Donald Trump, the arrogant, affluent business man, television producer and (now) politician, might just be elected as the 45th President of the United States in roughly 36 hours. Of course, the key word here is “might." Though this election season has been far from predictable, I’ve braced myself for the worst.
First, I want to make it clear that I am not a Hillary Clinton apologist, as I’m sure articles of similar nature are. I get it; neither candidate is our knight, or dame, in shining armor, our savior, or even our first choice for becoming the leader of the free world — not even close.
But Trump is dangerous. Dangerous, not only to the safety of our country, but to the spirit of America, the values that unite us, and to other nations around the world. Dangerous, because on January 20, 2017, he will be given access to our nuclear launch codes, the right to impede on our way of living, and free reign over the legislation and policies which hold our nation together. Dangerous to women, children and minorities abroad, since only white, middle-aged men are recipients of Trump’s best wishes and kindest words. Lastly, dangerous in altering the vision of the presidency, standing alongside the ranks of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt.
A crucial element of electing the president is — and always has been —gauging their experience in politics and governing. Aside from being spoon-fed money at birth and becoming a successful business man (though not without his share of failures), Trump has about as much experience with politics as I do. This country is not just a matter of business for him to negotiate and invest in. Its problems cannot be solved by “great deals,” and it doesn’t need a demagogue at the top, shouting and insulting everyone at the bottom.
We are a delicate nation, handling foreign relations and trying to maintain a certain level of peace among the world. Trump can, and will, destroy that — and it terrifies me. He is a loose cannon and has shown us time and time again, that he will say whatever he wants to whomever he wants. This is simply not the temperament we seek for in a president. If you relate to Trump in any way, then I hope that it is on a level of frustration and passion toward the challenges that our nation faces, not with his bold racism toward Hispanics and Muslims, his cruel, sexist comments toward women and his disgusting portrayal of the disabled.
Trump symbolizes a great tragedy in our nation. Once again, we’ve turned to fear and hate instead of acceptance and love, to unify this great nation. As a country, we strive for perfection, and at times, bumps in the road can feel like mountains, compromises seem inconceivable, and hope for our children seems diminished. But I feel it, and I hope you do, too: we are still America and we never stopped being great. We are simply facing a new generation of challenges; ones which are not solved through polarization, hatred and anger.
Come time for the results, I hope Clinton wins. Aside from her baggage — which I will not defend — she more closely represents the ideals and values that this country was founded upon. She is more intelligent than Trump, more respected, more experienced and more qualified to be the president, and it just seems irrefutable to me. Plus, I’m just way too young for the apocalypse, aren’t you?
