As a millennial, I have just reached the voting age. 2016 is the first presidential election that I am old enough to vote in. The one thing that keeps running through my mind is that Trump could be president and that is scary. Honestly, it terrifies me that this man has the amount of supporters that he does. It should terrify you too! The scariest thing about Donald Trump potentially being the president of the United States is that he doesn't view everyone as having equal value.
I believe that the foundation of all our problems as humans stems from the fact that we view people differently. In reality, we are all just human. We are all composed of the same elements. We need a president who sees the value in everyone. A president who is willing to knock down walls, rather than building a wall to separate "them" from "us". We cannot categorize people as "us" and "them," we need to recognize that there is no such thing, that we are all just human. And because of that, and that alone, we all have value.
A presidential campaign should not be like an episode of The Bachelor, but this election seems to be all theatrics and as many others have been saying, it's not funny anymore.
When doing a quick google search on qualities a good leader has, I came up with a list of a couple recurring traits.
To be a good leader, and even more importantly a good President, one must be:
1. Honest
2. Accountable
3. Respectful
4. Humble
These are all traits that most people could agree a good leader should have. Trump is showing us time and time again that he does not have these traits.
Trump has showed little honesty and he often times contradicts himself.
Examples:
Trump on opponent Ted Cruz:
“I don’t think Ted Cruz has a great chance … he’s a nasty guy, nobody likes him” and “I really do, I like Ted Cruz a lot.”
Trump on democratic candidate Hillary Clinton:
“Hillary Clinton was the worst secretary of state in the history of the United States” and “Hillary Clinton is a terrific woman. I’m a little biased because I’ve known her for years, but I think she really works hard and she does a good job. I like her.”
Trump on Megyn Kelly:
“You have done a great job, by the way, and I mean it”and“I have zero respect for Megyn Kelly, I don’t think she’s very good at what she does.”
How are we supposed to trust a man to be our President who cannot even hold himself accountable for his own statements. Do we really want the face of our country to be a man who shows little respect and integrity for others? A man who openly bashes others in order to make himself look better? We cannot trust a man like him to be the face of our country. We cannot trust someone who slings racist and sexist comments in every which direction. "Make America great again" is his campaign slogan. I want you to tell me at what point was America greater than it is right now? And even now we have so much to work towards till we can claim to be great. I am scared. Scared that he is going to try and take the progress that we have made as a country and revert it all back to chaos. We have come so far to battle racism and sexism. We have come so far to make equality a reality.
A lot of Trump supporters say that their reason for supporting him is that he is honest about what is on his mind, but is he? And as important as honesty is, if what is on their mind isn't good it doesn't matter whether or not they're being honest. Donald Trump does not know how to be tactful.
What's even scarier to me as a Christian, is that this man claims to be Christian. This man who denies needing Jesus' forgiveness and compares his own book to the Bible. This man will change how many people view Christianity, and that is the scariest part about Trump's candidacy. This man does not properly represent the Christian worldview. He does not promote love and humility and kindness. He does not represent God's love for humanity. He is full of hate and pride.
So tell me, is this the man that you want to be America's commander in chief? Is this the man we want to have power over our military? I pray that the answer to that question is absolutely not. Hey millennials, voting is important and you CAN make a difference.
The last presidential election was full of slanderous commercials of either opponent, but I don't think that that's necessary this time I think that Trump is his own worst enemy.
In the 2016 election I, a millennial, will stand up for my beliefs and my rights. I will use my right to vote and make sure my voice among others is heard. I will make sure that I am not just another youth that says "my voice won't change anything". Because it can. Voting matters and I will make sure my voice is heard.
