This past Friday, a Donald Trump rally was held at Crete Civic Center in Plattsburgh, New York. Around 3,000 attendees from around the Northeast region, including New York, Vermont and Canada showed up. The entrepreneur and Republican presidential nominee created quite a stir among both supporters and protestors alike. Plattsburgh hasn't seen this much celebrity action in decades, so many who went but didn't do so in support of The Donald were there out of mere curiosity or to "witness history." I was there as a supporter (hear me out), but I also learned a lot more than politics from the short 40-minute speech he gave. Here's what surprised me about hearing Donald Trump rally his supporters.
Now more than ever, people are way more divided politically and socially.
It's both an amazing and scary thing how today people are so polar opposite on the political spectrum. It seems like the moderates and third party candidates are shrinking with every vote. This particular election has seen intense viewpoints on each side, and friends are now usually either formed or dismantled after revealing whom you might cast your vote for. Elections bring out not only the best and worst of the presidential candidates, but also of their supporters. I've learned (or been trying to learn recently) that keeping politics out of most conversations with my wildly liberal college friends is often the best route to take.
You don't have to like (or agree with) everything a candidate says to support them.
Being a Donald Trump supporter in a liberal state on a liberal college campus doesn't get you far with very many people, but I've learned that it's OK to differ with your own candidate too. I know that Donald Trump is far from a "perfect" presidential candidate. I question his alliance with the Republican Party and its views (he was once a known Clinton and Obama supporter) far too often and know that he often puts his foot in his mouth when talking about social issues and women. However, I think that he's the best shot we've got at turning this country around financially and militarily.
The definition of a peaceful protest is constantly being skewed by protestors themselves.
What is commonly mentioned today in the news as a "peaceful protest," often turns ugly as arrests are made and more hate is ensued than promoting of love. I was pleasantly surprised to see the images proliferated in media were not quite what I witnessed in Plattsburgh. After attending the rally, I saw a minuscule number of people protesting outside the Crete Center grounds and was surprised to learn afterward that only one young man had been arrested. However, even by doing something as simple as refusing to leave private event grounds, such as this young man did, you are refusing order and peace. I've learned that not all peaceful protests have an agenda of hate, but the ones I see in the media where people break laws and have words like, "Hate" or "Dump Trump" or other violence-infused messages tend to taint my view of those protesting. Nobody likes being yelled at, but especially if you're just trying to enjoy a rally in support of a candidate and those present are trying to change your views.
Trump, Cruz, Kasich, Hillary and Bernie supporters don't all fit the stereotypes you want them to.
It's hard to be objective today. Everyone has his or her own valued opinions, and it's become very hard to not get offended when someone attacks them. By attending a Donald Trump rally, I learned there is a right and a wrong way to respond to political criticism. You can get angry and feed into the rather ugly stereotypes of your candidate's support system or you can prove you're above what people make out your candidate's supporters to be and drive on by the protesters without a second glance. That's what I did. Those like me who support Trump have been called words as baffling as "uneducated," as well as "privileged" and "racist." I think those words should only be meant to offend you if you actually believe you are them. Only you know what you are like and can prove those words irrelevant. I know in my heart that I am none of them, so I chose not to be offended by anyone's hateful speech toward me.
As I cast my vote in the New York primary support of Donald Trump tomorrow, I know I'll have made the right choice. I witnessed his rally, love for our country and his vision for America (#MakeAmericaGreatAgain). I learned things that not only related to politics, but myself, the people around me and the world. I have knowledge that although my opinions are often criticized, that they are my opinions and that I should not be ashamed of going into the voting booth to defend them. I also know that I can defend my beliefs without being a bad person or demeaning others and their way of thinking. The power to be pluralistic and have an open mind are the greatest things that one can possess, especially during elections. So go out and vote. Vote for the candidate you believe in, the one that you trust the most and, most importantly, the one you can learn something great from.
