Racism Is Not A Plattsburgh Value

Plattsburgh City, NY - Nov. 18, 2016

(C) 2016 Luke T. Bush

A colorful sign drawn in large letters on the sidewalk catches my eye.  LOVE  ZONE.

I stop to photograph the sidewalk chalk message.  A woman -- the owner of a restaurant -- pauses to tell me the story behind the sign.  Her neighbor -- a fellow restaurateur -- has been the target of harassment by racists.

Online I learn more about the situation (see link below.)

Tenzin Dorjee is a naturalized citizen who co-owns the Himalaya Restaurant.  He immigrated from Bhutan, a kingdom in the Eastern Himalayas in South Asia.  Tenzin has felt welcome in the North Country -- that is until Donald Trump became President-elect. Since then the restaurateur has encountered racial slurs in public.  One time a car driver cut Tenzin off, shooting him the middle finger gesture.  Tenzin is concerned the harassment won't stop there.

Across the US ignorant bigots are emboldened by Trump's win.  Not surprising since the Republican stirred up so much hatred during his campaign with his Us versus Them rhetoric.

Lately Trump has taken the edge off of his extreme xenophobic rhetoric.  He stated that there should be no acts of discrimination. But his fervent white supremacist followers think: "He's just saying that for the public.  He's really one of us."

Be aware.  Amerika is rising.



Source: Harassed, afraid, a North Country immigrant fights back with love - Zach Hirsch

http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/32951/20161117/harassed-afraid-a-north-country-immigrant-fights-back-with-love