, but when you look at America on a macro level, that is exactly what we have been doing.

America turns its back on the poor by cutting SNAP benefits.  American turns it back on the graying population by cutting Social Security benefits.  America is cutting social programs that help the poor, the needy, the elderly, and our Veterans.  

However, they have no problem handing out social welfare to big oil with more than $4 billion in government subsidies, or other billions of dollars of subsidies to big corporate America.

The point I am making is that if you have money, America will back you up.  If you are needy, you'll stay needy.  If you are Mexican, expect fears of mass deportation and being targeted even if you are a documented immigrant or a legal citizen.  If you are a Syrian refugee, some people have it out for you.  If you are Muslim, beware.  Apparently, Trump and others are calling to shut down all Muslim places of worship.  His rants are sounding a lot like Hitler lately.

What separates Trump and his xenophobia and ethnocentrism from the beginning rants of Hitler?  Hitler wanted to make Germany great again; Trump wants to make America great again.  How?  Well for one, when the oppressed have no rights, they can't rise up.  Hitler did not believe in workers' rights.  Trump believes Americans make too much money (in other words, the minimum wage is too high).  Where Hitler wanted a master race, Trump wants a mass deportation.  The parallels are there.  We aren't even a century away from Hitler's reign of terror, and a new wave has begun with Trump and the other Republicans that mimic is discontent with immigrants, refugees, women's rights, and the list goes on.

This is not a time for xenophobia or ethnocentrism.  This is a time for shrinking the gaps of inequality between race, genders, and socioeconomic classes.  The American system isn't truly set up to close those gaps, but when you elect officials, you should elect officials that try to narrow these gaps.  In other words, we must try to fight social stratification.  We must stop labeling people as inferior, unworthy, or secondary to the upper crust.

We also must stop the war on religions.  Let people worship in their houses of worship.  There are good Christians, Muslims, Jews, etc., and there are evil ones, too.  Radicals.  They exist everywhere in every nation.  One Islamic radicals doesn't mean all Muslims are jihadists.  We must get past this belief, America!