The Long, Ugly History of 'Law and Order' Candidates

The Atlantic's City Lab ^ | September 16, 2015 | Daniel Denvir

[2ndDivisionVet]

Donald Trump’s presidential campaign rhetoric carries with it a deeply unsubtle context.

As we head into tonight’s second Republican presidential primary debate, we already know what to look for: All signs point to it being the Donald Trump show, once again. Which means it’s worth unpacking the fact that Trump has managed to maintain his sizable lead in the polls in no small part by repeatedly referring to his followers as the “silent majority.” Recently, he even complained that Baltimore has been set “back 35 years in one night because the police weren’t allowed to protect people. We need law and order!”

“I know cities where police are afraid to even talk to people because they want to be able to retire and have their pension,” Trump said. “They don’t want to be pulled off the police forces. And then you wonder what’s wrong with our cities. We need a whole new mind-set.”

The “new” mindset Trump describes here is, of course, very old, part of a long tradition of American politicians eager to mobilize white voters using (often thinly) veiled racism by tying civil rights activism to crime panics....

[2ndDivisionVet]

Daniel Denvir is an independent journalist in West Philly and a contributing writer at the Philadelphia Weekly. In his print and radio journalism, Denvir explores politics and social issues in the U.S. and Latin America; he is particularly interested in individual stories that convey the complexity of larger issues. Originally from Washington, D.C., Denvir recently moved to Philadelphia from Quito, Ecuador. Before starting work as a journalist, he worked as a community organizer in Portland, Oregon. His work has appeared in publications including The Colombia Journalism Review, In These Times and The Advocate, ; he edits an online magazine called Caterwaul Quarterly and occasionally blogs at the Huffington Post.

[goldstategop]

Americans are racist because they want protect lives, property values and have the safe and clean neighborhoods they deserve.

Got it.

[HANG THE EXPENSE]

A community organizer. Isnt that just swell?

[mbrfl]

Effeminate white male trying to convince the rest of White America to commit suicide. You first, Daniel.

[goldstategop]

Donald Trump posted this ad in 1989:

I fully endorse it!

[JennysCool]

“Deeply unsubtle context.”

Only articles with sub-heads like that are considered for the coveted “Stinky Self-Important Blather of the Year” Award.

[july4thfreedomfoundation]

Daniel Denvir should try walking through some black neighborhoods in major cities at midnight.

His lilly white liberal a$$ would belong to the feral negroes.

[TigersEye]

The short version of his CV; Daniel’s a communist.

[Boomer]

He definitely has a warped sense of reality. Not really surprised. I’m sure he’s all in for white guilt too.

[SaraJohnson]

Oh my. The Left is so boring. They are back to calling anyone against crime and criminals, white racists. They just recycle their decades old slogans.