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Harvey Riggs (Linkedin photo)
Harvey Briggs had a famous great-grandfather, Walter O. Briggs Sr. -- a wealthy Detroit businessman who eventually took sole ownership of the Tigers in 1935. He died in 1952.
Briggs now notes that while his great grandfather accomplished great things, he was a true racist. He feels his past gives him energy, focus and hope, and that hope does not include Donald Trump remaining president.
In a Detroit Free Press guest column, Briggs writes from Madison, Wis.:
I could excuse this away by saying he was "the product of his time," or "no worse than many of his peers in the industry." But then I wouldn’t be acknowledging the truth.
This is my legacy. This is my heritage. This is why I can't coddle a president who ignores the truth and doesn't have the moral compass to know that all Nazis are evil. This is why I can't tolerate a supposed leader who doesn't know that those who fight Nazis and white supremacists today are true patriots, just as they were during World War II and the civil rights movement.
This is why I must speak out against white supremacists, neo-Nazis, and the Confederate revisionists who are crawling out from under their rocks to infect our society with false narratives, hatred and bigotry.
My family's past does not weigh heavily on me. It provides me with energy, focus and hope. I know that my brothers, sisters and I are kind, loving, and while not perfect, pretty damn good people. I know that my father and mother were the same. . . .
In just two generations, we have done our best to shed the darkness of our personal past, and continue to strive to honor the Declaration of Independence and its core belief "that all men are created equal."
It is clear President Donald Trump lacks a basic understanding of our nation’s history. It is even more evident by both his words and actions, he does not share the values upon which the United States of America was founded and the ideals so many fought and died for in the Civil War, the two World Wars and other subsequent conflicts.
It is time for the president to do the right thing and resign so the country can move forward and heal. If not, it is time for Congress to do its job and remove him from office.
