I am definitely filing this under a list of sentences I never thought I would say, but I am increasingly glad that Donald Trump is running for president. At first, I thought it made sense; after all, he is known well as a successful businessman. He is synonymous with hotels all over the globe, not just the country. Then, as his campaign became more transparent, his presidential bid began to confuse me. I could not understand how this man thought he was fit to run a country peaceably as his message focused in such a manner that would create larger gaps in the racial, social, and economic divides this country already strains to bridge. I was sure that within weeks, this man would be laughed off the stage. But somehow, he's still here. And even scarier, he's winning. But, like I said, I couldn't be happier he's running, and here's why: He has brought racists and white supremacists out of the woodwork.

People that used to hide their racist ideologies behind closed doors now have a man to bring their platform to life. People whose agendas I used to wonder about, I no longer wonder about, as I see them publicly endorsing this man who subtly believes in a superior race. There is no longer a question in my mind that these people I wondered about are racist, and more than likely, will be part of the very small percentage of people that would benefit from Trump sitting in the oval office.

This is, of course, not to say that all people that support Donald Trump are racist. But if you truly believe that only "pure bred" Americans deserve to live and work here, you are already well aligned with his campaign. In regard to Mexicans alone, he believes that “When Mexico sends its people…they’re sending people that have lots of problems.., they’re bringing drugs, they’re bringing crime. They’re rapists.” He believes that all immigrants fall under one blanket category of "bad people." As the granddaughter of a (legal) immigrant, I can say with sincerity that immigrant families make up so many diverse facets of American life. Without immigrants, America would not be the stronghold that it has come to be known as.

Not to mention, Donald Trump has endorsed the killing of the families of ISIS soldiers, without the recognition that many of these soldiers were forced to carry out duties or be killed themselves. Donald Trump believes that the widespread slaughter of the families of these soldiers would help us win the fight against ISIS, despite the fact that the killing of a civilian is widely recognized as a crime against humanity, regardless of who their family members are.

I do not want to support people who support cultural hate or war crimes. I thought that as a country, we were beyond those sorts of things. I cannot support Donald Trump, no matter how successful his business is or how great he promises to make America. But I could not be more glad he is running for president. His supporters are not people I want to identify with, because in turn, they support a cultural divide. In turn, they support the killing of innocent civilians with their vote towards Donald Trump. I see his policies voiced loudly every day on Facebook, Instagram, the news, and in my own classrooms. With his bold political platform, Donald Trump has created a safe haven for those that wish to publicly or privately bring other races down. I can now see clearly the people around me that support that platform because he has raised it just so. Donald Trump, in running for president, has brought many white supremacists out of their homes to raise their voices in support of him. While we can't silence them, at least we know now just who among us supports the vision of a walled and divided America.