#SpeakingOut – Stand your ground

On February 16, I was as shocked as moderator David Ellis, that a female caller had the courage to phone into Down to Brass Tacks to say something positive about former US President Donald Trump – from her religious perspective Mr Trump had won the 2016 general election because of divine intervention, to save the US from going further down a slippery slope to destruction. 

In response to Ellis’ question, the caller admitted she liked Mr Trump but was adamant that she wasn’t in agreement with everything that he said or did.

Based on the moderator’s reaction and relentless questioning of the caller – even asking her if she was a Black Barbadian, with that level of thinking – it was apparent that her view of Mr Trump was contrary to most Barbadians’ thinking. Ellis added that most Barbadians were liberal and left of center – implying that they were monolithic in interpreting US politics – and would more identify with the US Democrats and not the right-wing Republicans. He also said that he was concerned that Republican policies could have a negative effect, as Barbados pursued correspondent banking. But that could happen under any administration if, strategically, a country didn’t fall in line with US policies.  

When the caller was asked to list any of Mr Trump’s political gains, she boldly and correctly stated that President Trump had signed the bill that legislated the funding of Historical Black Colleges (HSBCs) – Michael Lomax, President and CEO of the United Negro College Fund had praised it; Mr Trump had withdrawn from the Iran nuclear deal – Speaker Paul Ryan had said that from the beginning, the Obama-era Deal was deeply flawed; Mr Trump signed the Abraham Accords, which ushered in the formal agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, and Israel and Bahrain, to establish diplomatic relations; he was the first sitting US President to cross the Korean Border and meet with Kim Jong Un in North Korea – they agreed to restart nuclear talks.  

Although the caller was in hostile territory, she stood her ground. I guess there was no surprise that Mr Ellis did not elaborate on any of her points because he had already joined the chorus of those with anti-Trump leanings, commonly called Trump Derangement Syndrome. Ellis referred to the period of ‘Trumpism’ as being reckless, and that Mr Trump was perceived as a loose cannon and few people had lied more than he did. 

Like the caller said, most of what people believed was shaped by their news sources – fake news anyone! – without researching for themselves to get additional information. 

Stand tall brave caller, although you may be in the
minority.  

Michael Headley, Brooklyn, NY