This article is a rebuttal to Shelby Wright's "From A Female, Republican College Student Who Still Stands By Trump."

I usually don't care for response articles that are snarky, back-handed, and demeaning. I believe the purpose of debate is not to win – it is to learn and to teach. Thus, this is not an argument. Instead, it's a conversation.

Hi Shelby,

I read your recent article about President Trump, and it intrigued me.

I was born and raised in a very rural area in central Pennsylvania where most folks are Trump supporters. I'm not going to beat around the bush here – I am about the farthest thing from a Trump supporter you can find. I've never cared for the man, even years before he decided to run for President. He's just always been the moral opposite of everything I was raised on.

I don't doubt that when you wrote your article, you expected a response from someone, and you expected it might be pretty nasty.

Yes, this is a rebuttal to what you're saying. But I'm not going to be nasty.

Because of how painful, vicious, and divisive this past election was, I started to have new ideas about how I'd talk to people. You and I both have seen the way people have attacked each other over politics in this country. A lot of friendships were broken apart because of it this past year - I'm sad to say I lost a few friends myself. And then not even two weeks ago, all this escalated into gunshots at a baseball field along the Potomac. It just went way too far. Everything.

I want to talk politics with people – hell, one of my degrees is in political science, I want to talk with people about it – but I don't want to hate them or have them hate me.

I have no doubt you've received hate because of your views. I've received hate for mine.

That said, I want to talk about the state of our nation without animosity, fear, or anger. We're both Americans who love our country and love our fellow citizens. I have no reason to believe you're anything but a patriotic, law-abiding, well-meaning citizen, just like me.

I don't doubt your resolve and good intent in supporting Trump.

As I said, I come from an area with a lot of Trump supporters. Most of those folks are good people who really think that he's helping the country. After all, from everything they're told, that's what it seems like. I'm sure it's the same for you. I'm not going to call you a racist, or a fascist, or something like that. I have no doubt you're following what you feel is right, and I respect that you're outspoken about that.

But I do think you've been misguided on a few things, or maybe haven't seen the feelings of the other side on some issues. That's not necessarily your fault. People set themselves up in little bubbles and program themselves to listen to things that make sense to them. I do it too. Everyone does. People are just like that – they like to hear what they want to hear.

But it's good for us – all of us – to break out of that bubble sometimes and listen to the other side. I hear the concerns and views of the other side whenever I go back home, back to the place that had a Trump sign in every yard last fall. Right now, I invite you to come listen to the other side, just for a little while. There's a lot I have to say, but I'm going to say it calmly, respectfully, and warmly. So, if you'd like, let's get down to talking politics.

President Trump is just as much of a "politician" as anyone else within the Capital Beltway.

Donald Trump often likes to claim that he's beyond the grasp of "the swamp," but he's proven that he's sadly just another alligator in the muck.

He claimed for a long time that he funded his own campaign. He put $66 million into his campaign fund. However, that's about 10 percent of the total funding he had. Half the total came from the Republican Party.

Think of this though — suppose a candidate really does fund his entire campaign. What does that contribute to his qualification to be President of the United States? Unfortunately, not a whole lot. It just means he has a bunch of money.

Trump really did not have a whole lot to lose. He had everything, and by running for President, he risked nothing. He actually stood to gain notoriety from the American people either way. True, he spent his own money on his campaign. But it was basically money spent on advertising for his name and image. Even if he had lost – either in the primary or the general – he would have gained immense influence among the people who support him. Look at how much the media focused on him and all his controversial statements. He was basically getting free media exposure.

As far as party, he's pretty well stuck with the Republican Party. After all, the President can't pass a whole of policy without Congress, of course. He's made his bed with the GOP, and if he wants to keep many of his campaign promises, he has to keep good relations with the Republicans in the House and Senate.

Sadly, any business acumen ol' Donald may have had isn't terribly useful now that he's POTUS. The fact is, a government isn't meant to be run like a business. Let's consider this: a business's main purpose is to make a profit, right? At the end of the day, that's its goal. But a government's main goal isn't to make a profit. It's to serve its people. Sometimes that's not always the most profitable thing to do. Don't get me wrong, I believe we need to reduce our debt. Some things are going to have to be cut. But even Donald Trump knows that to reduce a deficit but keep putting out quality products, you need to increase income. How does one do that? Well, increasing taxes on the rich may seriously help. Just ask ol' Ike how we paid off our debt from WWII.

Mr. Trump supports law enforcement, I guess, but take another look at his behavior toward military personnel.

Mr. Trump often talks the talk, but he doesn't really walk the walk.

He seems friendly to the military and military families, but I'm not sure he really understands the true weight of their sacrifices.

Let's start with the way he belittled the service of Vietnam veteran, war hero, and former prisoner of war Senator John McCain (pictured above in a North Vietnamese hospital bed following his wounding and capture during the Vietnam War):

I remember when Trump said that, and I remember thinking, "... And this guy wants to be Commander-in-Chief of the United States Armed Forces?" Mr. Trump later denied saying these things, even though they were recorded on video. I'm on the other side of the aisle from John McCain, but I have always had immense respect for him because of his service. He spent five years in enemy captivity, enduring torture we cannot begin to imagine - that's to say nothing of earning the Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross, Legion of Merit, and Purple Heart.

Speaking of Purple Hearts, there was the time a wounded vet gave Trump the Purple Heart he earned in Iraq. Trump said, "I always wanted to get the Purple Heart. This was much easier."

You don't want to get the Purple Heart. The Purple Heart means you risk life and limb and are wounded in service of the nation. Most servicemen and women hope they never get the Purple Heart. Even still, Trump doesn't quite seem to comprehend that.

In April, he visited Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and awarded a wounded soldier the Purple Heart, saying, "Congratulations. Tremendous." Receiving the Purple Heart isn't exactly something to be happy about or to be congratulated for. It's something you soberly nod your head to and acknowledge that the recipient and their family could have come very close to losing everything in service of the nation.

There was also the time he insulted a Gold Star family because they were Muslim and had the nerve to stand up to him. I sat down and wrote about it as soon as I heard it.

The Second Amendment? Hey, I'm right there with you.

That's right, I'm a supporter of the Second Amendment too - even though I'm a liberal. Hey, at least we've got that in common, right?

That said, there are very few people – even on my side of the aisle – who are arguing to ban guns. All most of us really want to see are some universal background checks, maybe some stricter regulations on handguns (those are the real killers of course, not rifles).

You make a fair point: people can be killed with anything. You're exactly right. But, think of it this way... it's a bit grim, but you can kill a hell of a lot more people in a short period of time with an AR with high-cap mags of .450 Bushmaster than you can with a knife. They'll both kill people, but if you want to kill a lot of people and make a statement, your best tool is right down at your local ammo shop.

Welfare and other assistance services are crucial to many people's survival.

I remember when I was at home and growing older during the Obama Administration, I would hear grumpy old men at my favorite diner grumbling about Obama giving free hand-outs to everyone. What those old fellas didn't realize was that those "hand-outs" were their own Medicare benefits.

Government assistance helps way more people than we sometimes realize. A lot of people depend on it, especially hard-working folks in low-income areas like my home in central PA. I've known people who have been forced into hard times and had to support their families with food stamps.

These aren't "hand-outs" or "freebies" to the undeserving. These are a step up for the folks at the lowest rung of our country. I believe a nation is only as strong as its weakest people. If we want to be great, truly great, we need to help our weak, our poor, and our sick. Leaving them behind only leaves our country's potential behind.

We also can't delude ourselves into thinking the poor are a massive horde sapping away from our country's wallet. After all, as of the end of the fiscal year 2016, less than 1% of the American population was receiving aid from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program.

President Obama wasn't giving to the "undeserving," our government was aiding our fellow Americans, just as they have for years. If he's true to his word, President Trump likely will do the same thing – unless he breaks his promises to his supporters...

I'm all for a robust defense. But we need to make sure we're standing by our principles.

In my opinion, one of the few bright decisions Trump has made was picking retired Marine General Jim Mattis, the ol' "Warrior Monk" as his men called him, to be SecDef. I believe Daesh – the so-called Islamic State – must be wiped clean from the earth like the monsters they are, and Mattis is the man to handle it. I credit Mattis with everything we do militarily, not Trump, but that's beside the point here.

I want to see pay raises for our men and women in the armed forces. I want to see Daesh crushed. I want to see the people of Syria freed from constant war and destruction.

But we can't forget who we are as a nation. We can't let our enemy frighten us into thinking every tired and weary soul who seeks refuge in this land of plenty is actually a killer in disguise. After all, Daesh tells those people that we hate them, that we are afraid of them all and will never accept them. If we turn refugees away, we prove Daesh right.

We must fight Daesh in every way we can, both militarily and morally. We cannot forget that.

You and I are both native-born American citizens. Applying for citizenship is WAY harder than we know.

I wish it were just simple paperwork, but that isn't so.

When we look at the picture above – a naturalization ceremony for new US citizens in Seattle – we see people who have had to work their way through the immigration system for years. It's often arduous, difficult, and expensive to become a citizen of the United States.

I noticed a young lady in the comments on your article. She mentioned she immigrated from Brazil a number of years ago, and how long it takes to even get a green card, let alone actually apply for naturalization.

Don't get me wrong, illegal immigration is exactly that– illegal. But the times are showing us that it's not easy for these people to follow the law. Many of the people who come here illegally are forced away from their homes by poverty, violence, and a need to provide for their family. There's a lot standing in their way, and our already flawed immigration system doesn't help them in the slightest. What we need to do is make it easier for these folks to become citizens. Most of these people don't want to break the law of this or any land. They just want to live, and to keep themselves and their people safe.

Trust me on this: radical feminists do not represent the majority of all feminists.

I took this picture on January 21, 2017 in our nation's capital. This was the Women's March on Washington, the day after President Trump's nomination. My fiancee lived nearby and wanted to march for what we both felt was right, so I joined her and these 500,000 other folks in the streets that day.

You mention some radical feminists out there who take their tops off and refuse to use tampons, pads, etc. Yes, there are folks like those out there. There are radicals in any crowd.

But that day in Washington, I barely saw any of those folks. The people I marched with that day were just average, everyday Americans who came together and called themselves feminists – and by God, they're magnificent people.

I remember talking to this lady. She was no radical, though, ya gotta admit, she's got some sass, huh? She was a grandmother from West Virginia, and she was sick and tired of the way things were going. Reproductive rights, sexual assaults on college campuses, unequal pay for women in business, you name it. She was just one of the many, many pissed of women (and men, too) who took to the streets that day.

I don't really blame you for thinking all feminists are whackjobs. The whackjobs in a group are always the ones that stand out, and they're always the ones who get the most attention. But remember that there are real, everyday people who are feminists too. And, at the risk of sounding like an "SJW" white knight on Tumblr, I'm one too.

Yes, we are all equal... but we're not all treated like it.

There are still fights to be fought in our country. Yes, same-sex marriage is now legal, but that's just one step on the road forward.

The lives of trans folks are still uncertain. I have friends who are trans, and they are still worried about whether it will be legal for employers to discriminate against them, for landlords to kick them out because of their identity, or whether they'll be comfortable doing something so simple as going to a public bathroom. What if someone else gets uncomfortable about you when all you're trying to do is do your business in peace? It's a non-existent problem to us non-trans folks, so we can't even fathom it. But it's a fear that dogs them every day.

This photo was taken by a friend of mine.

He's an avid photographer and one of the proudest citizens of Baltimore I've ever met.

And he's trans.

He took this picture at Baltimore's Pride weekend, not long ago. He's one of those friends I was talking about, who's still concerned about what everyday life is like and whether he fits into it. He's just trying to live his life and fit in, like so many other trans folks.

Shelby, I noticed on your writer profile that you go to Stevenson University, literally right outside the city of Baltimore.

You've probably heard a lot about the city's Pride movement. I know I have lately because I've just moved here.

I moved to northern Baltimore, and I've been seeing more and more of a world that I've never seen before. I'm seeing the faces and lives of people that I would never have met back home in central Pennsylvania. The poor, the marginalized, the maligned, and the ignored.

What I've learned since moving to Baltimore is that a change of scenery can really change the way we view the issues of our country. Those issues are also a lot closer to us than we often think.

I know you're just a regular person, just like me. You're not a bad person because you support Trump, not any more than I'm a bad person because I supported Bernie Sanders.

But I think it helps each and every one of us to open up and learn a little more about the other side. I hope this discussion has helped you maybe see another side of some things.

If you ever want to just have a simple, calm discussion about the country and where we're headed, here I am. After all, I think we could all use some calm discussion, especially after all this country's been through the past year or so.

I truly, sincerely wish you all the best.

Your fellow American,

Brandon