-blogged by @theRealAlexisDanielle
An appointee to the Trump Administration is bothered by a document that condemns racism as a threat to US democracy. How ironic?
According to Andrew Veprek, the deputy assistant secretary for refugees and migration, it is not the job of public leaders to go against hate speech and incitement.
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“[D]uty to condemn’ goes too far. Our public figures can’t be obliged to police every intolerant thought out their [sic] at the risk of being condemned for intolerance themselves.”
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Veprek also has an issue with people rejecting the idea of xenophobia, otherwise known as having a fear or dislike for those not from the Us, and populism.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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“[W]hat real or perceived offense is next to be considered ‘xenophobic?'” he writes. “How does that square with our historic respect for the right of free expression? The drafters need to focus on behavior and actions – which states can control – rather than attitudes and states of mind.”
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So basically, according Veprek, it’s not fair to police someone who has a fear of someone else simply because they are from another country, because of freedom of speech.
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Thoughts?
