If you know me, then you know I have little tolerance for Donald Trump. Many people do, given what's transpired in the year and a half that he's held our nations highest office.
Some people disagree with Trump's policies, his party, and his plans for our future. But those things aren't why I have such a strong sense of animosity towards him.
I've disagreed with the decisions and policies of past presidents, politicians, and leaders. I've watched people whose political viewpoints don't align with mine be elected into offices responsible for making important decisions. Yet, even though I disagreed with them, I didn't hate them. I still felt some sense of respect for them and the office they represent.
Donald Trump is an exception. My disgust for President Trump has little to do with legislation or party lines. It has everything to do with the way he represents our country and the blinding hatred and discrimination he exudes.
My intolerance for our current President goes hand and hand with my intolerance of bigotry and those who feel the need to assert their superiority by belittling others.
The office of the president, no matter who sat behind the desk in the oval office, was always a title and position that I respected. I respected the history and prominence of the presidential office. I respected the hard work and dignity it represented.
But with our current commander in chief, I find that it's hard to respect the office when I have absolutely no respect for the man who holds it. For every tweet, every ignorant attack and prejudiced remark, the word President becomes more and more of a joke. He uses this office and position to bully certain minorities and communities I care about, and I can't respect that.
Donald Trump has such a strong outward projection of bigotry that does nothing but cause division. By the things he says, and the things he doesn't say, he promotes racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia, and so much more. He's demonstrated that he has very little respect for anyone who isn't a straight, white male.
We have an estimated 328,000,000 people living in the United States. Of those, around 3.45 million identify as Muslim. Around 10 million are a part of the LGBT+ community. About 157 million are women.
Trump is so quick to condemn Muslims, ignore the LGBT+ community, and disrespect women and people of color, that he fails to realize that they make up a significant part of our country.
Whether it's mocking a disabled reporter, coming to the defense of Neo-Nazi groups and riots after Charlottesville, criticizing football players for speaking out against injustice, or constantly making sexist and degrading comments toward women while having 10+ sexual assault allegations against him, he's proven time after time that he's not fit for the office he holds.
He's an embarrassment to the standards the United States once held. Other countries watch the way he leads, and they laugh. They can't wait to take advantage of the idiocy of his unprofessionalism and those who advise him.
So yes, I disagree with his politics and the legislation he chooses to support, but that's not why I can't stand him. My deep rooted dislike is caused rather by his lack of compassion and morality and his poor representation of our country.
You may not agree, and that's okay. That's why our country's democracy has thrived for hundreds of years because not everyone has the same opinion.
You may be able to look past his very public, bigoted comments in favor of what you hope he can do for this country. But that's not something I can do. It's not how I was raised.
If you know me, then you know I'm passionate about politics. I have strong opinions. I defend my beliefs. However, I'm even more passionate about the way people treat other people. We deserve a leader whose morals and actions are supportive of our country as a whole, not just certain demographics. And Donald Trump isn't it.