‘Don’t sweep us under rug’: Black man challenges Vivek Ramaswamy on violence, race – his response

At a Cincinnati town hall on Monday, following the viral incident of a White woman’s brutal beating, Vivek Ramaswamy faced questioning from an audience member who argued that Black history has been disregarded in American discourse.The Ohio Republican candidate responded by acknowledging the need to face uncomfortable truths while highlighting America’s foundation on ideals that it continuously strives to achieve, despite imperfections.The questioner, identified as Robert, expressed his non-partisan stance on US public safety debates but raised concerns about the inadequate inclusion of Black American history in contemporary safety discussions.“You have to understand how our people feel, because we were brought here in slave ships over 400 years ago, and we were treated like animals, like cattle hung on trees, families separated, our heritage taken from us so that we didn’t know who we were as a people. Now, I say, you act like this is a new thing. This balance that you see out here,” Robert challenged Ramaswamy.“Well, look over the 400 years of all the violence that was perpetrated on our people… You want to sweep our history under the table, but you don’t sweep the Ashkenazi Jews with the Hitler thing under the table. All the things that you did to the other races of people, you don’t sweep that under the table. But when it comes down to the black Negro, we can always sweep what happened to us under the table.” Ramswamy candidly added that the question made him a bit “uncomfortable” but said leaders should be expected to answer such difficult questions.“Of course, we’re not perfect. In fact, we’re destined to never be perfect because we’re not a nation comprised of gods, we’re a nation comprised of human beings, and we’re a nation founded on a set of ideals. So, that means you will always be imperfect,” Ramaswamy said in response to the race-conscious question. Using China and Iran as examples, Ramaswamy noted that these nations avoid criticism for hypocrisy because they lack foundational ideals.“Nobody ever criticizes China, or Iran, or whatever for hypocrisy, because to be a hypocritical nation, you have to have ideals in the first place,” Ramaswamy said.“I’m not going to say America was perfect for every chapter of our national history. Of course not. We’re a nation founded on ideals. We’re nation founded on human beings, so we’ll always fall short of those ideals,” Ramaswamy continued. “But I would rather live in a country that has ideals and falls short of them. Than to live in a country with no ideals at all.”While Ramaswamy went on to say that no one’s ethnic history should be swept under the rug, he also emphasized that recent events — including last week’s viral video showing a brutal public beating in Cincinnati — must not be overlooked. He urged Americans to face uncomfortable truths rather than avoid them.“We have to confront what is true. Not just what makes us comfortable, but precisely when it does not,” Ramaswamy said. He expressed preference for a nation with aspirational standards, even if imperfectly achieved.While acknowledging the importance of historical recognition, Ramaswamy emphasised that recent events, including the Cincinnati incident, warrant attention. He concluded by redefining ‘our people’ as inclusive of all Americans, asserting everyone’s right to live without fear of violence.“And may I even say, if you’re a hard-working American, to go into your city whether you’re black or white without fear of actually being assaulted or battered, that ought to be the birthright of every American. That’s what I want for ‘our people’,” he said.