Overview: President Trump’s executive order, “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity,” has sparked controversy and spread misinformation, with Trump falsely claiming that Civil Rights laws have been undermined by “diversity, equity, and inclusion” policies. Trump’s rhetoric has been met with criticism, as he attempts to end policies that have historically benefited marginalized groups. The order has been described as a reversal of Civil Rights laws and a threat to American values of hard work and individual achievement. Opponents argue that it is a misguided and divisive move that will only exacerbate existing social issues.
S. E. Williams
When the current president named one of his many hate-fueled executive orders, this one issued January 21, “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity,” I shuddered at how he manipulates language to create a false, despicable and misleading narrative to create a delusional, treacherous and unfounded reality.
This unfounded reality then quickly morphs into the bedrock for his argument(s) either in support of or against an issue depending on what action(s) he is seeking to justify. In this case, his goal is clear–to put a final nail in the coffin of progress for Blacks, other minorities and women, that he is filling with the former promises and gains of the Civil Rights Era. Or, to put it more bluntly–to take the nation back to when he and his racist and misogynist supporters believe were the good ole days when they could keep the little woman at home and educate,and promote only those men who look and act like them. The same was true when it came to criminal justice, healthcare, hiring or buying homes
In this Trump initiated Executive Order he falsely claims that since the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, American society, including business, industry and government at all levels, has “adopted and actively use[d] dangerous, demeaning, and immoral race- and sex-based preferences under the guise of so-called “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) or “diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility” (DEIA) that can violate the civil-rights laws of this Nation.”
He went on to falsely claim how these efforts not only undermine national unity, but took some of the exact reasons Civil Rights efforts were undertaken in the first place–to level the playing field in all of these areas, and twisted them into a lie. He claimed Civil Rights and DEI/DEIA efforts “deny, discredit, and undermine the traditional American values of hard work, excellence, and individual achievement in favor of an unlawful, corrosive, and pernicious identity-based spoils system.”
This language was especially disturbing because these were among the key reasons the Civil Rights Act, DEI and DEIA were implemented in the first place, because Blacks and other people of color were and continue to be the victims of America’s “pernicious identity-based spoils system.”
Many people gave their lives to secure these hard-fought for policies, that Trump sought to so easily with the swipe of his bold marker. They fought for these policies because they were not counted among “hardworking Americans who deserve a shot at the American Dream should not be stigmatized, demeaned, or shut out of opportunities because of their race or sex.”
They fought for Civil Rights because for more than 400 years, Black people, other POC were stigmatized, demeaned, and shut-out of these opportunities, before the nation rose up and demanded the country work to even the playing field? And isn’t it true that despite some measured progress, opportunities for minorities continue to be sluggish, while while “white women” appear to be the greatest beneficiaries of Civil Rights Era/DEI gains? This reality, in and of itself, is ironic.
But, Trump did not end his disparaging comments in the Executive Order there. He pushed into the realm of fear mongering by claiming these policies, “threaten the safety of American men, women, and children across the Nation by diminishing the importance of individual merit, aptitude, hard work, and determination when selecting people for jobs.”
The document is filled with similar lies and half truths. The one truth, however, that did stand out for me was Trump’s acknowledgement that the federal government is charged with enforcing our nation’s Civil Rights laws. But he then, he went on to follow that statement with the galling proclamation that the purpose of this particular executive order is ensure he is enforcing civil rights laws by ending what he called “illegal preferences and discrimination.” If it wasn’t so detrimental to minority communities, his rationale would be laughable. But it IS detrimental and it is NOT funny.
In truth, what Trump and his supporters call “illegal preferences and discrimination,” members of the BIPOC communities call “leveling the playing field to create equity and equality of opportunity.”
The mere idea of Trump having so little respect for the memory of Civil Rights icon Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by signing this order on the day set aside to honor King’s legacy–spoke volumes to the Black community and many other Americans.
In the few short days since Trump signed this order on January 21, he has taken one concerning action after the other either via other executive orders or verbal proclamation, to keep the the attention on himself and in the process feeding his narcissistic personality, while simultaneously fueling an air of conflict and confusion swirling around him and engulfing the nation.
Between Trump’s outright lies and strategic paltering, we must use filters to sift through his continuing barrage of BS. We know the president lies, but sometimes he also skates along the edges of truth. This makes it difficult, at times, to accurately or adequately describe what he says. In other words, is it an outright lie (prevarication) or is he paltering?
I selected the word paltering because it describes situations where someone can make statements that are truthful but at the same time misleading because the speaker either intentionally leaves out key information or purposely twists the narrative with the intent to mislead.
With the president filling the airways and digital platforms with a barrage of information on a daily basis as he panders to his big money donors, it is more important than ever to do our own due diligence and research to understand when he is lying and when he is paltering because we already knows that he rarely, if ever, tells the truth.
Of course, this is just my opinion. I’m keeping it real.