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Donald Trump Should Be Treated Like The Extremist He Is

As the media vigorously tries to answer the root causes of radicalism, I wish they would do the same about the outrageous Republican candidate that is Mr. Trump. What, or who, radicalized him? His actions mirror the fanatics and extremists who seek to divide us and create mistrust and hate between neighbours.
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Republican presidential candidate, businessman Donald Trump gestures at a regional police union meeting in Portsmouth, N.H., Thursday, Dec. 10, 2015. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
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Republican presidential candidate, businessman Donald Trump gestures at a regional police union meeting in Portsmouth, N.H., Thursday, Dec. 10, 2015. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Donald Trump seems to have a problem with what an American should look like -- and whatever that is, it certainly excludes Muslims.

He is probably unaware of who Muslims really are and probably assumes they are only Arabs -- despite the fact that Arabs constitute only a tiny fraction of the religion's population. Many Muslims include white Americans who look exactly like him. Unfortunately, all he seems to see is difference.

He has already shown contempt towards Mexicans and recently made fun of a disabled reporter. He has gone as far as calling for a ban on Muslims entering the U.S. He is slowly removing his mask to reveal what he is all about, and he is not afraid to do it whether we like or not. It is probably a matter of time before the rest of the world discovers who the real Trump is.

His irresponsible remarks are hurtful and counterproductive, especially in a country that has a dark history against people of colour.

Mr. Trump's rhetoric reminds me of the many other bigots who have made attempts to clean all areas of the United States of coloured people, including those described in Buried in the Bitter Waters: The Hidden History of Racial Cleansing in America.

In an interview about his book, author Mr. Elliott Jaspin says that white Americans engaged in campaigns of racial cleansing from as early as 1864 until at least 1923.

White communities would issue an ultimatum to blacks, decreeing that they would have to leave within a certain amount of time -- usually measured in hours -- or they would be killed. These racial cleansings occurred both in the north and south, and in at least 12 cases emptied whole counties. Because this has been a very painful chapter in America's history, the story of these expulsions has largely been hidden. Yet the legacy of these events has been enduring. The 12 county-wide racial cleansings I describe in my own book have all been successful -- and the counties remain virtually all-white to this day.

One has to ask what will come next after Mr. Trump's frightening and dangerous call to close the doors on all Muslims.

Soon after the disabled, the Mexicans and Muslims, there is a possibility that he will go after the Jews, the blacks and everyone else that fits the description of "the other."

This could be the effect of accumulating too much wealth, which can have detrimental effects on a person. That is why some of history's greatest leaders chose to lead simple lives in order to avoid the trappings of wealth, such as arrogance and elitism.

These kinds of ideas are especially dangerous when they come from influential figures like Mr. Trump, a man who is trying to lead the most powerful country on earth.

As the media vigorously tries to answer the root causes of radicalism, I wish they would do the same about the outrageous Republican candidate that is Mr. Trump. What, or who, radicalized him?

The man seems to be filled with anger and hate against the entirety of Islam's 1.2 billion followers, the majority of whom are law abiding citizens, leading normal lives like everyone else.

His actions mirror the fanatics and extremists who seek to divide us and create mistrust and hate between neighbours.

It is sad to see a respected and wealthy American who is running for the highest office in the country behaving like a fanatic. Because that is what he is.

As I wrote in the Independent, Donald Trump's remarks could lead to violence and the death of innocent people. They should be treated in the same way as comments by ISIS, the Ku Klux Klan, Nazis, or any other groups whose mission is to spread hate.

I hope and pray he will never get the chance to be Commander in Chief of the U.S., because a demonstrated bigot and racist like him would make the world a more dangerous place.

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