On September 15th, 1963 a bomb exploded at the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Alabama killing four African American girls and wounding another twenty people. This was clearly an attack by the KKK. Unfortunately, this was not a singular attack. Because of the number of bombings that occurred between 1945 and 1963 Birmingham became known as “Bombingham.”

Sixty one years later almost to the day on September 10th, 2024 presidential candidate Donald Trump participated in a debate where he lied about Haitian immigrants eating the pets of residents in Springfield Ohio. His running mate JD Vance doubled down on the story despite the fact that it had been debunked by the Republican Governor of Ohio and the Republican mayor. Despite knowing that this is a lie Vance said the following on CNN. “If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then that’s what I’m going to do.” Because of these lies, Springfield  schools have been the recipient of at least 30 bomb threats. While many of these threats have come from overseas this has nonetheless led to schools being closed and the governor sending state troopers to guard the schools. 

Much of this lies at the feet of JD Vance who as Senator represents that community. The lies being spread by Vance and Trump bear a striking similarity to the racist rhetoric which led to the bombings in Alabama. Some may wonder  why Vance hates Haitians to the degree that he would lie about them in this manner. The obvious answer is that he is playing to white fear and anxiety with his lies. 

Unfortunately, there has been no condemnation by Republican officials or pundits. Like witnesses in the 1963 Birmingham bombing who were afraid to talk, Republican operatives refuse to condemn this out of fear whether physical or being ostracized from their social networks and country clubs. An even worse reason may be because they actually revel in this sort of behavior.,

Watching people like CNN analyst and Republican Scott Jennings refuse to condemn this action leads one to question why would CNN continue to enable him to engage in this line of conduct. 

Unfortunately, news outlets such as CNN whether it’s Jake Tapper, Dana Bash or Abby Philips seem incapable or unwilling to call this as it is. It is time for journalists to stop trying to be above everything when people’s lives are at stake. Simply referring to this story as something that has been debunked is insufficient. It should be called a lie and the people that perpetuate it should be referred to as liars. 

The genteel nature in which candidates such as Vance are handled is obviously because networks want to have access to them despite how disgraceful they are. 

There was a time when behavior such as this would have disqualified someone from running for the highest office in the land. Now behavior such as Vance’s anti-woman, anti-LGBTQ and anti-immigrant rhetoric serves as a ratings bonanza for some media outlets. This behavior will continue unless the public creates political consequences. Presently there has been no political or financial cost to either Trump or Vance.

While that may change by November it seems as though the more virulent Trump and Vance act the more they are rewarded. America has an opportunity to send a clear message to the purveyors of this kind of behavior. It remains to be seen what that message will be.