We all know 45 has enabled and legitimized racism -- but is the recent spate of racist attacks ...

[eppur_se_muova]

... just something that was always going on, and we're just now seeing these incidents recorded ? Or are there suddenly more people (having various first names, whatever the current meme) who feel it's OK to display such behavior in public ? Or are there (shudder) suddenly more people who actually hold racist beliefs ?

I'm half-convinced that, like police brutality, it's the first option. I hope it's not the third, but after decades of Uglicans in power, that's a legitimate concern.

[TreasonousBastard]

1. I think there are actually fewer true racists than in the past, and this is...

likely what's causing the remaining ones to get louder.

A last gasp of desperation.

[kimbutgar]

2. He has given them the ok to be more obvious and vocal in their racism

His rallies are mini klan rallies with veiled hints of racism and saying it’s ok to be mean and hateful.

No love thy neighbor as thy self message. Which I remember President Obama did all the time. “I’m my Brothers keeper”. Words you’ll never hear from him nor his evangelical followers.

[CatLady78]

3. A bit of all three probably

Trump definitely has radicalized more people. A lot of people (especially people raised with conservative influences) could potentially develop more enlightened and liberal ways of thinking as a learned behavior. But that takes effort and good leadership.

When someone who makes no attempt whatsoever to check their worst impulses becomes this powerful, it has to have an effect. This is someone who makes no effort to check their knee jerk reactions, has no interest in introspection and they are seen as a "winner"...

It isn't that I (like most humans) don't have some uncharitable, knee jerk and conservative reactions.
My father was a military man. I am myself an introvert. So I both have exposure to conservative worldviews and can be more misanthropic than ideal. And some misanthropy is warranted -I am an environmentalist and we are certainly fucking up this planet.

It is that I actively work on checking illiberal thoughts because often they are pretty stupid and cloud one's comprehension of reality (aside from just being mean). If you place no value in any but the crassest conclusions, you will become stunted like this person.