Skip to main content

Election Day

2016 is a year of political decisions fueled by hatred.
Donald Trump is now president of the United States of America.
I want to explain first of all, why is he should not have this occupation.
Firstly, his father was arrested at a Ku Klux Klan rally, and sued over the fact he flat out refused to rent property to African-Americans. (1) This does not make him a bad person, but it is inevitable that your parents will influence the way you become. Much like his children, he had a negative role model.
He has become a negative role model not just for his children, but for parents around the US. They pass on this hate to their children. "The SPLC's Teaching Tolerance Programme conducted a survey of teachers, and found a disturbing increase in bullying and, in particular, in bigoted harassment, especially toward vulnerable groups like immigrants, Muslims and others who've been targeted by Trump. In some cases, Trump's very name was used as a threatening taunt." (2)
Secondly, he has no political experience. Literally. He invested money into researching how to become a president. As you can see, I'm trying to source everything I'm saying so that my argument is truthful. I googled "trumps experience in politics". I got nothing but business. That being said, his business experience isn't that  hopeful, with him falling into bankruptcy four times (3). Adding to that, not paying taxes makes him "smart" (4).
In one of the most racially diverse countries in the world, I do not see how it is appropriate to have a president that discriminates against race. He has proposed a ban on Muslims entering the US and suggested that a judge could not do his job because he was Mexcian (even though he was born in the United States and had convicted people over Mexican drug cartels before). He also carried on his fathers discrimination and not renting property to black people. And this is only a small snippet of examples (5).
He and his vice president have not been kind towards the LQBTQ plus community.
“I have so many fabulous friends who happen to be gay, but I am a traditionalist" (6). He has shown blatent disinterest in the community; This is a man who dismissed the deaths of LGBT people following the horrific Pulse Nightclub shooting that left 49 dead and 53 injured to promote his own Islamophobic agenda. “Appreciate the congrats for being right on radical Islamic terrorism”, he tweeted, without taking any consideration for the symbolic importance of what occurred on that night in June". "In the hope of winning the evangelical vote, Trump declared he would consider appointing conservative Supreme Court justices to repeal same-sex marriage and has openly supported a bill that would allow and pardon homophobic discrimination if it is justified on religious grounds". Trump and Pence have also expressed wishes to undo the law Obama recently passed, allowing transgender teens in school to use the bathroom they want to use. (7). "During his first successful run for Congress in 2000, Pence wrote on his campaign website, under a section called Strengthening the American Family: "Resources should be directed toward those institutions which provide assistance to those seeking to change their sexual behavior."
Also on the website, Pence wrote: "Congress should oppose any effort to put gay and lesbian relationships on an equal legal status with heterosexual marriage." And "Congress should oppose any effort to recognize homosexual’s [sic] as a 'discreet [sic] and insular minority' entitled to the protection of anti-discrimination laws similar to those extended to women and ethnic minorities."
Our research found no evidence Pence has walked back his stance on public funding for conversion therapy. His spokesman did not respond with information about Pence’s current position" (8).
Finally, with the infamous "grab em by the pussy" quote, Trump is no stranger to misogyny or rape cases. He has blatantly valued women on their looks alone, and said he would "fire" a woman if she wasn't good looking. He has disregarded achievements of women and looks for purely their sexual appeal. He has acted as if rape is an inevitable and biological process; "26,000 unreported sexual assults in the military-only 238 convictions. What did these geniuses expect when they put men & women together?" He has said that you need to treat women like shit. (9)
Clearly, I could go on about all the things that he has said. It seems clear to me that you need an open minded and accepted person to run such a diverse state. You need someone with experience to handle the economy and not treat it like a business.
There frankly has been sheer panic online. Islamic women are too frightened to wear their hijabs, people of different ethnicites are scared of attacks becoming more and more frequent, as followers have already committed acts of violence in his name.
I am afraid at how much progress this will undo. For women, for black people, for Mexicans, for LGBTQ plus members. Talks of outlawing abortion, openly objectifying women, funding gay therapies and not wanting marriage equality, the spreading of racism and hatred.

I want to stand up for the fight. I refuse to allow this progress to be undone. America chose a horrific president, so his voters have a lot of learning to do. Let's teach them about peace, love, acceptance and equality. That is what the world needs in order to go forward.



Bibliography
(1) http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/entertainment/people/donald-trump-quotes-57213
(2) http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/features/the-trump-effect-how-hateful-rhetoric-is-affecting-children-w448515
(3) http://www.forbes.com/sites/debtwire/2015/08/18/a-trip-down-donald-trumps-bankruptcy-memory-lane/#407d766775dd
(4) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JRu_3pnfEU
(5) http://fortune.com/2016/06/07/donald-trump-racism-quotes/
(6) http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/entertainment/people/donald-trump-quotes-57213
(7)  http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/donald-trump-mike-pence-gay-conversion-therapy-lgbt-transgender-bathrooms-rainbow-flag-no-ally-a7393466.html
(8) http://www.politifact.com/california/statements/2016/jul/28/gavin-newsom/true-mike-pence-advocated-conversion-therapy/
(9) http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/politics/donald-trump-sexism-tracker-every-offensive-comment-in-one-place/



___________
I post weekly; come say hi!
Twitter; @justaoifethings
Facebook; Justaoifethings
Instagram; @justaoifethings
NaNoWriMo; justaoifethings

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Unusual Coping Method

If you've read recent blog posts, you'll know I've recently finished my Leaving Cert (hence the erratic upload schedule). During it, I was surprising calm, and only cried over two exams. History failed me, unfortunately. But, I couldn't understand why I was so calm. Why wasn't Becky rearing her ugly head? When I thought about it, I realised something strange. All the exams I had done were a blur. I felt like I hadn't even done them. When I came out of an exam and was asked a question about the paper, I blanked. I just didn't remember. I was forgetting a lot of things in day to day life, and feeling numb. That's when I realised what I was doing, I wasn't being present. Feeling as if you're not present is a major symptom of anxiety, so I suppose it has become an unintentional coping method for me. I'd look in the mirror and think, Wow, I'm actually that person. That reflection is me! It's really hard to explain what this feeli...

Dear Becky

Dear Becky; A new series I intend to continue. Becky is a big part of my life. Becky is my anxiety. If you have read my previous blog posts, you will know that naming my anxiety has given me great control and power, but Becky is still alive and can be strong. I find great comfort in writing things down. It helps me to think rationally, something Becky fights hard to prevent. Dear Becky will be my writing to Becky, to counteract the anxiety that she's called me. I will write to see what is real and what is Becky fuelled. Will you find it interesting? Maybe not. Unless you're interested in a mind corrupted with anxiety. I know my mental health is the most important thing, and if it helps me cope with life, then that's amazing. If someone reads this, and learns how to deal with their own mental illness or learns how to understand someone in their life with a mental illness, then even better. Dear Becky, You were strong today. I don't know why. But I didn't let ...

Counseling

If you know me at all, you will know that I have repeatedly stated that counseling is just not for me. I think I may have been wrong. Last week, I had my first ever positive therapy experience, after almost four years of being in and out of counseling offices. I decided to self-refer to my university's counseling service. I thought that I'd give it one last shot. I went to an occupational therapist, and I'd already used the coping mechanisms she suggested. I really didn't want that to be it. I didn't want to think that my current mental state was the best it was ever going to get. Although much better than it was, it's still not great. I was booked in within a month, not bad with a waiting list of over a hundred people. I went to the waiting room and I started to panic. My eyes were threatening tears. I texted my boyfriend. "I'm scared and I want to go home." What if this was going to be the same as before? What if I ...