At the end of last semester, my US History professor told us that with the recent election, we should equip ourselves with knowledge of facts. He told us to bookmark CNN and a fact-checking website (whose name has escaped me) on our cell phones. He said that while he doesn’t like CNN because it can be somewhat biased, the plethora of information offered by the 24-hour news source would keep us informed.

He gave us tips to make sure that the “news” we were reading, especially on Facebook, and other social media sites was correct; these included making sure the articles were from credible sources, examining the rhetoric of the article, and more. He also told us to make sure that we always used the fact-checking source to ensure that we were getting correct, unbiased information. I heard his advice but became caught up in the whirlwind of finals week and the holiday season. However, I saw this graphic a few weeks ago which reminded me of my professor’s words:

I decided that it was in my best interest as a college student, history nerd, future teacher, American, and world citizen to be diligent and pay more attention to politics than I had in the past. I use Twitter daily to keep up with what’s going on, so I decided to follow The Associated Press, CNN, Reuters, and The New York Times on the site.

I’ve seen plenty of people on Facebook and other social media outlets saying that they want to stay out of politics. Part of me can understand where they are coming from - no one wants to be a Negative Nancy, they don’t want to start drama and alienate friends and family, etc. For quite awhile, I agreed with them. I tried my best not to be too political, not to share my strong views on Facebook or Twitter or in my Odyssey articles, to be the happy, positive person that everyone knows me as.

However, I find myself unable to ignore the recent political actions taken by President Trump. I will not pretend not to notice as Trump greatly affects world politics with the stroke of a pen.

I have disagreed with Trump’s rhetoric from the beginning. I disagreed with the proposal of building a wall that Mexico will somehow pay for. I grew enraged at Mr. Trump’s blatant disrespect for women. As a special needs sibling, his mockery of a disabled reporter filled me with anger. I shook my head at the claim that climate change is a ploy created by the Chinese. I vehemently disagree with the anti-Muslim fearmongering that Trump has participated in. I don’t believe that a country should be run like a business. However, even though I hold very different ideas from this man, I decided that I would cautiously give him time to prove himself.

I have been disappointed. Trump’s actions since November have only caused my qualms about the Trump Administration to grow. Some may argue that a few months is not enough time for someone to prove themselves. However, I fear that the policies that Trump has already implemented will set the tone for his entire presidency.

The first issue I had was Trump nominating Betsy DeVos for Secretary of the Department of Education. As an Elementary Education major, this issue affects me the most directly out of all the things I disagree with. If she is picked, I will witness firsthand how much more stress will be placed on an already thinly stretched public education system. She has no experience as a teacher in any capacity, yet has managed to cause great problems with the public education in my home state. I cannot begin to imagine how greatly she will affect education if she is confirmed as Secretary of Education.

A day after signing a four-month ban on people being able to enter the US from Syria, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Iran, Iraq, and Yemen, the world has reacted very negatively. Even US allies like Germany and France are condemning this action. Not only does this ban affect men, women, and children fleeing from turbulent and war-torn nations, it also affects green card holders who have already been allowed to live and work in the US. In school, I was taught that America is a beacon of freedom, safety, and hope for the world. This ban is clearly a message to the world that America is not a place of safety for people who are not Christian. This ban does not reflect the ideals of the America that I know and believe in.

In addition, there are other issues that Trump’s actions that will affect the nation and the world in the upcoming weeks. The Environmental Protection Agency will be losing federal grants, and external communication has been halted, which has already caused outrage from scientists. Regardless of your personal beliefs about it, reinstating the Global Gag Rule will affect the entire world when it comes to Women’s Health Care. There are many more issues that have been raised by the president’s actions since the election that the world is reacting to.

I am an optimist. I don’t like to focus on the negative. I believe that there is hope for humanity. However, when it comes down to it, I will choose to be informed. I will choose to be vigilant. If that means facing the harsh and troubling realities of the state of our nation and the world at present, then so be it.

The actions of the Trump Administration will affect all of us over the next four years at the very least. In the words of Lin-Manuel Miranda, history has its eyes on us. Will we choose to ignore the reality of the volatile state of politics in our country and the world, or will we choose to pay attention, ask questions, and use our voices to speak out for what we believe in?

I will choose to speak out.