Hundreds of influential writers and novelists have signed an open letter in opposition to Donald Trump’s candidacy.
“[As] writers, we are particularly aware of the many ways that language can be abused in the name of power,” reads a portion of the letter, which has been signed by famed authors including Amy Tan, Stephen King, and Junot Díaz.
“American history, despite periods of nativism and bigotry, has from the first been a grand experiment in bringing people of different backgrounds together, not pitting them against one another.”
A petition from the effort, #WritersOnTrump, has also gathered over 11,000 signatures.
From a portion of the letter:
Because the history of dictatorship is the history of manipulation and division, demagoguery and lies;
Because the search for justice is predicated on a respect for the truth;
Because we believe that knowledge, experience, flexibility, and historical awareness are indispensable in a leader;
Because neither wealth nor celebrity qualifies anyone to speak for the United States, to lead its military, to maintain its alliances, or to represent its people;
Because the rise of a political candidate who deliberately appeals to the basest and most violent elements in society, who encourages aggression among his followers, shouts down opponents, intimidates dissenters, and denigrates women and minorities, demands, from each of us, an immediate and forceful response;
For all these reasons, we, the undersigned, as a matter of conscience, oppose, unequivocally, the candidacy of Donald J. Trump for the Presidency of the United States.
