Throughout his campaign, Donald Trump talked about "making America great again," as many of his supporters claimed that we were "gonna take our country back." As is often the case with political slogans and talking points, Trump's were vague, to be kind. He never specified on when America was "great" in his eyes, what era he was taking us back to, and how exactly he was going to do it. One week into his presidency and we have a clearer idea of what Trump's "great" America looks like, and it's not America at all.
The United States has long prided itself on freedom and diversity. While we Americans often like to exaggerate the former, as we'll delusionally say that we're the freest country in the history of the world, we are afforded liberties for which citizens of third-world countries would give anything. Also, while some people in this country may not be overly enthused about our high level of diversity, it's impossible to ignore. When we stand back and look at the history and demographic make-up of our country, it appears like a democratic mix of the world at large, as we host a wide range of groups: From blacks to whites, from Asians to Hispanics, from Christians to Muslims, from Hindus and Buddhists to Agnostics and Atheists, from happily married straight couples to happily married gay couples, and beyond. According to the U.S. Constitution, we're to be afforded the freedoms of speech, religion, and the press. Where would we be without these freedoms and this diversity? Who would we be? Donald Trump is attempting to show us.
In just his first week as president, Donald Trump or someone affiliated with him has done the following:
1) Told the press they better shut-up
2) Attempted to discredit and/or silence protesters
3) Signed an executive order on building a wall between the United States and Mexico
4) Signed an executive order on banning travel to citizens from 7 Muslim-majority countries
5) Said he'd provide Christian refugees priority
Taking from America what made it great in the first place is making America great again? I'm sorry, but no, not even close. In just his first week in the Oval Office, Donald Trump has directly or indirectly threatened our First Amendment rights in multiple ways. The press has been threatened for asking questions and reporting the truth. Protesters have been threatened for voicing their opposition to the president's executive orders. Muslims have been threatened for their faith. This is not America.
As Donald Trump has done since the start of his campaign, he's fed off people's fears and prejudices: "Mexicans are rapists," "Let's build a wall," "Many Muslims hate America," "Let's ban them," "Obamacare is a disaster," "Let's bring back torture," "We're in serious danger right now," "Our lives will be at risk if we don't ramp up military spending," etc. What Donald Trump continually fails to see is that this is no longer a reality show; this is real life. His words and actions aren't just for entertainment value; they impact millions of people's lives. In a single week, he's angered every country not named Russia, which could place us more at risk both militarily and economically. Nasty, yet empty rhetoric is about as effective as a man sleeping with his wife's best friend while moaning, "I'm not cheating, honey; I'm not cheating; I love you!" Yes, third-grade bully rhetoric tends to lose its steam when one turns 70. Crazy, right?
Donald Trump may not realize this, but he's endangering the lives of every single one of us physically, as well as endangering the identity of our country. Environmental protections have taken a backseat, healthcare may be stripped from as many as 32 million people, and our First Amendment rights, in our freedoms of speech, religion, and the press, are under attack. If Donald Trump wants to make America safe (again), now's not the time to anger 99% of the world and make more enemies in the process. If Donald Trump wants to make America win (again), isolationism isn't the way to go. If Donald Trump wants to make America great (again), perhaps he should learn what made it great in the first place, because the America he's envisioning isn't America at all; it's Amerikkka.
The United States has long prided itself on freedom and diversity. While we Americans often like to exaggerate the former, as we'll delusionally say that we're the freest country in the history of the world, we are afforded liberties for which citizens of third-world countries would give anything. Also, while some people in this country may not be overly enthused about our high level of diversity, it's impossible to ignore. When we stand back and look at the history and demographic make-up of our country, it appears like a democratic mix of the world at large, as we host a wide range of groups: From blacks to whites, from Asians to Hispanics, from Christians to Muslims, from Hindus and Buddhists to Agnostics and Atheists, from happily married straight couples to happily married gay couples, and beyond. According to the U.S. Constitution, we're to be afforded the freedoms of speech, religion, and the press. Where would we be without these freedoms and this diversity? Who would we be? Donald Trump is attempting to show us.
In just his first week as president, Donald Trump or someone affiliated with him has done the following:
1) Told the press they better shut-up
2) Attempted to discredit and/or silence protesters
3) Signed an executive order on building a wall between the United States and Mexico
4) Signed an executive order on banning travel to citizens from 7 Muslim-majority countries
5) Said he'd provide Christian refugees priority
Taking from America what made it great in the first place is making America great again? I'm sorry, but no, not even close. In just his first week in the Oval Office, Donald Trump has directly or indirectly threatened our First Amendment rights in multiple ways. The press has been threatened for asking questions and reporting the truth. Protesters have been threatened for voicing their opposition to the president's executive orders. Muslims have been threatened for their faith. This is not America.
As Donald Trump has done since the start of his campaign, he's fed off people's fears and prejudices: "Mexicans are rapists," "Let's build a wall," "Many Muslims hate America," "Let's ban them," "Obamacare is a disaster," "Let's bring back torture," "We're in serious danger right now," "Our lives will be at risk if we don't ramp up military spending," etc. What Donald Trump continually fails to see is that this is no longer a reality show; this is real life. His words and actions aren't just for entertainment value; they impact millions of people's lives. In a single week, he's angered every country not named Russia, which could place us more at risk both militarily and economically. Nasty, yet empty rhetoric is about as effective as a man sleeping with his wife's best friend while moaning, "I'm not cheating, honey; I'm not cheating; I love you!" Yes, third-grade bully rhetoric tends to lose its steam when one turns 70. Crazy, right?
Donald Trump may not realize this, but he's endangering the lives of every single one of us physically, as well as endangering the identity of our country. Environmental protections have taken a backseat, healthcare may be stripped from as many as 32 million people, and our First Amendment rights, in our freedoms of speech, religion, and the press, are under attack. If Donald Trump wants to make America safe (again), now's not the time to anger 99% of the world and make more enemies in the process. If Donald Trump wants to make America win (again), isolationism isn't the way to go. If Donald Trump wants to make America great (again), perhaps he should learn what made it great in the first place, because the America he's envisioning isn't America at all; it's Amerikkka.
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