Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) rallies with fellow Democrats before voting on H.R. 1, or the People Act, on the East Steps of the U.S. Capitol March 08, 2019 in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Jul 25, 2019
An opinion piece by Rep. Ilhan Omar for The New York Times Thursday calls on Americans to do more than just condemn President Donald Trump's racism--the country, says Omar, needs to "protect and expand basic democratic rights" while pressing for the kind of bold progressive agenda that represents the best of its values.
"It is not enough to condemn the corruption and self-dealing of this administration," writes the Minnesota Democrat. "We must support policies that unmistakably improve working people's lives, including by strengthening collective bargaining, raising the minimum wage and pursuing a universal jobs guarantee."
\u201c\u201cRacial fear prevents Americans from building community with one another \u2014 and community is the lifeblood of a functioning democratic society.\u201d\n\nRead my essay in the @NYTimes today. \ud83d\udc47\ud83c\udffd https://t.co/J6slREAiED\u201d— Rep. Ilhan Omar (@Rep. Ilhan Omar) 1564057212
Omar--along with fellow lawmakers Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), and Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.)--has been a frequent target of the president's racist rhetoric. On July 17, crowds at a Trump rally chanted "send her back" at the mention of Omar's name after the president criticized her at length for what he described as her insufficient love of country.
Omar's Thursday piece presents a clear alternative to that kind of Trumpism and a call for progressive principles tied to progressive economic policies.
"Every time Mr. Trump attacks refugees is a time that could be spent discussing the president's unwillingness to raise the federal minimum wage for up to 33 million Americans," Omar writes. "Every racist attack on four members of Congress is a moment he doesn't have to address why his choice for labor secretary has spent his career defending Wall Street banks and Walmart at the expense of workers."
Progressives praised Omar's piece and message.
The article is "an absolute must read," tweeted lawyer and activist Kumar Rao.
"Some profound insights in here on the nature of the fight ahead," saidAJ+ editor Tony Karon.
In a tweet, Justice Democrats communications director Waleed Shahid said that Omar's message was something that shouldn't be ignored by Democrats.
"I really don't understand why more Democratic presidential candidates don't focus their talk about Trump's race war as an integral part of his class war," Shahid said.
Making that distinction, Omar argues in her op-ed, is essential for the future of the country.
"The only way to push back is to be unequivocal about our values," writes the congresswoman. "It is not enough to condemn Mr. Trump's racism."
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
An opinion piece by Rep. Ilhan Omar for The New York Times Thursday calls on Americans to do more than just condemn President Donald Trump's racism--the country, says Omar, needs to "protect and expand basic democratic rights" while pressing for the kind of bold progressive agenda that represents the best of its values.
"It is not enough to condemn the corruption and self-dealing of this administration," writes the Minnesota Democrat. "We must support policies that unmistakably improve working people's lives, including by strengthening collective bargaining, raising the minimum wage and pursuing a universal jobs guarantee."
\u201c\u201cRacial fear prevents Americans from building community with one another \u2014 and community is the lifeblood of a functioning democratic society.\u201d\n\nRead my essay in the @NYTimes today. \ud83d\udc47\ud83c\udffd https://t.co/J6slREAiED\u201d— Rep. Ilhan Omar (@Rep. Ilhan Omar) 1564057212
Omar--along with fellow lawmakers Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), and Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.)--has been a frequent target of the president's racist rhetoric. On July 17, crowds at a Trump rally chanted "send her back" at the mention of Omar's name after the president criticized her at length for what he described as her insufficient love of country.
Omar's Thursday piece presents a clear alternative to that kind of Trumpism and a call for progressive principles tied to progressive economic policies.
"Every time Mr. Trump attacks refugees is a time that could be spent discussing the president's unwillingness to raise the federal minimum wage for up to 33 million Americans," Omar writes. "Every racist attack on four members of Congress is a moment he doesn't have to address why his choice for labor secretary has spent his career defending Wall Street banks and Walmart at the expense of workers."
Progressives praised Omar's piece and message.
The article is "an absolute must read," tweeted lawyer and activist Kumar Rao.
"Some profound insights in here on the nature of the fight ahead," saidAJ+ editor Tony Karon.
In a tweet, Justice Democrats communications director Waleed Shahid said that Omar's message was something that shouldn't be ignored by Democrats.
"I really don't understand why more Democratic presidential candidates don't focus their talk about Trump's race war as an integral part of his class war," Shahid said.
Making that distinction, Omar argues in her op-ed, is essential for the future of the country.
"The only way to push back is to be unequivocal about our values," writes the congresswoman. "It is not enough to condemn Mr. Trump's racism."
An opinion piece by Rep. Ilhan Omar for The New York Times Thursday calls on Americans to do more than just condemn President Donald Trump's racism--the country, says Omar, needs to "protect and expand basic democratic rights" while pressing for the kind of bold progressive agenda that represents the best of its values.
"It is not enough to condemn the corruption and self-dealing of this administration," writes the Minnesota Democrat. "We must support policies that unmistakably improve working people's lives, including by strengthening collective bargaining, raising the minimum wage and pursuing a universal jobs guarantee."
\u201c\u201cRacial fear prevents Americans from building community with one another \u2014 and community is the lifeblood of a functioning democratic society.\u201d\n\nRead my essay in the @NYTimes today. \ud83d\udc47\ud83c\udffd https://t.co/J6slREAiED\u201d— Rep. Ilhan Omar (@Rep. Ilhan Omar) 1564057212
Omar--along with fellow lawmakers Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), and Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.)--has been a frequent target of the president's racist rhetoric. On July 17, crowds at a Trump rally chanted "send her back" at the mention of Omar's name after the president criticized her at length for what he described as her insufficient love of country.
Omar's Thursday piece presents a clear alternative to that kind of Trumpism and a call for progressive principles tied to progressive economic policies.
"Every time Mr. Trump attacks refugees is a time that could be spent discussing the president's unwillingness to raise the federal minimum wage for up to 33 million Americans," Omar writes. "Every racist attack on four members of Congress is a moment he doesn't have to address why his choice for labor secretary has spent his career defending Wall Street banks and Walmart at the expense of workers."
Progressives praised Omar's piece and message.
The article is "an absolute must read," tweeted lawyer and activist Kumar Rao.
"Some profound insights in here on the nature of the fight ahead," saidAJ+ editor Tony Karon.
In a tweet, Justice Democrats communications director Waleed Shahid said that Omar's message was something that shouldn't be ignored by Democrats.
"I really don't understand why more Democratic presidential candidates don't focus their talk about Trump's race war as an integral part of his class war," Shahid said.
Making that distinction, Omar argues in her op-ed, is essential for the future of the country.
"The only way to push back is to be unequivocal about our values," writes the congresswoman. "It is not enough to condemn Mr. Trump's racism."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.