I have avoided the topic of Trump for some time. This is not because I don’t have a lot to say, but because a big part of me hasn’t wanted (and still doesn’t) want to add fuel to the controversy that seems to be spreading like wildfire. Whether people are praising or insulting him, it’s always about Donald Trump. He is all anyone talks about. He is the main attraction. And as so many people say, “any publicity is good publicity.”
So why talk about the scandalous Donald Trump now? Well, after many months of hearing things such as, "he is a joke," or "how can people support him," it has given me a certain perspective of why he has such compliant supporters. Trump has gotten this far because he is, in fact, the easy vote. Some think Trump’s success during the presidential campaign has been due to his “success” as a businessman or his ability to make people believe that his barks equal power, but that’s not it. Trump is the easy vote because he blames everyone else for America’s problems, and people love to point the finger at someone else to avoid facing their own misdoing. That is the sad, simple truth.
Donald Trump blames Mexico for “bringing crime, drugs, their rapists” to the United States and for the Pope's criticism. He blames, and wants to punish, the Muslim community for the actions of a terrorist group. He blames protestors supporting Bernie Sanders for violence at Trump rallies. Trump navigates his followers through the roads of judgment, violence and hatred because it strategically leads to the ruin of other cultures, which it seems, is his final destination.
This is not to say there aren’t serious external issues – there are. But no real progress can ever be made unless we are brave enough to talk about the internal issues, the ones we may be the cause of; like segregation, immigration, and favoritism – the issues we have the power of changing.
We should not cripple our own intellectual ability and moral compass by taking the road most traveled, the one with the least potholes. We should have the integrity to hold ourselves accountable when necessary, and consider that bullying or throwing blame on the easiest target is not the answer.
People don’t like to think that their own home can be as corrupt and ugly as other places in the world. Most of the time, people get defensive and ill-mannered when speaking about politics. And for whatever misconstrued reason, we seem to be under the impression that if we’re the least bit critical of our nation, that somehow means we’re unpatriotic or un-American.
While I was living abroad, a man I met said to me, “The greatest patriot is the one who is most critical of his own country.” I believe that to be true because only the people who speak about their faults have the awareness, and possibly the intention, to correct them.
If you want the easy vote, you know what to do. But if you're looking for real power, now you know where you won't find it.
