America: We are better than this

Just a week into his new job, Donald Trump has already installed a white nationalist just steps from the Oval Office.

Instead of working to heal the wounds of a deeply divided nation — a nation in which the majority of voters rejected him — President-elect Trump has doubled down on his dangerous flirtation with the alt-right by naming Steve Bannon as his White House chief strategist.

{mosads}This is simply unacceptable.

For more than 200 years, the story of our nation has been about expanding rights, equality and opportunity. We cannot and will not allow Trump and his extremist associates to end that proud tradition.

Just a few moments on Breitbart will remind any patriotic American that Bannon and his cronies must be resisted.

Headlines like “Bill Kristol: Republican Spoiler, Renegade Jew” reveal the deep anti-Semitism that still exists at the fringes of our nation.

Stories like “World Health Organization Report: Trannies 49X Higher HIV Rate” display a lack of respect for human dignity and a malicious misunderstanding of public health threats.

And pieces like “Birth Control Makes Women Unattractive and Crazy” help create a dangerous narrative in which women are viewed as less than equal.

This isn’t America. These aren’t the values that millions of men and women have fought and died for.

We are better than this.

We believe in equal opportunity and in fairness. We believe in the right to make your own healthcare decisions without being told they will make you “crazy” or “unattractive.” We believe that people are more than their heritage.

Let’s face it America — we are better than this!

And we are going to defend the values that Bannon has spent his career disparaging.

I have a strong message for Mr. Bannon and his ilk:

If you come for our friends because of who they are or who they love, we will fight you.

If you try to further disenfranchise and marginalize people of color, we will fight you.

If you try to strip women of their rights and healthcare, we will fight you.

We will fight you in the halls of Congress, in the courts, and we will bring the street heat. 

This is America, the land of opportunity for all, not just some. We won’t let you turn back the clock on our rights or on progress.

Lee represents California’s 13th District.