Forums

Once again, this is a case where Trump uses his ignorance to objectify and slam Senator Elizabeth Warren. His objectification of calling her Pocahontas (when it is not really known whether she has Native American ties) is insulting as he is clearly judging her based on her appearance. By Trump calling her Pocahontas it not only digs up so much oppression and negativity for the native community but he is simply being a racist. His racist remarks towards Senator Warren and countless other people he has threatened shows the awful mistake America has made to make him president. His inability to let go of grudges and let go of his racist and sexist persona is exactly what nobody needs right now. Trump is just digging himself deeper into his disregard for minority groups in America which will only backfire on him in the future.

I also want to touch on the fact that as Elizabeth is a woman, so not only is Trump making a racist remark to her (on countless occasions) but he shows no respect or peace in his disagreement with Senator Elizabeth. By calling her out as "Pocahontas" he is attacking so much more then Native Americans, but all minority groups and people such as the LGBTQ community that has broken significant barriers these past few years. Trumps verbal abuse towards Elizabeth shows that as he does not see his racist comments he will not hesitate to further condemn other people who do not fit his 'ideal American.'

I agree with both the above posts and their stance that Trumps statements are ignorant and that he sets a bad example for the people he is supposed to be leading by continuing to make comments with racist connotations.
This article and this problem of Trump calling a woman Pocahontas (along with many of the other attitudes he has displayed to us since the beginning of his campaign and continued on into his presidency) reminds me of another article that I have read for another class on the topic of cultural ignorance, a growing problem within our current society, a problem only worsened by Trumps attitudes. When a person in a position of power openly discriminates against not one but many minority groups (the current travel ban a further example of this) it should send up a red flag as such attitudes are a determent to our society.
I agree with the other posts that state that trumps attitude towards Elizabeth Warren and his calling her Pocahontas is him trying to take a jab at her because she does not agree with him and has been very vocal about her dislike of him and what he stands for. As she stated in part of a larger Facebook post "Donald Trump stands ready to tear apart an America that was built on values like decency, community and concern for our neighbors", which seems harsh but also a fairly accurate prediction of what a trump presidency looks like. Ultimately, Trump as president of the U.S should be encouraging equality and diversity and acceptance rather then taking shots at fellow politicians and participating in bringing on this larger problem of cultural ignorance that plagues society.

Trump is exactly what the people of America want him to be. They voted for a person who has no filter, is upright and does not think before he speaks. Without thinking of the implications, he called Elizabeth Warren "Pocahontas," not to insult Native Americans but to call her out on her claims. Of course, his statement is meant to ridicule her, but it is done very strategically. Elizabeth Warren is allowed to insult him and mock him. They have every right to throw insults around as many politicians have done to bring down their opponents. There is no excuse for Trump's ignorance, but in this case I don't believe he was being malicious towards any certain race. I imagine he thought calling her Pocahontas would be funny and a great way to publicly shock everyone. It was a tactic to bring attention to her questionable claims of being Indian and it definitely worked; many Americans and even her supporters want proof. It's quite unnerving to know that she could have used her supposed Native American heritage to get a leg up in hercareer. Hence, it is more insulting to claim to be something that you are not for additional benefits and supporters than to mindlessly call someone "Pocahontas." Actions speak louder than words. From a historical point of view, it is interesting to see the shifting perspective of Native Americans. It reminds me of an essay “An Indian’s Looking-Glass For the White Man” written in 1833 by William Apess. It recounts the experience of a Native American man and the struggles of living with such a bad reputation. It seems we’ve come a long way since at one point in time they were called people “who had no principle” and now we have senators who want to be them, that is if Senator Warren’s statements are false. There still is, of course, discrimination towards Natives but the majority of people and government consistently try to honor them