People say they voted for Trump because of “economic anxiety”. What they really mean is “fear of black and brown people”. Trump’s whole campaign was an appeal to people’s fear of immigrants and minorities. Of course, to his voters, “immigrants” is a code-word for minorities. Trump’s claim that Mexico is sending criminals and rapists put him on the political map. He recently said that gang members are “slicing and dicing” white women. His support is strong among White Supremacists and others who secretly or not-so-secretly long for an America where they can feel safe from those scary people of color.
And then there’s the real world. While whites might feel safer away from the minority-infested “inner city” where crime is supposedly rampant, but science says otherwise. It turns out that the most dangerous places for white people are regions that are predominantly white. In other words, Trump country. The whiter the county, the more dangerous.
This is the result of a study by researcher Mike Males at the nonprofit, nonpartisan Center of Criminal and Juvenile Justice.
“Overall, white Americans who live in predominantly white and Trump-voting counties are 50% more likely to die from murder, gun violence and drug overdoses than whites who live in the most diverse and Democratic-voting counties,” Males writes.
Diversity isn’t only good for whites. Diverse neighborhoods are also safer for people of color.
Republicans have long used fear of blacks, Hispanics, and immigrants to get people to vote against their own economic interests. Now we know that those people are also voting against their physical safety. Racism harms minorities, and it’s also self-destructive. It’s a lose/lose proposition.