Fifth grade: the year that I stopped believing and pledging my loyalty to the United States of America. This will continue until I feel pride in being an American and until I can say with certainty that the United States is a ethical, evolving nation. As of 2017 I cannot say that; and for as long as Donald Trump is president I don’t predict this to change.

On June 1st Trump declared that he will be withdrawing the United States from the Paris climate agreement. This agreement was intended to bring the world together to help mend the deteriorating globe. Once again, Trumps actions are isolating us from the rest of the world. His actions don’t just reflect upon himself but they transcend onto the people of the United States. Isn’t it wildly concerning that Donald Trump has been given the role of representing the people of America? May I point out that Hillary Clinton would have been much more suited for this position, seeing that she won the popular vote. Thanks a lot electoral college.

Never in my life have I felt more embarrassed to travel out of the country. I would rather remain in my bubble then to endure the judgement of foreigners. To be constantly worrying if they simply assume you voted for Trump because all they hear about America on the media is Trump’s slander and the American public following, almost worshiping him. When in reality the election statistics show that 57% of Trumps voters were white, and predominantly males who didn’t graduate from college; 51% of Trump voters had a high school diploma or even less. From my perspective one of the biggest issues of the voters of this election was under education. In public schools there is not enough discussion, debate, or variation of curriculum. Especially in history classes the only important figure in history is seemingly white males and everybody else gets a polite honorable mention. I will always remember in my history textbook the Trail of Tears was described in all of four sentences and the torture methods of Hitler in the Holocaust was described as “bullying”, rather than genocide.

Maybe, just maybe, if we taught tolerance and equality in our schools then people wouldn’t flock towards Donald Trump’s ethnocentric and culturally devaluing ideas that are contorting the very core of the United States. I just wonder how long it will take to undo the damage that Trump has done, or is it even possible?