There are many ways to debate whether former President Donald Trump is fit to lead this nation, but referring to him as a “convicted criminal”does more harm than good. However, many experts and political leaders use this phrase heavily. It’s disheartening because I thought as a society we were moving towards using person-first language. And as a formerly incarcerated citizen, that hurts.
It doesn’t matter who is in charge of any presidential campaign; I want all candidates to understand the harm in using this word. I held these sentiments when President Biden was the presumptive Democratic nominee. And that’s important to me now, with Vice President Kamala Harris as the presumptive nominee. I know that political strategists and commentators look for catchy phrases to characterize their candidate. But no one should embrace the “prosecutor versus criminal” narrative. That would be a mistake.
About 20 million American citizens has a criminal conviction and 1 in 3 people throughout our country have some type of registration. Labeling people as “criminals” or using the word as a badge of honor for political purposes is a slap in the face to the millions of affected individuals and families. The truth is that the label doesn’t hurt Trump as much as it hurts millions of other people living with criminal convictions. It also represents a setback at the precise moment when we should be moving our country forward. We can do this by embracing our shared values of forgiveness, redemption and restoration.
Both campaigns have the opportunity to engage in a serious, statesmanlike debate on the issues. Resorting to name-calling or reducing the election of the President of the United States to a contest between a prosecutor and the “F-word” is robbing this country of the serious dialogue it deserves.
It also diverts attention from the larger task of uniting and healing the nation.
See more information: Will Kamala Harris be able to beat Donald Trump? Here’s what the research shows
It is important to remember that more than 600,000 people return to society from state and federal prisons each year. People caught up in this system are easy targets for villainization because words like “criminal,” “convict,” and “felon” carry stigma. These words provide an excuse to throw people away.
Returning citizens have learned that no matter how hard they try to create a better life for themselves and their communities, many will still consider them unworthy of receiving an education, obtaining a loan, purchasing safe housing, or running for elected office.
That has been my experience.
Despite all my praise, I had trouble finding housing, insuring my home, and getting a bank loan. However, the most critical job in the world, with access to the most sensitive information, could soon be filled by a person convicted of a crime. How we talk about criminal convictions depends on how much power and privilege someone has. It’s a toxic narrative that harms communities and families across the country.
No one’s human rights should be denied. We just need to be honest about why certain people are excluded. The same support and grace as the systems we showed Trump must be offered to all returning citizens or all formerly incarcerated people. We must call for a higher standard for all and strive for all people to become whole.
This toxic narrative remains loud and clear on both sides of the aisle. At a Republican debate in August 2023, a moderator asked candidates whether they would support a presidential candidate who had been convicted of a crime, and six of eight the candidates raised their hands in support. If we support someone with a felony conviction moving into the White House, then shouldn’t we support policies that remove barriers to prevent people like me from voting, getting a job, or obtaining safe, affordable housing?
This is much bigger than a “prosecutor versus criminal” narrative.
Across the political spectrum, our political machine continues to feed the same toxic narratives. This rejection of human rights is rooted in racism and classism. It also precedes violence.
Throughout history, we have seen how racist tropes intended to devalue human life, causing the destruction and even death of groups of people. Elected leaders must take responsibility for their complicity in continuing these harmful narratives. Just as returning citizens are expected to admit the harm they have caused and commit to doing better, those elected to high office should do the same. Yet politicians have remained silent on many issues that affect our shared humanity, such as the 1994 Criminal Law Act, which destroyed many black families, and the use of words like “superpredators” as weapons.
I don’t tell people who to vote for, but I advise people to vote conscientiously. I don’t judge people who are tempted to completely disconnect from the democratic process. But we still it cannot stay out. All hope is not lost.
But we should demand better. We must demand basic human rights and decency for all. If a group is dehumanized, no one is safe from dehumanization. We are all connected. When we respond to hate with more hate, we perpetuate the very phenomenon we condemn. We were brutally remembered through the attempted assassination of the former President Trump how the decisive rhetoric of party politics serves no constructive purpose.
These distractions prevent us from having an honest conversation about the language we use with each other and the narratives we let control us. It would be a better world if we could learn to love those we despise the most. If we can do this, we will be able to love anyone.
As I fight for the return of citizens and others affected by the justice system, I also fight for everyone. We must move beyond the feeling that we lose something when someone else is supported. The truth is that if my neighbor prospers, I prosper. Nobody wins if a returning citizen cannot get a job, housing and education.
Recovery from this volatile election cycle will not be painless. But those of us on the front lines of our democracy are the heroes we were looking for. We are the ones who make this country work. We are the lifeblood of democracy. I don’t know if we will have the same democracy – or if we will move away from this harmful “prosecutor versus criminal” narrative – but I am optimistic that something new and inclusive can grow out of what we are experiencing today.
This story originally appeared on Time.com read the full story
