This year was a huge year for me. I turned 18 and am currently a senior in high school. I had to make big decisions regarding my future. I am taking AP government and macroeconomics, which have helped developed my political ideology. This school year has been extremely interesting, with a new introduction to political culture that has been integrated in my school hallways, lighting up my social media feed, and has become a heated topic at the dinner table.
This is the first election that I can vote in and have background information from my studies to back my beliefs. I have listened to many differing opinions and people, and have been utterly horrified at the result of this primary. Donald Trump now stands alone in the race for the republican nomination. Cruz and Kasich have dropped out. There has been so much discussion on how America and it’s government has to change, but Donald Trump isn’t the option we need. His rise to presidency is a huge concern and is no longer a joking matter.
I no longer can go through my school day without his name being mentioned. Stuck-up arrogant teenage boys wear Trump T-shirts and liberal Sanders supporters protest vigilantly. Trump speculated about “uniting the Republican party,” but how can he do this if violence breaks out at most of his rallies, and he doesn’t seem to stand with a decent amount of Republican views? America right now is in a state of fear. Terrorism, debt, healthcare, and job security are all concerns of the American people.
Over the last 10 years of my life, I have seen the growing anxiety that has grown around the American people. My issue with Donald Trump is that he is thriving off of that fear. In my opinion, that’s the only reason why he is doing so well in this primary. Most of his supporters are afraid of immigrants taking their jobs, they are angry with the government who continue to tax them overwhelmingly, and they seek a pride of America that they have preached about since they were little. They are real people with real social, economic, and political concern.
Kaddie Abdul, a silent Muslim protester who was evicted from the Trump Rally, said that his supporters “aren’t just racist caricatures; they are human.” So, how does Trump gain support in a culture that is scared? He tells them a solution to the fear. That’s not the issue. It’s impressive that unlike many politicians, he’s not just offering rhetoric but is actually giving ideas on how to fix issues. However, his solutions only inspire more fear that he can use to give momentum to further his campaign. He speaks of building walls to keep out the Latino workers, which would cause America to go into a recession worse than the economic depression of 2008. He separates Muslim-Americans from the rest of the population to make them seem like terrorists that terrify Americans. Aren’t we supposed to be the land of the free and the home of the brave? How does racism encourage freedom? Why are so many Americans fearful? Donald Trump says he’s going to “bomb the hell” out of the Middle East, yet he can’t have a mature discussion with Megyn Kelly, who calls him out on his ridiculous, hate speech? Trump is talented in rallying Americans, I give him that, but he is incapable of pushing them to greatness.
“If Donald Trump gets elected, I’ll have to move out of the country,” said high school senior, Lexi McTigue. “I don’t want his hand on the nuclear button.”
I’m not writing to stir up opposition, I’m trying to speculate on why Donald Trump, a man who people thought was running as a joke, somehow managed to be the lone standing candidate for the Republican nomination. If Trump was elected, his rhetoric would only continue to stir up fear and cause our foreign policy to deteriorate with his ideas to “Make America Great Again."
