SARASOTA, Fla. — The new moderator for the fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches has voiced her disdain over racist comments made by Donald Trump via Twitter. She joins a growing number of individuals globally who feel that Trump has stepped over the line.

“Racism has no place in the United States or in any country,” Rev. Elder Cecilia Eggleston said.

Trump mocked Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib by implying they were not Americans and should “go back” to where they came from. Omar emigrated to the United States as a Somalian refugee in the early 1990s and became a citizen at age 17. Ocasio-Cortez, Pressley, and Tlaib were born in the United States.

“The election of these four congresswomen reflects the rich diversity of the United States. It is also a testament to the American people, who want to see this diversity reflected in the governance of their country,” Eggleston added.

She continued saying, “Despite Trump’s recent tweet, ‘I don’t have a racist bone in my body,’ his record on issues of race is disturbing. In 2018, Trump made crude and racially deprecating remarks about Haiti and African countries. He was the chief promoter of the lie that Barack Obama, America’s first African-American president, was born outside the United States. And Trump responded to the white supremacist violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, by saying there were ‘very fine people on both sides.’

“It is shameful that President Donald Trump has chosen to attack these citizens. Racism has no place in the United States or in any country. In MCC, we believe in justice and are committed to resisting the structures that oppress people and we stand with those who suffer under the weight of oppressive systems. We cannot become complacent and desensitized to racially-charged statements. Our faith resides in God where love will win and fear and hatred will wither in love’s shadow. We cannot be silent,” Eggleston said.

info: mccchurch.net.

Lainey Millen was formerly QNotes' associate editor, special assignments writer, N.C. and U.S./World News Notes columnist and production director from 2001-2019 when she retired.