Dear Americans | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Politics

Dear Americans

We need to promote the emergence of a civilized dialogue.

10
Dear Americans
Wikipedia

Dear Americans,

I don’t care if you voted for Trump. I don’t care if you voted for Hillary. The violence and hysteria that has filled the post-election is horrifying. It is terrifying. It has been coming from both sides.

And it is only growing. But what good does all this hatred do? Violence only incites more violence and leads nowhere. No one has any right to silence those who have exercised their right to vote in a free nation.

Furthermore presentations of violence, also get us no where. Burning flags is not making a statement, it is showing disrespect. And it’s not only showing disrespect for America, it is showing disrespect for all who have fought for it. For everyone who has ever stood up and tried to make this country a better place. It is showing disrespect to hundreds of years of improvement and progression. So sure, burn your flag but understand that it will accomplish nothing. It proves nothing, other than a lack of respect for those who have died fighting for your right to burn that flag. This is not the change those people who fought for this country in any way, are trying to promote.

It’s also not right to overgeneralize and begin to refer to all Trump supporters as “racist”, “misogynist”, “sexist”, “homophobic”, or “Islamophobic” because this is not true. There are many Trump supporters who are none of these. Just in the same way as there are Hillary supporters who do fall into these categories. There were women who did support and vote for Trump while there were also blacks who did the same, although it was a considerably small amount. What was even particularly interesting was the Black Panther’s leaders position on Trump.

There were even LGBTQ identifying people and allies alike who voted for Trump, once again this was a small percentage though. Trump himself has been seen holding the LGBTQ flag at a rally, and while he has been critiqued for being against LGBTQ communities, he has not actually said much against them.

It is an unfair assumption that anyone who voted Trump is any of these things simply because they did vote for Trump and such accusations do not solve anything. No one has the right to ostracize or subject anyone to hateful behavior, simply for a difference in political beliefs.

I’m also tired of hearing how Trump didn’t run on an actual platform. He did. It can be found at his campaign site. For those of you that won't take the time to go to the site or would like a brief explanation, here are some basic points that were in his campaign:

  1. He supports privatization of healthcare. This includes repealing the Affordable Care Act, which has been questionable in both its effectiveness and affordability, something Clinton didn’t deny. He has a series of reform programs that he is ready to implement after its appealed as well.
  2. He supports stricter immigration laws. This does not mean because you’re not a natural citizen he will deport you. This doesn’t even mean that if you’re only a permanent resident and not a citizen, he will to deport you. This only means that he wants those who do come into America to do so legally.
  3. He is against raising taxes and supports a stable taxation. This means that everyone is taxed the same amount. This is actually equal and fair.
  4. He supports the second amendment and has recently released a detailed description regarding his exact position on this. Among those things included was stricter enforcement of current gun laws and the promise to address the broken mental health system. I think that either side can agree these are actually two very positive things.
  5. Trumps view on education isn’t often discussed and I find that interesting. He supports school choice, which is the ability of federal funds to follow students to the schools that they feel best fits their needs. This includes public, private, charter or home schools. He argues this will help educate everyone, particularly minorities.

If you disagree with his platform, that’s okay. If you agree with it, then that’s also okay. What’s not okay is mob mentality violence. What’s not okay is rioting. Instead of promoting this anger with no substantial arguments to back anything up, we need to promote the emergence of a civilized dialogue. It's okay to be upset with the election results in the same way it is to be happy with them, but you should discuss it politely and respectfully, listening to the other side and treating them as you would want to be treated. Don't overgeneralize a group of people and categorize them into one thing. Always avoid harmful and disrespectful labels.

Remember that together we stand and divided we fall.

~A Fellow American

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

5 Things To Do That Are Better Than Writing A Paper

Don't waste your time trying to write that paper when there are so many more interesting things you could be doing.

6463
computer keyboard
Unsplash

Writing a paper is never fun and is rarely rewarding. The writer's block, the page requirement, be specific, but don’t summarize, make sure you fixed any grammatical errors, did you even use spellcheck? and analyze, analyze, analyze.

Papers can be a major pain. They take up so much time and effort that by the end of the process you hate yourself and you hate the professor for making life so difficult. Questions of your existence start roaming in your mind. Am I even cut out for college if I can’t write a single paper? Am I even capable of taking care of myself if I lack the energy to open my laptop and start typing?

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

10 Reasons Why Sisters Are The Best

Who could be a better friend than your own sister?

3954
sisters
Taylor Hooper

I can barely remember back when I was the only child. Most would say it’s because it is extremely difficult to remember things as a toddler but I would say it's because I was bored until my sister came along. My mother always says how important the "sister bond" is and with every year that passes I realize how right she is. Instead of writing a novel about all of the wonderful things there are about having a sister I decided to list a few of them instead.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

How To Adult

You're gonna make it after all.

4822
how to adult
Twitter

It is the time of our lives that we are beginning to enter the adult world and most of us, if not all of us, have no idea what we are doing. It's like starting a video game, but skipping the tutorial. We're all just running around aimlessly hoping we accidentally do something right that moves us along the right path. Now that graduation has just happened, or is right around the corner for some of us, it's time to start thinking about how we are going to take care of ourselves once we are on our own.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

7 Signs You're A Starbucks Addict

I'll be the first one to admit I'm addicted to Starbucks.

2820
drinking coffee
Tumblr

If you’re anything like me, you love a good cup of coffee. My coffee always comes from Starbucks; I refuse to drink it from anywhere else. Over the years, it’s become one of my biggest addictions. So, if you are aware that you’re a Starbucks addict as well, or maybe you need to check to see if you’re an addict, here are seven ways to tell.

Keep Reading...Show less
people  in library
Photo by redcharlie on Unsplash

College involves a whirlwind of emotions, whether it’s from the stress of an assignment (or twenty), or from fighting with your roommate. It can be overwhelming at times and it’s important to take a step a back and calmly think things over. Maybe gain some perspective. The following aren’t foolproof tips and may not apply to you, but I was able to find success with them (hope you do too!)

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments