Senator Kevin Parker's Statement Against Trump's Hate Remarks About Haiti and African Nations

Kevin S. Parker

January 12, 2018

Today, on the 8th Anniversary of the 2010 Earthquake we have another shocker of a similar magnitude. Like many leaders across the nation and as an elected official that represents one of the largest concentrations of people of Haitian descent outside of the Republic of Haiti, I raise my voice in vehement condemnation of President Trump’s hateful comments directed at Haitian and African immigrants. To any logical mind, the comments are clearly xenophobic, racist and shameful in the worst way possible. But adding to the insult is the fact that the comments are so blatantly hypocritical. During his presidential campaign as he attempted to woo their votes, Trump is on record as telling a large rally of Haitians in South Florida that he wanted to be “their greatest champion.”
Now as President he has not only rolled back immigration policies like Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), but now he slap’s them in the face by calling their native homelands “shitholes.” Indeed the President should be held accountable for his comments and issue an apology to Haitians and Africans. But beyond an apology, and in the light of his repeated erosion of the American values dear to us as a nation, we need to start seriously addressing the issue of his ability to lead this country for the next two years.