On Friday, Nykea Aldridge (cousin of the Chicago Bulls’ new addition, Dwyane Wade) was shot and killed on Chicago’s south side near an elementary school. She had been pushing a baby stroller with a male companion when two other men approached and opened fire on Aldridge’s companion. Aldridge was struck in the head and arm and was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. Wade took to Twitter and condemned “another act of senseless gun violence.”
My cousin was killed today in Chicago. Another act of senseless gun violence. 4 kids lost their mom for NO REASON. Unreal. #EnoughIsEnough
— DWade (@DwyaneWade) August 27, 2016
This isn’t the first time that Wade’s family has dealt with gun violence. In 2012, his nephew, Darin Johnson, was struck when two men began shooting in a convenience store. Darin sustained two bullet wounds to his leg and was lucky to survive, unlike another store patron and unlike Aldridge on Friday.
Well, Donald Trump decided use this tragedy as part of his minority outreach initiative. Despite his checkered history with “The Blacks,” Trump is convinced that he can woo black voters. And he’s been doing so by insulting them as a community that only Trump can save from poverty, joblessness, and violence: “What do you have to lose?” Trump claims he will do much good that he’ll win “95 percent” of the black vote in 2020. Whereas he fingers Hillary Clinton as the real “bigot” because “she sees people of color only as votes.”
And yet, when Aldridge was killed in Chicago, Trump rushed to scoop up the black vote by tweeting, “Dwayne Wade’s cousin was just shot and killed walking her baby in Chicago. Just what I have been saying. African-Americans will VOTE TRUMP!”
Trump soon deleted that tweet and added a second one, not to alter the content but to correct the misspelling of Wade’s name.
Dwyane Wade's cousin was just shot and killed walking her baby in Chicago. Just what I have been saying. African-Americans will VOTE TRUMP!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 27, 2016
As one can imagine, Trump sparked a firestorm with these tweets. A large portion of his replies revealed outrage, but Senior National Correspondent for MTV News Jamil Smith really took Trump to task in a series of tweets. Smith typed that he’d “seen many politicians exploit us. Never seen someone do it this crudely.” And that wasn’t all he had to say about Trump.
I've lived 40 years as a black man in America, @realDonaldTrump. Seen many politicians exploit us. Never seen someone do it this crudely.
— Jamil Smith جميل كريم (@JamilSmith) August 27, 2016
What is wrong with you, man? https://t.co/EoBzstQ6eH
— Jamil Smith جميل كريم (@JamilSmith) August 27, 2016
That's an honest question, @realDonaldTrump: what is wrong with you? You say Clinton just sees black people as votes. What did you just do?
— Jamil Smith جميل كريم (@JamilSmith) August 27, 2016
Exactly how would you have stopped Nykea Aldridge's murder, @realDonaldTrump? It's time we learn precisely how you'd magically stop crime.
— Jamil Smith جميل كريم (@JamilSmith) August 27, 2016
Also, @realDonaldTrump, will you be citing all black murders going forward as reasons to vote Trump? Or just those related to famous people?
— Jamil Smith جميل كريم (@JamilSmith) August 27, 2016
Nykea Aldridge's family just started mourning, @realDonaldTrump. I know from experience how painful this is. And this is what you do.
— Jamil Smith جميل كريم (@JamilSmith) August 27, 2016
(Via Chicago Tribune)