In 2008, there was hope. In 2018, there is hurt. This is America's state of hate.
(CNN)On Election Night in 2008, Americans gathered in Grant Park, Chicago. They cried tears of joy knowing Barack Obama would become the first black president.
For millions of Americans, Obama lifted the nation. For white supremacists, he lit a powder keg.
His election supercharged the divisions that have existed since the country's birth.
The hate created two Americas. Two realities. Split-screen reactions to the same events, that continued and were exacerbated with President Trump's victory and time in office.
When a gunman massacred nine people praying at a predominantly black church, America wept and asked for grace. But the virulent racists cheered, hailing the gunman a hero for helping to start the race war they dreamed of.
When much of America was horrified by the sight of neo-Nazis in their streets in 2017, white supremacists were almost gleeful their views were front and center.
And when a gunman stormed into a synagogue just last month, declaring "all Jews must die," Americans wept over the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in US history. But white supremacists breathed a sigh of relief. One of their biggest targets had been successfully attacked.
The era that started with hope and change had now become one of unapologetic hate.
Most African-Americans polled immediately after the 2008 election called Obama's victory "a dream come true," one they never expected to see in their lifetime.
Not all Americans saw it that way. Racists viewed a black man in power as a signal of the browning of America. It was the sight they feared the most. They were terrified and infuriated.
White supremacists, Klansmen and others began to vent, plot and act. As Obama called for people to come together, they used his existence to drive the nation apart.
Their rallying cry became "We have a black man in the White House and you need to do something about it," according to Ken Parker, then a KKK Grand Dragon and neo-Nazi.
"We would even joke amongst ourselves, we're going to send President Obama a honorary membership to the Klan because he's our ... biggest recruiting tool."
Some racism was out in the open -- especially that directed at Obama and his family.
The former President was shown as a witch doctor and photoshopped often onto "Uncle Ben's" rice. His face was superimposed onto the body of a chimpanzee. His wife and former first lady Michelle Obama was called an "ape in heels."
Donald Trump, then a private citizen, questioned if the first black President was born in America. Some repeated the lie that Obama was Muslim, as if to exaggerate his "otherness."
This undercurrent of racism came as the country struggled with a divided Washington and the economic crisis following the Great Recession.
Any hope for progress toward racial harmony took a hit with a seemingly never-ending run of mostly young, unarmed black men being killed, often by police officers.
Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Laquan McDonald and Tamir Rice. Walter Scott. Alton Sterling. Activists put out a blunt message: "Black lives matter." Critics countered with "Blue lives matter" in support of law enforcement or just "All lives matter."
White supremacists went further. The neo-Nazi site the Daily Stormer published stories declaring, "Actually, No, Black Lives Don't Matter." They called Darren Wilson, the officer who shot Michael Brown, a "heroic killer" of Brown, whom they dubbed a "black terrorist," with no evidence whatsoever.
Then came Charleston and a man trying to start a race war.
He walked into the Mother Emanuel church and sat next to the black pastor for Bible study. For over an hour, the worshippers prayed and talked about scripture. They welcomed the stranger. Then he took out his gun, and shot them. He reloaded, and shot again. Because they were black. Because he believed lies that black people were inherently violent. And that they were always raping white women.
continued
https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/26/us/america-state-of-hate/index.html
(CNN)On Election Night in 2008, Americans gathered in Grant Park, Chicago. They cried tears of joy knowing Barack Obama would become the first black president.
For millions of Americans, Obama lifted the nation. For white supremacists, he lit a powder keg.
His election supercharged the divisions that have existed since the country's birth.
The hate created two Americas. Two realities. Split-screen reactions to the same events, that continued and were exacerbated with President Trump's victory and time in office.
When a gunman massacred nine people praying at a predominantly black church, America wept and asked for grace. But the virulent racists cheered, hailing the gunman a hero for helping to start the race war they dreamed of.
When much of America was horrified by the sight of neo-Nazis in their streets in 2017, white supremacists were almost gleeful their views were front and center.
And when a gunman stormed into a synagogue just last month, declaring "all Jews must die," Americans wept over the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in US history. But white supremacists breathed a sigh of relief. One of their biggest targets had been successfully attacked.
The era that started with hope and change had now become one of unapologetic hate.
Most African-Americans polled immediately after the 2008 election called Obama's victory "a dream come true," one they never expected to see in their lifetime.
Not all Americans saw it that way. Racists viewed a black man in power as a signal of the browning of America. It was the sight they feared the most. They were terrified and infuriated.
White supremacists, Klansmen and others began to vent, plot and act. As Obama called for people to come together, they used his existence to drive the nation apart.
Their rallying cry became "We have a black man in the White House and you need to do something about it," according to Ken Parker, then a KKK Grand Dragon and neo-Nazi.
"We would even joke amongst ourselves, we're going to send President Obama a honorary membership to the Klan because he's our ... biggest recruiting tool."
Some racism was out in the open -- especially that directed at Obama and his family.
The former President was shown as a witch doctor and photoshopped often onto "Uncle Ben's" rice. His face was superimposed onto the body of a chimpanzee. His wife and former first lady Michelle Obama was called an "ape in heels."
Donald Trump, then a private citizen, questioned if the first black President was born in America. Some repeated the lie that Obama was Muslim, as if to exaggerate his "otherness."
This undercurrent of racism came as the country struggled with a divided Washington and the economic crisis following the Great Recession.
Any hope for progress toward racial harmony took a hit with a seemingly never-ending run of mostly young, unarmed black men being killed, often by police officers.
Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Laquan McDonald and Tamir Rice. Walter Scott. Alton Sterling. Activists put out a blunt message: "Black lives matter." Critics countered with "Blue lives matter" in support of law enforcement or just "All lives matter."
White supremacists went further. The neo-Nazi site the Daily Stormer published stories declaring, "Actually, No, Black Lives Don't Matter." They called Darren Wilson, the officer who shot Michael Brown, a "heroic killer" of Brown, whom they dubbed a "black terrorist," with no evidence whatsoever.
Then came Charleston and a man trying to start a race war.
He walked into the Mother Emanuel church and sat next to the black pastor for Bible study. For over an hour, the worshippers prayed and talked about scripture. They welcomed the stranger. Then he took out his gun, and shot them. He reloaded, and shot again. Because they were black. Because he believed lies that black people were inherently violent. And that they were always raping white women.
continued
https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/26/us/america-state-of-hate/index.html
