The Donald. The comments. The backlash continues.

LYNN – In the wake of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s kickoff-speech comments, in which he suggested that Mexican immigrants were rapists, drug dealers and criminals, many Lynners are striking back.”It’s a shame for someone intending to become president to have that kind of thinking,” said Frances Martinez, director of the North Shore Latino Business Association. “I don’t think he could have a chance at becoming president.”We discussed it at a meeting recently, and the majority of the members of NSLBA think it’s a shame,” she said. “We are the largest ethnic group in this country. When we say United States, we are talking about all different ethnicities.”I think he’s closing doors for himself to have any opportunity,” Martinez said.In a campaign speech, Trump said, “when Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists.” He later claimed he was implying Mexico was at fault, not the Mexican immigrants.After Mexico’s notorious drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman escaped from a maximum security prison via a mile-long tunnel beneath the building, Trump continued his tirade on Twitter.”Can you envision Jeb Bush or Hillary Clinton negotiating with ?El Chapo,’ the Mexican drug lord who escaped from prison? Trump, however, would kick his ass.””I don’t agree with Mr. Trump,” said Juan Gonzalez, founder of Without Borders, a Lynn Spanish-language magazine. “The most recent xenophobic attacks from Donald Trump, or any of the political candidates, are a clear offense of human dignity and principals that are promoted in the United States.””We must recognize that violence, thieves, rapists, drug dealers are in all and in every culture,” he said. “Even in religion, these criminal acts exist.”On a larger scale, many businesses and countries are ending all association with Trump, including a number of television networks that were scheduled to broadcast the Miss Universe Pageant, which is owned by Trump.Networks include NBC, Televisa, Univision and Ora TV. Rapper Flo Rida dropped out of his scheduled performance at the event, and many hosts, performers and judges followed suit. Many Latin American countries decided not to participate in the pageant.In addition, ESPN decided not to hold its Celebrity Golf Classic at Trump National Golf Club in Los Angeles. Macy’s announced they would stop carrying Trump’s line of menswear at their stores.”The economic boycott that we see against Donald Trump is simply a sign of how, sooner or later, the Latino or any other minority group will have its place to seek the American Dream, just as Jews, Irish, Italians, Russians, Asians and many other cultures in the past,” said Gonzalez.”I, as part of the Latin American community, believe that every single criminal should be deported,” he said.”For many years the Latino community has become the punching bag of America,” said Miguel Funez of Lynn. “We are not asking for a handout. We work and work hard.”In large part, the Lynn community, which has a significant Spanish-speaking population, has joined the fight to boycott Trump.”Donald Trump will not get one vote from the Spanish community unless they are dumb,” Funez said.”The anti-immigrant declarations of Donald Trump are not going to help the Republican Party,” said Gonzalez. “In the 2012 election campaign, we must remember that the Latino vote was a key to the re-election of President Barack Obama,” he said. “Keep in mind the Latino minority is the fastest-growing population in the States, and Trump just lost thousands of votes.”