Throughout this election, I’ve been ashamed to admit I support Trump
But then I attended his latest NC rally
Donald Trump traveled from Florida to North Carolina (plus Pennsylvania, New Hampshire and Michigan) yesterday for one last push to win over the battleground states. I traveled to the Dorton Arena in Raleigh, NC to hear him speak – not as a member of the media or interested bystander, but as a supporter.
Throughout this election, I haven’t openly shared my political affiliation. I’m not usually one to post about my views, especially when they set me apart from my peers. Up until yesterday, I was ashamed to admit I supported Donald Trump as the Republican candidate for president. But attending Trump’s rally showed me I wasn’t the only one quietly supporting him. There were people from all social and economic classes connected by their political views.
Being in that arena with all of those people, I realized I shouldn’t be ashamed of who I support for President. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and I shouldn’t have to hide mine. Enough people had to like Trump enough for him to win the Republican nomination. There’s no good reason I shouldn’t be allowed to admit I’m one of his supporters.
How cute is the “adorable deplorable” slogan?
I was surrounded by people holding “Women for Trump,” “Veterans for Trump,” “Make America Great Again,” “Deplorable Lives Matter” and many other homemade signs. But what really stood out were the ones that said more uncommon things like “Gays for Trump,” “Indian Americans for Trump” and “Kids Need Trump.” These people didn’t hesitate to make their controversial views public, so why should I?
My biggest concern has always been offending those around me that may feel strongly about certain political issues. But there is no right way to solve these problems. There will always be disagreement among the people. That shouldn’t stop me from standing up for what I believe in.
An issue close to my heart is the support of law enforcement. That’s the field I am working towards and have loved ones serving in. I want a government that works for the safety of those that selflessly devote their lives to their communities. That is a large part of what drives me to lean Republican, and I refuse to be ashamed of that.
Of course Trump says some ridiculous things, but I admire that he is not afraid to speak his mind in a world that is so caught up in being politically correct so we don’t hurt people’s feelings.
As I was leaving the event, volunteers were throwing Trump-Pence t-shirts and beach balls to the crowd. A police officer caught my attention – he left his post to grab one of the beach balls and took it over to a little kid who wanted one but wasn’t quite tall enough to catch it. That small act of kindness was one of the many things that confirmed I was among the right people and making the right decision.
At the end of the day, I feel that I can trust Donald Trump as my President, and that’s good enough for me. At the rally, the statement he made that really locked in my vote was, “I’m not a politician, I can proudly say that. My only special interest is you.”