Opinion

RICHARDS: How The American People Will Defeat The Left And Reelect President Trump

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Maurice Richards Contributor
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If anyone had a doubt about what is at stake in the November 2020 election, it was cleared up over the Fourth of July weekend. After President Trump’s two powerful speeches, the election has now come down to an elemental choice. Will America continue as a democratic republic which upholds the rule of law, equality of rights and opportunity for citizens of all races and religions, and the individual freedoms guaranteed by our Constitution? Or, will we erase our history and descend into a Marxist dystopia of violence, mob-rule, racial hatred and ethnic tribalism?

What happened?  On July 3, President Trump addressed the American people from Mount Rushmore and again from the shadow of the Washington Monument on the Fourth of July.  The President simply told it like it is — briefly recounting some basic U.S. history and poignantly demonstrating how and why American principles of individual and religious freedom, human dignity, equality and democracy are unique. On the Fourth of July, while Black Lives Matter supporters danced on an American flag down the street, President Trump reminded us that, “The American republic stands today as the greatest, most exceptional, and most virtuous nation in the history of the world,” and that  the “American Way of Life” is continually  “lifting all citizens to reach their fullest God-given potential.”

There you have it.  The President of the United States of America delivered an optimistic, uplifting message to all American on the anniversary of our nation’s independence — so, what’s not to like? For his patriotism and leadership in attempting to unite Americans of all races, President Trump was derided as racist.  The Democratic National Committee (DNC), now openly embracing the dangerous lie that “America is inherently racist and evil,” decreed Trump’s very appearance at Mount Rushmore as an act of “white supremacy.” And while the media labeled Trump’s appeal for racial unity “divisive,” Colin Kaepernick issued another anti-American fatwa declaring that now, the celebration of the 4th of July is also — you guessed it, an act of “white supremacy.”

The battle lines are drawn, and the choice could not be clearer.  President Trump is staring down the mob, telling the truth and standing tall for America. Millions of Americans are fed up and ready to fight for our country.

The Democrats have cynically and despicably made this election about nothing but race; and are intentionally whipping up racial animosity, hatred, and violence.  Biden has told Black people that if they don’t vote for him, they “ain’t Black” and has proclaimed the United States to be “systemically racist.”  And according to the latest memo from the Leftist media, white Americans are racist by the very fact of their skin color.  Judging people as good or bad based on their skin color?  Who are the real racists here?

People are sick of this division and race-based politics.  They desperately want to see leaders get off the sidelines and face the mob and the media and proudly support American traditions and values. Most Americans still believe in a country where we judge a person by their character and not the color of their skin.

In juxtaposition to the Left’s open hatred of the United States and their bid to incite racial hostility and violence between Black and white Americans, President Trump’s declaration was profound: “We are one family, one nation.  No matter our race, color, religion, or creed—we are one America.”  We Are One America is the message that Americans wanted and needed to hear.  It’s a belief and cause worth standing up and fighting for, defining not just a campaign, but a movement.  Here are seven points the We Are One America movement must include to achieve a smashing victory in November.  We have a little less than four months left — just enough time.

We Must Refute and Expose the Lie of Systemic Racism.

American policing is not systemically racist.  But that lie is at the core of entire Democratic campaign and the war that the Left is conducting against our country and our values.  The lie of systemic racism is the driving force of the riots, continued attacks on police, the on-going vandalism of our monuments and public property and is unraveling the social fabric of America.

The two biggest falsehoods propping up this myth are:  1. There is an epidemic of racially biased fatal shootings of black people by the police and individual police officers, motivated by overt racism or implicit racial bias are targeting and murdering black Americans.  And, 2. The total misconception, ingrained by media, that there are rampant shootings of unarmed black people by the police. Both claims are false. The facts are not in dispute and must be shared with the entire country.

American law enforcement strives for excellence and there is no doubt that policing can and should be made better through improved training and supervision; the monitoring, discipline, and removal when necessary of bad officers; positive community engagement, more transparency, increased professionalism, and greater accountability. President Trump’s Executive Order on Policing provides the framework within which these positive changes can be made.

American society is not systemically racist. The Radical Left, advocate media and Democrat Party want people to believe the absurdity that during the 167 years since the abolition of slavery in America, the lives of Black Americans have become worse, not better.  But as documented by scholars as Jason Riley, systemic racism is no longer a part of America.

Do ignorant, racist people still live in America?  Unfortunately, yes, and they come in all shapes, sizes, colors and races.  But in a country of 350 million people, acts of racism are exceptionally uncommon. In fact, as chronicled by Professor Wilfred Reilly, hate crime in America is so rare that to get publicity, many are just made up. Many high-profile hate crime cases most celebrated by the media — from Al Sharpton/Tawana Brawley, to the Covington Catholic kids, to Jussie Smollett and along with 400 other recorded cases — have all been hoaxes.

We Must Expose the Nature and Aims of Antifa & Black Lives Matter.  

Almost immediately, the George Floyd protests were hijacked by Radical Leftists and turned violent.  The looting, arson, and targeted violence against police wasn’t about “police reform” or respecting George Floyd, nor is the continued vandalism and attacks on police.

The two primary radical organizations instigating the riots, Antifa and Black Lives Matter, are grounded upon the belief that the United States of America as a country is illegitimate, evil, inherently racist and irredeemable. Both groups share the goal of completely abolishing the police as an institution — Antifa through destroying our entire system of government and Black Lives Matter through their Defund the Police campaign. Professor Carol M. Swain observes that Black Lives Matter is a Marxist movement. The BLM agenda includes abolishing police, eliminating prisons, eradicating national borders, paying slavery reparations, confiscating private property and demolishing “the Western-prescribed nuclear family.”  Black Lives Matter embraces violence to achieve their ends, threatening that if their demands are not met, they “will burn down the system.”

This Marxist dogma is directly opposed to America’s Judeo-Christian values and is a direct threat to America’s families.  The media supports these ultra-radical organizations and hides their true beliefs.  It is our task to expose the truth.

Jobs, Jobs, Jobs!

President Trump should propose and launch the We Are One America national rebuilding program to restore and transform our country’s infrastructure and complete a total reindustrialization.  The biggest infrastructure project in U.S. history should be a new, innovative, public/private partnership to rebuild bridges, roads, schools, power, water supply, communications, information technology systems, and hospitals.  This will create millions of sustainable jobs, building trade apprenticeships, and connect with Opportunity Zones.  An entire new generation will be trained and prepared for the workforce by revitalizing high school and junior college technical, mechanical, and craft training programs.

Ramp up the re-industrialization of America with an all-out push to bring industrial manufacturing and jobs back from China and other countries.  Offer incentives to patriotic American manufacturing companies who will re-invest and rebuild in America and economic disincentives for those who choose not to support our country.  Begin immediately to build manufacturing plants that will produce pharmaceuticals, tools, heavy machinery, shoes, textiles, and clothing in the USA.

Secure Borders, Safety, and Legal Immigration.

We Are One America supports legal, merit-based immigration that serves the needs of our country and our economy.  America’s Border Wall must be completed.  Illegal aliens and sanctuary cities bring crime and gangs and deprive American citizens of needed school, medical, and social resources.  They unfairly compete with American workers, taking jobs and driving down wages — particularly for American Blacks and Latinos.  The message that stopping illegal immigration means jobs and higher wages for Americans, needs to be brought to these communities.  Americans have learned during the Wuhan virus that national border security is vital to protect people from the spread of disease.

Stop the Miseducation and Radical Indoctrination of our Children.

The Radical Left has hijacked most of America’s institutions of higher education and is rapidly completing a takeover of high schools and elementary schools.  The teaching of American history has been subverted, either not taught at all or through an anti-American perspective. White children are taught that they are privileged racist oppressors and Black children are taught that they are helpless victims. This destructive and hate-filled indoctrination — taken directly from Black Lives Matters’ playbook — is paid for by American taxpayers and already bring taught to pre-school children in New York City.

We must reclaim our universities and the education of America’s children.  Real American history and civics must be taught early in our schools to develop in our young people: citizenship, civic duty, national pride, an appreciation of America’s exceptional role in the world and their responsibilities as citizens to make our country better. American History, civics, and the core values and traditions of our democracy must again be taught. The splendid, patriotic  1776  program, teaching the truth about black people in American history and motivating black youth to embrace achievement and patriotism rather than victimization, is an antidote to anti-American lies and poison and should be made part of every school’s curriculum.

Supporting the Police and Challenging Mayors and Police Leaders to Do Their Jobs

When mayors and police chiefs in many cities failed to stop rioters and looters and let their cities burn, Attorney General Barr stepped up to tell them, “It is time to stop watching the violence and to confront and stop it.”  President Trump quickly followed with his Executive Order protecting federal statues and monuments. Even though many Democrat governed cities still allow mobs to vandalize and destroy with impunity, as seen in Baltimore on the Fourth of July where a mob of 300, defended by the mayor and untouched by the police, toppled a statue of Christopher Columbus and pushed it in the Inner Harbor — elected officials must be challenged to do their jobs, uphold the law, and protect their citizens.

Americans want law and order in their communities. While President Trump and Attorney General Barr are leading by example to reestablish order, it will be important for We Are One America to provide continual updates of indictments, charges, arrests and prosecutions of cop killers and attackers, domestic terrorists, vandals, looters, and arsonists. The progress of the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Forces targeting both left and right-wing terrorists needs to be shared with the American people.

The Wuhan Virus.

America’s schools must reopen. As they weaponized lockdowns as a political means to unnecessarily sabotage the economy, Democrat politicians are using the school shutdowns to continue social dysfunction and damage the President.  As 22 countries in Europe have demonstrated for almost two months, students can safely resume in-person education.  Democrat governors and mayors won’t do it unless people stand up and speak out.

Of course, with China, the next pandemic is always just around the corner.  Before they unleashed the Wuhan virus on America and the world, the Chinese Communist government had already put together a solid track record of spreading deadly contagions — Asian Flu, SARS, Avian Flu — so we need to be prepared.  Our We Are One America program should include the establishment of a national and state-by-state assessment of response readiness for the next outbreak.  We also need a federal investigation, particularly into the fiascos in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts, where gross negligence of public officials pushed virus-infected people in nursing homes and senior facilities without ensuring necessary safeguards — resulting in thousands of preventable deaths of our most vulnerable citizens. Those responsible must be held accountable. These outrages cannot be permitted to happen again.

Not since the eve of the Civil War in 1860 has our country faced such a pivotal election.  The choices are clear:  The Anarchist mob, or the rule of law; Marxist totalitarianism, or American freedom. Americans are starting to focus in — the time of decision has begun. Some are worried about their answer. I’m not. The American people have always come through when it has counted the most and will do it again — We Are One America. 

Maurice Richards is the former Chief of the Martinsburg Police Department in West Virginia. He served as Chief from 2015 to 2020 after 24 years as an officer and lieutenant in the Chicago Police Department.  Richards holds a doctorate in Adult Education from Northern Illinois University.