For Immediate Release: September 27, 2016
Contact: Ashley Wilson, [email protected], 202-601-7856
WASHINGTON, D.C. – As part of NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice’s commitment to dismantling racism and unraveling white privilege in our pursuit of the common good, last week, we launched our Presidential Bigotry Watch 2016 to monitor and call out presidential candidates who spread hate and bigotry.
In response to the first presidential debate, Sister Simone Campbell, SSS, Executive Director of NETWORK said, “Last night made it clear: the candidates carry their white privilege in very different ways. While Secretary Clinton lifted up solutions to implicit bias and systematic racism, Donald Trump spoke with pride of all the ways he has benefited from his white, male privilege.”
All night, Mr. Trump’s comments about the “very small” loan he received from his father, how not paying taxes “makes me smart,” and “my obligation right now is to do well for myself” showed that above all, Donald Trump puts himself first. But, what was most troubling was Mr. Trump’s insistence that stop-and-frisk, which is unconstitutional because it promotes racial profiling, is the way forward for our country. It shows a deep misunderstanding of both our founding principles and the reality of our nation today.
Sister Simone continued, “Mr. Trump has spent all 70 years of his life focused on promoting himself, and it makes me wonder, if he is incapable of listening to a debate moderator and his opponent, is he capable of listening to the stories of all the people in the United States that he would be leading?”
“Putting self-interest first is not presidential. Being elected President of the United States requires commitment to the common good, not commitment to oneself,” concluded Sister Simone.
NETWORK urges voters to focus on the issues related to the common good this election, and has created candidate side by sides comparing Mr. Trump and Secretary Clinton on NETWORK’s core Mend the Gap issue areas: Tax Justice, Living Wages, Family-Friendly Workplaces, Democracy, Healthcare, Citizenship, and Housing.
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NETWORK, advocates for justice inspired by Catholic sisters, educates, organizes, and lobbies for economic and social transformation. They have a more than 40-year track record of lobbying for critical federal programs that support those at the margins and prioritize the common good. www.networklobby.org
Sister Simone Campbell, SSS is available for interviews. For inquiries, contact Ashley Wilson [email protected] or 202-601-7856.