TRUMP WANTS TO MAKE AMERICA WHITE AGAIN / By Chinta Strausberg
Flanked by a multi-cultural group of supporters including veterans, Father Michael L. Pfleger raised the U.S. Flag upside down to show that America is in a state of emergency.
In an interview, Father Pfleger blamed Trump for banning Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) as the venue for his firing Blacks and others to “Make America White Again (MAWA).”
Flanked by a multi-cultural coalition of supporters including veterans, Father Pfleger painted a solemn picture of Trump’s executive orders especially the one entitled, “Ending “Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing” that began a cascade of employee firings, closing and/or downsizing of federal buildings and a decree to universities, colleges and corporations to end all DEI programs.
“While Medicare and Medicaid are at risk, thousands of government workers are being fired, shutting down the Department of Education, ending Black history, African, Haitian, Venezuelan, and Mexican individuals are being identified as criminals and scooped up like animals to be deported, and unraveling gun laws, a billionaire citizen has been given total access to government and to American citizens confidential information,” said Pfleger referring to multi-billionaire Elon Musk.
And he said Trump’s confusion and chaos extended to the Middle East accusing him of engaging in a “take over and ethnic cleansing of Gaza and blamed Ukraine for a war when Russia invaded it.
“This is not normal. This is unacceptable, and we will rise up and we will resist,” Pfleger said during a press conference held by St. Sabina Church. “We are fighting for freedom.”
That is why Father Pfleger had the flag, which is located adjacent to the St. Sabina Academy, hoisted upside down to show that “America is in distress and in a State of Emergency.”
Pfleger was joined by Rev. Ciera Bates-Chamberlain, who is the founder and executive director of the Live Free Chicago, Rochelle Crump, a Vietnam era veteran and a member of the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps, Crump said, “We are under attack.” She strongly objected to Trump firing 1,000 VA staffers. “That is somebody who is mentally ill. The firings will impact the level of VA Patient care. d
Pastor Julie Contreras, from United Giving Hope, objected to the ICE agents seizing children and Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric, and many others.
Contreras objected to Trump and the ICE agents taking immigrant children and calling them, “criminals, terrorists and a threat to this nation. It is not true,” she said.
Father Pfleger led his supporters to the flagpole and as the upside-down flag slowly made its way to the top, Pfleger said, “Heal the land, God. We will not be silent. We will resist. Heal the land, God.”
Father Pfleger then led his supporters with a song, “Ain’t going to let nobody turn me around. Keep on walking. Keep on walking into freedom land.”
He then said, “What they are trying to do is to divide us, Black, white, brown, Chicago homeless. We have to unite right now. They ain’t going to tear us apart.” Then linking arms, they sang, ‘We Shall overcome some day. We shall walk in peace one day,” as they marched back to the church.
Father Pfleger said, “These guys are trying to turn back the clock and we’ll go all the way back to slavery to control too Sheriff Clark, George Wallace, to Bull Connor’s.” referring to Birmingham, Alabama sheriff who opposed civil rights in the 1960’s.
Referring to Trump, Pfleger warned, “He wants to turn it back to an all-white America, make America white again. That is what he wants, and if we don’t stand up stand up to this and resist it, we will see the Oligarch’s” rule.
“We need to fight because it’s right because to many people fought to get us where we are at. We got to do it because we don’t have gun laws and our children are in the streets who are vulnerable and violence rise up again around this country.
“Nobody is safe right now, and they will come for us one-by-one. If we are not careful, white, rich people will run this world and they will join with all the other terrorists like Putin, North Korea and Benjamin Netanyahu. That’s his group who will rule the world, and if we let that happen, shame on us.
“Dr. King said, ‘Our lives begin to end the moment we’re silent about things that matter.’ “This is not the time to be silent. It is time to stand up, to resist and to fight and be uncompromising.”
Ask his feelings on Trump vowing to get rid of Dr. King’s birthday and Juneteenth, Pfleger said, “He wants to get rid of anything to celebrate anything other than rich white people.”
Asked what can be done, Father Pfleger said, “We fight. We resist. There is more power in the streets than in the Oval Office and once we come together, we’ll let them know we are not rolling over.”
But three veterans held their own press conference before Father Pfleger held his. U.S. Navy veteran Esteban Burgon chastised Father Pfleger for hoisting the flag upside claiming he “disrespected” veterans and the country. He said Pfleger should be preaching peace rather than “chaos” and the flag “does not represent Trump” but rather the people.
