While the election itself may be slowly disappearing from view, we are quickly approaching the implementation of the Trump administration into our beloved White House. Although the political climate may be cooling down for the time being, it does not change the fact that, on January 20th, our new President will be sworn into office and we will finally be confronted with the reality of his position.
The entire election was historically important, but the next four years will be even more so and it is imperative that we all strive to get along with one another because it is the only way our country has a chance of sustaining itself.
I have waited to express my opinion on the election because I was unsure of how I truly felt and exactly what I wanted to disclose. Other than the knot in my stomach throughout the days following November 8, I felt somewhat numb. I still am unsure of exactly how I feel about some issues, and only time can tell how or if this President will choose to meet the expectations he has set for himself.
However, there are five things of which I am certain and feel obligated to share, simply because I have yet to see much of these views represented.
1. I only know what life is like in my shoes.
This means that I have no right to judge or make assumptions when my friends tell me they have experienced discrimination in everyday life for literally any reason other than gender because that is the only one to which I relate. Otherwise, it is my duty as a human being to sympathize with them as much as possible and use that information to do everything I can to make the world a better place for those people.
2. We still have to live together.
This is something we seem to forget all too often. This election season has divided the American public into two factions that not only disagree on the gamut of political issues but also refuse to listen to one another. While I believe that some topics are undeserving of debate due to their inherent right-or-wrong morality, I know that my values may not be the same as others’ and that is okay. The most effective route to getting along is understanding why people think the way they do, so start listening.
3. America is not alone.
To many people, Trump seems like an anomaly across the globe, someone who cannot be compared to any other political leader. This is entirely untrue, however. Anti-immigrant regimes have popped up in multiple democracies around the world and are growing in support among citizens, including Hungary, where the prime minister has actually started building a wall to keep immigrants out. Xenophobic sympathies are growing in Italy and Finland and they are strongly associated with a disdain for the political elite. Sound familiar? This movement is in stark contrast with the progressive civil-rights-based following that also seems to be growing around the world. The divisive nature that defined this election is not a national problem, it is a global problem, and it is something that we will all be forced to face at some point, regardless of our country’s economic standing.
4. Except America actually is alone.
The difference between these countries and America is that we only have two major political parties, whereas countries like Hungary have ten different parties represented in parliament. Imagine the 2016 election with ten different parties – how many people would actually have voted for Trump if they had a third, fourth, or fifth option other than Hillary Clinton?
5. We need big changes.
The American public cannot remain so intensely divided if it hopes to thrive in the future, it defies the democracy itself. We need fundamental change, from the voting process to the Constitution itself, but that is a heavy task. We can start by making a change that will affect everyone immediately: listening. It is important that we understand the values and needs of others in order to understand the nation as a whole, and that includes the people next to you in class, your neighbors, and your friends and enemies. We can work together toward larger change, but it starts with each individual and their decision to sympathize with other human beings.
