The Real Problem With Trump's Campaign | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Politics and Activism

The Real Problem With Trump's Campaign

It's More Frightening Than You First Thought

9
The Real Problem With Trump's Campaign
YouTube

I don't generally give Donald any public attention, so this will be one of just a few--if not the only--post I ever write about him. The public gives him too much attention for his crass behavior, obnoxious rhetoric and frankly ill-constructed, nonsensical speeches. Usually, I would prefer to give information and attention to other candidates, even the ones I don't support because Donald is manipulating every situation in order to get the most press.

However, there is one thing that hasn't left my mind over the last few weeks. Just one thing about Trump's campaign that is specifically horrifying: the violence.

I'm not just talking about his oppressive words, nor his ignorance that he claims is intelligence. I'm talking about many of the supporters who attend his rallies. Donald's words have triggered such violence in these supporters that he no longer needs to pretend to be peaceful. Minutes into the October 23rd rally at his Miami golf resort, three small Latin groups protested with chants of "equality" and "dignity." Some protesters are going to be loud--that's the point of a vocal protest, to make an opinion heard. But it was a peaceful protest on immigration reform. This post from Time describes the violence imposed by the rally-attendees:

There was yelling, kicking and pushing. One Trump supporter used a campaign sign that read “The Silent Majority Stands With Trump,” to hit a protester on his back as he was being led away. A large bald man grabbed protester Ariel Rojas by the collar, toppling him to the floor, before kicking him. The candidate, no foe of confrontation himself, appealed for mercy and peace. “You can get them out,” Trump said of the protesters, “but don’t hurt them.”
The words were not heeded. “It was intense,” Paula Muñoz, 23, one of the protesters, said afterwards, exhilarated but shaken as she reconvened with the other activists in a parking lot across the street. One had gotten kicked in the knee; another was nursing his back, which got wrenched in the scuffle. “I’m pretty shocked by the way people reacted,” said Jorge Tume, 24, who helped organize the demonstration.
<span id="selection-marker-1" class="redactor-selection-marker" data-verified="redactor"></span>


You might be thinking "okay, but Trump told them not to be violent." You're right, and while I'm doubtful he really meant it, at least he said it. But one month later, at Donald's Birmingham, Alabama rally, Mercutio Southall Jr.--an activist for the Black Lives Matter movement-- shouted "Black lives matter," to which Donald responded “Get him the hell out of here, will you, please? Get him out of here. Throw him out!” Southall was eventually escorted out, but not before falling to the ground and being punched and kicked by several other men.


"Maybe he should have been roughed up, because it was absolutely disgusting what he was doing," Trump said on the Fox News Channel on Sunday morning. "I have lots of fans, and they were not happy about it. And this was a very obnoxious guy who was a trouble-maker who was looking to make trouble."
The Washington Post

So in just a month, Donald's aggressive side was peeking through. Still, saying that a guy "should have been roughed up" isn't the worst thing Donald could have said, right? Yeah, but it went from "don't hurt them" to "he deserved to be hurt." And unfortunately, it only gets worse from here. January, in Rock Hill, SC, Rose Hamid--a flight-attendant and Muslim woman--stood up silently when Donald claimed the Syrian refugees were aligned with Daesh (previously called the Islamic State). As she was escorted out by security, the hatred escorted her as well.

As they were escorted out, Trump supporters roared -- booing the pair and shouting at them to "get out." One person shouted, "You have a bomb, you have a bomb," according to Hamid."The ugliness really came out fast and that's really scary," Hamid told CNN in a phone interview after she was ejected.
CNN

Do one Google search and you'll find even more examples. I've left all of the racial slurs and white supremacy declarations out of this article because they made me very uncomfortable. Regardless of which candidate you support, no one in America should fear for their safety just because they are voicing their opinion. That's one of the principles that the United States was founded upon, and Donald does not represent that freedom.


<span id="selection-marker-1" class="redactor-selection-marker" data-verified="redactor"></span>


Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Entertainment

Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

These powerful lyrics remind us how much good is inside each of us and that sometimes we are too blinded by our imperfections to see the other side of the coin, to see all of that good.

287463
Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

The song was sent to me late in the middle of the night. I was still awake enough to plug in my headphones and listen to it immediately. I always did this when my best friend sent me songs, never wasting a moment. She had sent a message with this one too, telling me it reminded her so much of both of us and what we have each been through in the past couple of months.

Keep Reading...Show less
Zodiac wheel with signs and symbols surrounding a central sun against a starry sky.

What's your sign? It's one of the first questions some of us are asked when approached by someone in a bar, at a party or even when having lunch with some of our friends. Astrology, for centuries, has been one of the largest phenomenons out there. There's a reason why many magazines and newspapers have a horoscope page, and there's also a reason why almost every bookstore or library has a section dedicated completely to astrology. Many of us could just be curious about why some of us act differently than others and whom we will get along with best, and others may just want to see if their sign does, in fact, match their personality.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

20 Song Lyrics To Put A Spring Into Your Instagram Captions

"On an island in the sun, We'll be playing and having fun"

151782
Person in front of neon musical instruments; glowing red and white lights.
Photo by Spencer Imbrock on Unsplash

Whenever I post a picture to Instagram, it takes me so long to come up with a caption. I want to be funny, clever, cute and direct all at the same time. It can be frustrating! So I just look for some online. I really like to find a song lyric that goes with my picture, I just feel like it gives the picture a certain vibe.

Here's a list of song lyrics that can go with any picture you want to post!

Keep Reading...Show less
Chalk drawing of scales weighing "good" and "bad" on a blackboard.
WP content

Being a good person does not depend on your religion or status in life, your race or skin color, political views or culture. It depends on how good you treat others.

We are all born to do something great. Whether that be to grow up and become a doctor and save the lives of thousands of people, run a marathon, win the Noble Peace Prize, or be the greatest mother or father for your own future children one day. Regardless, we are all born with a purpose. But in between birth and death lies a path that life paves for us; a path that we must fill with something that gives our lives meaning.

Keep Reading...Show less
Health and Wellness

10 Hygiene Tips For All College Athletes

College athletes, it's time we talk about sports hygiene.

264522
Woman doing pull-ups on bars with sun shining behind her.

I got a request to talk about college athletes hygiene so here it is.

College athletes, I get it, you are busy! From class, to morning workouts, to study table, to practice, and more. But that does not excuse the fact that your hygiene comes first! Here are some tips when it comes to taking care of your self.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments