(shared with us and published in the Cape Cod Times)

By Janet Murphy Robertson

An unapologetic disseminator of hate will soon roam the halls of the White House as “chief strategist and senior counselor.” Left to stand, this appointment will be a moral stain on our country and an omen of much more to come. It transforms the president-elect’s campaign rhetoric into a taxpayer-funded position in the federal government, making a mockery of the historic struggle of African-Americans and other groups for freedom and equal rights. It is one glaringly obvious anti-democratic move in a pattern of behavior that should make Americans of all political persuasions wary of what lies ahead. It is one of many points on which there should be no disagreement between Republicans and Democrats.

Whether we find the president-elect repelling or refreshing, we can agree that he is taking America further and further into uncharted territory. He is at odds with the conservative economic principles and foreign policy goals of his own party. Perhaps even more alarmingly, he pushes ethical boundaries. A man whose primary qualification for office is ostensibly his business acumen, he has used U.S. bankruptcy laws to escape from financial liabilities while stiffing business partners and vendors. He declared himself smart for utilizing tax loopholes to avoid paying taxes despite his enormous income. He defrauded thousands of students of his now-defunct so-called “university.”

A month before taking office, he is dancing at the edges of bald-faced nepotism and blatant conflict of interest, making a complete mockery of fairness and transparency in government.

He has misrepresented complex issues such as trade, immigration, and global terrorism to his supporters, making scapegoats of immigrants, and stirring up hatred against minorities. In a frightening departure from the traditions of both the Republican and Democratic parties, he labeled his general election opponent a criminal, and encouraged his supporters to chant “lock her up” at his rallies.

He has shown a reckless disregard for … Read the rest of this piece here: http://www.capecodtimes.com/opinion/20161227/appalling-silence-cant-mask-gathering-roar

Janet Murphy Robertson is a filmmaker and recently produced “Journeys in the Light, Untold Stories of Cape Cod” in collaboration with Zion Union Heritage Museum in Hyannis. The film tells the heroic story of African Americans, Cape Verdeans, members of the Wampanoag tribe, and other groups that have been on the Cape for hundreds of years, making important contributions in the arts, business, politics, sports, the military, and everyday life.