A gentleman on NPR recently stated, “Trump’s condemnation of acts of hate, in his speech to the joint session of congress, is similar to my condemning French fries after having ordered them myself and eaten all of them.”

Trump himself created this atmosphere of hate by his constant divisive and hate-filled rhetoric and by appointing Bannon and Miller to high-level jobs in the White House, thus mainstreaming white supremacist views. Publicly disavowing hate now is too little, too late.

Trump’s call for a task force for Victims of Immigrant Crime Engagement (VOICE) is appalling as it implies that crime is a huge problem with immigrants, when the facts dispute this. Crime is actually lower in areas of high immigrant concentration and more violent acts have been committed by right wing hate groups than immigrants.

Just another way to build fear of “the other” and further divide us. Trump wants us to be so afraid and distrustful of our government institutions, the press and the changing demographics of our nation that we’ll welcome an autocratic leader to save us. Enter Trump and Putin, stage right!

Trump’s policies have targeted hard-working, undocumented immigrants who’ve lived here for many years, tearing good families apart. Detainees at airports have included American citizens returning from abroad and those with green cards.

When will he start deporting the actual “bad dudes” or violent criminals, and stop profiling innocent groups? Labeling all Muslims as terrorists is false and reprehensible and helps ISIS’s recruiting plans, and labeling all Latinos as criminals or rapists is factually and morally wrong. Building a wall tarnishes our image in the world and would be costly and ineffective since drugs are brought in through legal ports, tunnels and catapults.

Darker skin and a different religion or heritage do not determine your character!