Dominic's Politics: Following Sen. Booker's stand, silence will no longer hold

 Dominic is a sophomore political science major and writes "Dominic's Politics" for the Daily News. His views do not necessarily agree with those of the newspaper. Write to Dominic at dabordenaro@bsu.edu.

“When ignorance and bigotry is aligned with power it is a dangerous force in our country.”

We need more Cory Bookers in this world. We need more bravery. We need more who are willing to stand up and shout to the world that this is not normal! That this is wrong!

If you haven’t seen the video of Sen. Cory Booker grilling Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, then please, go look it up. Watch it once. Watch it again. It is powerful stuff. We need more of it.

Complicity is the theme in Sen. Booker’s speech. Too many are complicit, specifically in denying the blunt racism of our current president.

There is not a doubt in my mind that he called Haiti and African nations “shithole” countries. Look at all the other comments the president has made. Are we really that surprised?

He’s called Mexicans striving to find a safe place to live “rapists.” He started the birther movement, claiming President Obama was not born in America. He said Haitian immigrants “all have AIDs” and that Nigerians, after seeing the U.S., would “never go back to their huts.” He has sexually assaulted women and used hush money to cover up an affair.

So, are we surprised? I’m not.

Politicians on both sides have been complicit. Until recently, no one has done enough to call out the president on his blatant racism, his disgusting history of sexual assault or his troubling attacks on the media.

Hopefully, Cory Booker has changed that. Now, I’m not endorsing Booker, and we definitely have political disagreements, but I believe that he is a good man and a politician who really loves the people.

Seeing the senator rage against the secretary, against the president, made me hurt. I did not realize how hurt people are until now. He was right to do what he did and more should follow and speak out like he did.

This president is incompetent and unfit to hold the office that many are still desperately trying to respect.

Thankfully there is so much hope. It’s now 2018, an election year in Indiana. Every house seat is up for election. The state legislature is up for election. Sen. Joe Donnelly is up for reelection.

Many great people, including Donnelly, need our help and support. Democrats are on the brink of taking back the house and stopping the president from pushing more of his disastrous agenda on us.

I urge everyone to get in contact with their local party and ask them how you can help. They want your help. In November we must send a strong message to the president, saying “this is enough. This is wrong.” Hell, run for office if you want to. Just don’t be complicit. Don’t ignore what this administration is doing just because it may not affect you.

But even now there is more we can do.

We need to pass a clean DREAM Act and protect DACA recipients, to protect our fellow Americans. Please, call your senators, your representatives or even write a letter or an email. Urge them to pass this into law. No one should have to live here in fear.

So, be a Cory Booker. Do not be complicit.

Let’s prove this year that love really does trump hate.

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