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The days following the upset electoral victory of Donald Trump have been devastating, to say the least. However, the devastating part is not that Trump has won the presidency, it is how people are choosing to react to his winning. Thousands have taken to the streets in protest of the president-elect, which by all means is their right to do; however, some people have resorted to rioting and destruction which accomplishes nothing except for furthering the divide in our country.
Out of all the madness going on, I think the most appalling act is the burning of the American flag by individuals involved in these protests. I remember watching the news after Sept. 11 and seeing terrorists overseas burning our flag in the streets. I was young but seeing them do that angered me to no end, and it is something that has stuck with me to this day. This was such a direct sign of disrespect to our country and to the men and women who gave their lives to protect our rights as Americans.
Fast forward to 2016 and I am watching the same flag being burned in the streets, but this time by our own citizens.
We as Americans are all in this together. Oakland Raiders quarterback, Derek Carr, said it best when he explained to the media that this country is like a football team. Carr explained in an after-practice interview that you might not always like who’s coaching you, but you have to put all differences aside and work together to succeed as a team. No matter what party you affiliate yourself with, we are all Americans first and foremost.
We all need to give Donald Trump a chance. Whether you voted for him or not, he will become the 45th president of the United States and no opinionated Facebook status or tweet is going to change that. Writing the man off before he even gets into office is foolish. The election is over and it is time to put your political views aside. It is no longer time to root for your party, but it is time to root for your country. Wishing for the failure of our president is wishing for the failure of our nation.
No one man or woman will ever define us as a country, so we have to stop thinking that one could. Donald Trump preached to the country that he wants to make America great again. But no policies or deals that Trump makes will make the country great. To make this country great, we the people have to come together and become united once again.
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Ethan • Nov 17, 2016 at 3:35 pm
Beg to differ. Policy actions do define a country. For the last eight years, America has been defined by its health care laws and an acquiescence to illegal immigrants already in the country. In fact, I believe that is the reason why most are upset; because these policies put forth the idea that America cares about taking care of those less fortunate, and announcing to the world that it shall not attack its own immigrants. Whether you agreed with the policies or not, that’s what the country was defined as. It’s what congressional Republicans have been against for the entirety of the Obama Administration. Now, we have a President whose agenda is to repeal that health care, build a wall and deport immigrants. There is a white nationalist in his top aid position. The presidency in America has always been an example of American values. It’s the reason why a lot of people loved Ronald Reagan, JFK and FDR. The President is the cultural symbol of America. Every alt-right news source has lambasted Obama for the very reason that he doesn’t perpetuate what is truly “American.”