Exactly! His letter makes no sense.
I am on record hailing Russell Simmons for his political activism in such commentaries as “Black Political Leadership in America Is Dead! Thank God for Hip-Hop Mogul Russell Simmons,” April 26, 2005. Notably, his activism includes chairing The Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, whose “sole mission is to fight bigotry of all kinds.”
This is why I’m so dismayed by his open letter to Donald Trump. Not least because it purports to chastise Trump for his racist diatribe against Muslims, but it reads like a plea to retain the perks of their friendship.
Of course, Trump is running for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. And, remarkably, he has gained and sustained frontrunner status with a scorched-earth campaign, which features personal insults against his opponents and ignorant diatribes on the issues.
His latest diatribe has him turning his xenophobic sights on Muslims:
Trump called Monday for barring all Muslims from entering the United States…
[He] previously called for surveillance against mosques and said he was open to establishing a database for all Muslims living in the U.S.
(CNN, December 8, 2015)
This, evidently, was a diatribe too far for Simmons. Hence his letter, which he published under the headline, “To my old friend Donald Trump, stop the bullsh*t.”
Here, in essence, is what he wrote:
Over 30 plus years you have been an amazing friend; endorsing my books, coming to my shows, flying me on your planes, your helicopters, and even allowing my family members and myself to stay in your house in Florida many times. So, it kinda pains me to know that my public statements about your candidacy have strained or ruined our friendship…
My friends, both Muslims and Jews, are saying there are so many comparisons between your rap and Hitler’s, and I cannot disagree with them, Donald.
(Huffington Post, December 9, 2015)
First of all, bemoaning strains in or ruination of a friendship via text is heartless enough. Therefore, it speaks volumes about the superficial and transactional nature of their friendship that Simmons did so via open letter. Not to mention that, by ending his letter with a wink about an invitation to Trump’s White House, Simmons betrayed whatever seriousness he intended.
Beyond this, his lame attempt at public censure is, well, a year late and a diatribe short. After all, Trump’s record of fear-mongering, scapegoating, and race-baiting is such that I’ve been urging public figures, particularly Black celebrities, to denounce him for years.
Here, for example, is what I wrote in “Trump for President? Don’t Be a Sucker!” April 8, 2011.
____________________
Donald Trump is nothing more than the P.T. Barnum of business: a huckster who thrives on the notion that ‘there’s a sucker born every minute’…
We all knew that Trump was a self-aggrandizing buffoon. But he has now exposed himself as a self-deluding racist as well.
This is why I urge the rich folks he depends on to patronize his eponymous resorts and buy up his eponymous condominiums to begin shunning him – just as they would a two-bit racist like David Duke. I urge this especially of the Black Hollywood and sports stars he likes to feature as extras in his one-man freak show.
Trump is entitled to say whatever he likes. But, at the very least, he should suffer truth and consequences for accusing this country’s first Black president of being a Kenyan Muslim who has perpetrated ‘the biggest con in U.S. history’.
CBS fired Charlie Sheen from One and a Half Men for hurling anti-Semitic remarks at a TV producer; NBC should feel even more compelled to fire Trump from The Apprentice for hurling racist remarks at the president of the United States.
So, here’s to this fiendishly thin-skinned huckster having his trademark words thrown back in his face: Trump, you’re fired!
____________________
This is why the timing of his open letter reeks of petty self-interest:
- When he slandered President Obama as a foreign impostor, why not then, Russell?
- When he maligned Mexican immigrants as rapists, why not then, Russell?
- When he vilified the Central Park Five as probably guilty of something else, why not then, Russell?
You get the point.
Clearly, I will not be joining the chorus of twits hailing him for publishing this letter. Instead of despairing about their friendship, Simmons should have had the balls to cut Trump off … long ago.
Incidentally, by instructive contrast, both Muhammad Ali and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar published statements condemning Trump and defending their Muslim faith. Never mind that any such reply probably just dignifies Trump’s bile.
Meanwhile, Scotland joined the growing list of countries, corporations, and colleges severing ties with him. More significantly, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not only joined the chorus of world leaders denouncing him, but also revoked his invitation for Trump to visit Israel later this month.
With characteristic, delusional bluster, Trump claimed that he postponed the visit until after he’s elected president … to spare Netanyahu embarrassment. Except that Bill Cosby would be more credible claiming that he canceled his show until after he’s exonerated from 50-plus allegations of rape … to spare the networks embarrassment.
In any event, it also speaks volumes that this frontrunner for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination has become such a political pariah, he’s persona non-grata in every country in the Middle East, including Israel.
Alas, the media couldn’t care any less. In fact, the only reason they give this billionaire more airtime than he could buy is that his scorched-earth schtick generates great ratings; you know, the kind Honey Boo Boo generated with her childhood hijinks.
Therefore, beware that Trump’s popularity says far more about the mercenary media and stupid Republican voters than it does about Trump … or the United States.
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Trump for president? Don’t be a sucker