In this election season, I have come to expect the unexpected. In the recent months, traditional politics have gone out the window and in have come politics that are more modern and therefore, shocking. Many politicians, not just those running for office, are participating in the "modern politics," which is shocking whether or not you agree with each action or not. Whether it was the recent agenda of President Obama, who just issued an executive action on immigration, Hillary's inappropriate emails or Trump's words, many Americans believe this is the change they needed. Supporters of both parties are getting into some of the most heated debates in politics to date. No matter who you are voting for, voters agree that they are ready to stand up for what they believe in. Traditional politics wasn't giving them what they wanted and many are ready for change.
One of the latest news stories is about a trend that is sweeping schools in the nation. The practice is called "chalking" and it involves writing" Trump 2016" (among other Trump supporter sayings) around your campus. Many students have already riled up in protest. Emory is offering counseling to students who were offended by the "chalking." This was decided when students of the school went to the school administrators and complained that they felt threatened and were affected psychologically by the "chalking."
Now some believe that these students are entitled to be offended because they believe Trump threatens their race, legal status in America and other things. However, I disagree. I believe that what many people forget is the first amendment, which grants freedom of speech. The media outlets all discussed the students who are in need of counseling due to these students who were only voicing their choice for president. When was that a crime? How can one prove that writing a political candidate's name was done with malicious intent? The idea is that everyone is entitled to their own opinions. So by all means, write Hillary or Bernie's name in chalk. I'm not going to stop you.
While the students who actually wrote the words in chalk have not been told they may not say those things, Emory is still showing loyalty by offering solace to individuals who disagree with the statements. Some may say that the statements are truly harmful to certain individuals just because they disagree with what Trump stands for but let the people speak out for their candidate. Instead of allowing only certain groups to speak out for what they believe in, we must allow everyone the right to freedom of speech.
