Many times I do not really pay attention to the presidential elections mainly because I myself had been too young in the past to vote. But this year is my year. I finally have a chance to have a hand in the decision of our nation’s leader. But this election has a different sort of edge. This edge being the effect of social media. Parts of rallies and debates are being broadcasted via social networks, which are allowing people all over the world to have input on what is going on.
The person who has been consistently in the limelight is the Republican candidate frontrunner Donald Trump. Originally upon hearing that he was running for president, I thought it was a joke. A simple “haha funny” on my end and then I moved on. But, now that moment is over. This is not something to laugh about it is very serious. This man, Donald Trump, has amassed a lot of supporters and individuals who are avid and proudly supporting him.
Now, even though I have not paid much attention to politics in the past, I am now. My parents have always taught me to not focus on the whole “I’m a Democrat” or “I’m a Republican” ordeal. They said that one has to vote based on who you feel will do the best job based on policies that they have in mind to create and situations in the United States that they want to develop and make better. I know what many of you are thinking by now. Oh great, here is another article that is bashing Trump. But this article isn’t to do that. This article is to bring light to a situation that has not gotten as much attention as it should. And the focus is on the Trump supporters.
The people who support Trump has shown a very ugly and dark side of the United States that many people have tried many times over to sweep under the rug and say does not exist anymore. Donald Trump has stirred the pot for these individuals. He is saying various phrases and ideas that have got these people going. But what many of you are ignoring is that these people did not just show up out of nowhere they have been around all along. These vicious trump supporters could have been your waiter at that dinner you ate at last week, they could have shaken your hand at the church on a Sunday, they could have been behind you in line at the grocery store. These are regular everyday people. People who harbor a great deal of hatred in their hearts for people who are different than them.
Again, I must say that I am not sitting here to simply bash Donald Trump. But when you sit and think about it. He has said a lot of things to rally these specific types of people together. These individuals have met and share such a hatred for people that it is unreal. Many times I have watched rally after rally of trump supporters and it seems that there is no heart. Many times over we have heard Trump mention that when he becomes president that a wall will be built on our border to keep illegal immigrants out (not acknowledging the fact that illegal immigrants are not solely from just Mexico). This idea has gotten many people excited. “OMG yes, finally we will be able to not have to worry about the immigrants” unbeknownst to the fact that their ancestors were immigrants not too long ago.
I feel as though some of these trump supporters have never paid attention in their history classes. If you are not 100 percent Native American blood, you, my friend, as unfortunate as you might think, are born from an immigrant. Shocking, I know. The worst part is when I see in the comment section of various Facebook posts of protestors and individuals who have gone to Trump rallies have been pushed and shoved around, called crude names, and worse have had Mr. Trump himself joining in to ask for the removal of these individuals. Now I know a few of you are going to be like well why are they going to a Trump rally to begin with. I do not recall anywhere saying that only Trump supporters are allowed at Trump rallies. I myself would probably go to a trump rally just to hear what his policies are. Sadly, because of what I have seen even if there was one within proximity to me I would not attend.
The savage behavior of these supporters is frightening. As I mentioned earlier, I feel as though Trump is a leech. A leech that is feeding off of the hatred of his supporters. He might just sit with his campaign team and go through millions of comments to see exactly what it is that makes certain Americans tick so that he can say that he is going to stop such things from occurring just to get their votes.
My biggest fear of seeing these Trump supporters is when they say things such as “I like Trump because he just tells the truth”, the truth about what exactly? The truth that a great deal of people in this country are bigots. Who were afraid to speak up on certain topics because they were scared, but now because someone big is saying what they were thinking it is OK? Or that idea of building a giant wall at the border that is his idea, but he is going to make Mexico pay for it is a great truth? I’m just simply scared and confused. After watching a great deal of videos of Trump rallies I have yet to know what this man wants to do for America because he has had yet to properly explain that. If he is not talking about that wall (which could have a better thought process behind it) then he is making fun of Marc Rubio and a bucket load of other people. Frankly, I can’t even take him, nor his supporters seriously because I feel as though I am watching a campaign scene that was cut from the movie "Mean Girls." Donald Trump is Regina George and his supporters are the Plastics.
