The Don
I was at work making pizzas when the Inauguration was taking place, so I was not able to watch it. The owner of the pizza place I work at, however, was certainly worked up. He was going on about the marches against our new president, as well as the democratic side of our government choosing not to attend the Inauguration. He was on the verge of screaming in frustration. His frustration was understandable to say the least. Why should this transition be met with such fierce animosity? Is it Trump's way with women that cause these protesters to march? Is it the fact that he has somehow inspired men and women across this country to be even more openly racist?
"Do people understand how our voting system works? We all need to accept this. He won. This didn't happen when Obama became president. The transition of powers is supposed to be peaceful. That's the whole reason why we have democracy, thank God."
-My Boss
Being my boss, I didn't want to explain to him all of the mock hangings of Obama that were happening across America, or the assaults that took place against minorities once Obama took office. Those incidents were besides the point.
After listening to my boss' ventilations, I looked on Facebook to see what the internet had to say. The rhetoric on my Facebook feed seemed mixed. I have friends who have been for and against Trump as the next President of the United States. My Facebook "friends" all seemed to have an opinion on the matter, and I even saw my little sister get into a heated argument with our favorite uncle. Easter dinner is going to be awkward.
It has been hard to voice my political thoughts and concerns on social media. I do not bicker with people. I don't think it's constructive and it usually leads to family and friends hating each other for a while. There's not a lot of political dialogue happening when I get confronted about political views, so I vote and stay quiet. That is how I am affected by the rhetoric of my social media feed. The way we talk about politics is cringeworthy. Going for the throat seems to be the rule when politics gets mixed into the conversation.
For example:
"You like Donald Trump? You are a racist privileged brat. Also, you were most likely adopted and your eyebrows are a mess."
"You are a democrat? Get out of here, and don't come back until you learn what taxes are, and you stop smelling like organic avocados and tea tree oil. You stink! Also, the pictures of you at hot yoga disgust me. You call that a Warrior III pose? Please!"
Despite the feuds and memes that have been bombarding my Facebook feed, I think people will calm down about Trump being president. Also, if anyone has ever watched even one episode of House of Cards, they will know that our political system gets things done from behind the scenes. Lobbyists who represent corporations get in touch with our Congressman and Senators, and work out deals to further the agendas of both sides.
So, who can fix our country? We the people. Community is our only way to help this nation. It would be great to see Trump fix our issues with our economy and environment, as well as reduce taxes while providing ample jobs. Will any of these issues be fixed by President Trump? Of course not. Can we help solve these issues by joining together to tackle these one at a time? Yes we can.
God speed, Don. God speed.
