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View Full Version : Mexicans, Trump, and rapists



Evmetro
04-23-2020, 09:54 PM
I've seen lots of debate around the notion that Trump called Mexicans rapists in a broad generalization about Mexicans. I've done a breakdown of what exactly Trump really did say, using Trump's own words. Not the words of CNN or the media, but the words spoken by Trump himself.
(https://www.usmessageboard.com/threads/trump-mexicans-and-rapists.584889/post-16956435)
First, here is the actual quote:

“When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re not sending you. They’re not sending you. They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.”

Now, let's have a closer look at this:

In the first sentence, he is talking about people who he alleges that Mexico sends, and he has excluded "Mexico's best" from the people who he is talking about. This first sentence clearly shows that Trump was not commenting on "all" Mexicans, just the people who Mexico sends who are not also not Mexico's best.

Ok, next sentence. "They're not sending you, they're not sending you", sounds like it is open to interpretation, but the one thing we do know is that he is not talking about Mexico's best, or all Mexicans.

The next sentence really narrows things down as far as who he is talking about. "They're sending people who have lots of problems, and they are bringing those problems with us." Here, he has narrowed down who he is talking about to people Mexico sends, who are not Mexico's best, certainly not every Mexican everywhere, and who are bringing problems. His grammar is pretty screwed up with the "us" thing, but it does not appear he is intending on including "us" as who he is talking about.

This next part is not describing who he is talking about, but tells us some of the "problems" of the people who Mexico sends who are bringing problems. "They're bringing drugs, They're bringing crime. They're rapists." Those problems that this isolated group of people who are not Mexico's best, not you, not all Mexicans, and who have problems, do sound pretty bad, so I am sure glad that Trump brought these things up. These things need to be brought up and be handled.

Last sentence: "And some I assume, are good people." It was pretty generous that Trump added this on, considering the kinds of problems that this isolated group of people are bringing. He assumes that some of these people who Mexico sends who are not Mexico's best, not you, not all Mexicans, and who are bringing such problems are actually good people.

Now we know who Trump was talking about:
An isolated group of people who Mexico sends who are not Mexico's best, not you, and who bring lots of problems.

Now we know who he was not talking about:
He was not talking about Mexico's best, or all Mexicans, or you.