The Update Desk: Talking Racism with my Congressman

Remember the hideous comments the president made about immigrants from certain countries?  You know the ones I'm talking about, so I won't repeat them again.

When that happened, I sent a note to my Congressman asking him to condemn the president's comments, and a few days later he answered me. I shared my comments and his response in this post, which I closed by saying

I'll be responding to his message, clarifying my initial request and suggesting that perhaps a resolution of disgust would be a nice way for him to add another bipartisan accomplishment to his resume, and an excellent way to keep my thoughts in mind. 

That was a couple of weeks ago, and I confess to you that I hadn't responded to him - until today. I struggled with whether it would really be worth it, whether it would make any difference at all, given that his initial response was pretty much a brush off, that the president's words were not what was important, that working to solve our problems is what's important.

I agreed with the latter, certainly, but I couldn't get over the fact that my Congressman thought these words, and the many others that both candidate and president Trump has made, are unimportant. And so, today, I answered him.

While I appreciate your widely-acknowledge bipartisan approach to representing our district - that's the specific reason why I voted for you the second time - your email did not address my request, which was that you forcefully condemn the president's most recent comments. Your response that we "depart from partisan political rhetoric" does not equate to a condemnation...

 ...I'd like to appeal to you as a parent, and ask how you'd address these repeated comments with your children? Would you sit around the dinner table and chalk this up as 'partisan rhetoric' if it came up in conversation?

And how would you address the follow up question, that these comments are coming from the head of YOUR party, making this YOUR partisan rhetoric by association - would you accept it as your own? Or, if you heard members of your own family talking like this, using this type of language, would it be acceptable, or would you address it? 

I strongly believe that as a Republican, you can continue working across the aisle to solve problems AND speak out firmly and very personally about your distaste for his remarks. Failing to do so diminishes your office, and your efforts...

Am I expecting an answer? Not really.  But I can't just sit idly by without trying one more time.