A country divided: why Donald Trump will never be my president
The president’s duty is to serve the good of the country, not just the good of the people in the country who agree with them
Half of the citizens in America woke up this morning unfazed. They poured milk over their cereal, got dressed, and went off to school or work ready to take on the day.
The other half of American citizens woke up this morning with knots in their stomachs, absolutely terrified of whatever lies ahead for their country. For the first time in U.S. history a president has been elected who has no government or military experience.
Donald Trump will never be my president.
This election was about more than throwing your vote behind a name or political party
Before this election I never considered myself to be a Democrat or a Republican. I sat down, looked at the issues which were most important to me, and chose the candidate I believed would address those concerns. So did many other people in the country, though our opinions may have differed.
What was crucial to the success of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign was the broken Republican party. Before the primary, he took the lead over his fellow candidates—he is the direct product of the incompetency and inability of the Republican party to provide the country with a nominee who had actual government experience. A nominee that party deserved. They had the power to nominate another candidate with solid policies even though Donald Trump had the large majority of public support, but they chose not to.
This election wasn’t about the personal flaws of Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton, it has been and always will be about America. It was about corruption in politics, people who line their own pockets, and it was about misinformation as well as ignorance. It was about the lack of informed voters. It was about protecting the basic human rights of all people. It was about finding common ground and about listening to all of the issues regardless of whether you agree with them or not. Most importantly, it was about respect.
The anger of 50% of America isn’t unjustified simply because you don’t agree with them
Donald Trump has alienated half of the people in this country. Whether you like it or not, whether you agree with it, that is the truth. We have all alienated one another—he did not do this on his own.
The racism and sexism were around long before Trump, he has simply been adopted as the face of those beliefs by the people. Women, minorities, and LGBTQ+ people have been made to feel that their rights are less important than others. Those worried about the health of the planet, those who have survived sexual assaults, and those with disabilities have also been made to feel that way. He is not a president for all people, and that is why he is not my president.
I don’t hate people who voted for Donald Trump. Not all of the people who voted for him are racist or homophobic, and they have their own sets of concerns that are just as important as mine. That’s the key here. I am concerned by climate change, the refusal to fund clean energy, and the threat to women’s reproductive rights. You might be concerned with immigration, national security, and the economy—all concerns deserve to be heard and given consideration.
At the end of the day, no matter what “side” you’re on, you don’t get to decide whether or not someone is “allowed” to be concerned or whether their fears and concerns are valid or not. Until you have been in someone’s shoes and seen the things they have experienced, you will not fully understand how they feel. The injustices first and foremost are within the system.
An open dialogue is what we need, and I hope that’s what we get
After watching a few minutes of Donald Trump’s victory speech I was dumbfounded. I sat and listened to a man that has made disparaging remarks about so many people tell America that we need to come together. Which Donald am I supposed to believe—the version we knew our whole lives leading up to this election or the version we got to witness for a few minutes at one press conference? This election leaves me feeling confused.
When Trump says he will serve everyone, I truly hope he means everyone. Who exactly are the forgotten men and women? The jury is still out on that. At some point in our lives, we have each been the forgotten man and woman.
To all people who feel oppressed and unsatisfied, make your voice heard but also listen to the voices of others. Today I remain skeptical of the future, but I have faith in the people of this country to find a way to bridge this gap. I have faith in the people of America to bring about change for the better.