Op-Ed: As a Proud Southerner and Trump Supporter, I'm Tired of Media Stereotypes
There is a certain stereotype that people have concerning Trump’s fanbase. Southern voters in particular have dealt with stereotypical misconceptions for a long time. CNN didn’t do much to change this on live television. This happens as easily as breathing.
I watched Don Lemon, along with a panel of others, blatantly mock an entire community of people on national TV. I watched a “credible” news source openly portray Southern American voters or “Trump supporters” as stupid and illiterate. Rick Wilson began by saying, “Donald Trump’s the smart one — and y’all elitists are dumb!” Wajahat Ali went on to say, “You elitists with your geography and your maps and your spelling.”
By immediately taking on Southern accents, they made it known whom they were targeting. It was an attack, and it was intentional.
Unfortunately, many people believe that this overgeneralization is factual.
I mean, what else could possibly explain this widespread outbreak of Trump Derangement Syndrome other than Trump supporters being the most uneducated and dumb citizens America has to offer?
I think that is what many people would have you believe. Hillary Clinton has even called us deplorables!
Many media outlets are known for twisting facts and trying to make them their own. Just weeks ago, an article went viral that said that 51 percent of Americans wanted to see Donald Trump removed from office.
What CNN failed to disclose on-air is that the survey only polled just over 1,100 people. To try and sway an audience to believe that interviewing 1,100 people can indicate the pulse of America’s thoughts is dishonest at best.
Many will say that this isn’t a valid argument because most polls use a small group to get their poll results. The fallacy occurs when the majority of America does not realize this. This leads to misinformation and, in turn, only benefits that specific news to sway in their favor.
But Wilson and Ali’s attack was more than an attack against a political party with which leftists do not agree. It was an open attack against an entire community of people, an attack on people based on perceptions of their culture, where they were born and how they speak.
This type of behavior is nothing more than character assassination. This type of mindset is exactly what is wrong with modern-day America.
If Trump voters are so unintelligent, why do we support a president who is responsible for the lowest unemployment rate in 50 years?
Under this president, we have added over 7 million jobs. The working class is thriving! Wages are now rising the fastest for low-income workers, and the unemployment rate for African-Americans has reached an all-time low!
Americans should be more focused on the American dream: the exceptional idea that a large group of people who come from vastly different backgrounds can come together as one group of people — Americans.
There is no room in our country for hatred, and there is no room in our country for overgeneralized stereotypes.
America is a place of acceptance. America is the greatest country in the world because of our differences. It is our differences that make us stronger together.
I am a proud Southerner. I was born and raised in a small town in Mississippi. I am proud to place value in my faith in God, my family and our country. And I am also proud to support and defend our great president.
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