Rope

When I watched the coverage of the 2012 Republican Convention, I saw Obama posters with thick nooses saying "Rope." I also saw the president depicted as a monkey. "This is the Tea Party, the lunatic fringe," I thought (it *was* 2012). How naive I was. I am a Manhattan dweller, a writer, surrounded by all nations jubilantly making art; I was concerned mostly by the prejudice against mentally ill people that directly affected me. These past two years have schooled me about what we are up against: 35 percent of our nation, 100 million people, who hold their noses or not, but support Trump because he and they are racists. And tens of millions who call racism good fun, or heritage. So, I'm learning. Because I have skin in the game -- as long as there are people wearing black face, there will also be people like Trump mocking me, discriminating against us all.