Election Day has come and gone, and we all know that we will look to a future where Mr. Donald Trump will be President Donald Trump. I must be honest and say that, like many others, I did not see that coming. Just from watching and reading the news, I knew that many people were not comfortable with Trump or Clinton being commander-in-chief, but I still expected people to vote for Clinton.
Why, you might ask? Maybe because I watched too much biased media showing polls that showed her ahead. Maybe because the country feels like it is going in a more liberal direction, so I just assumed that Trump would lose. Maybe because those tapes that showed him using language unbecoming of a man that is running for the President of the United States were released and it seemed that his campaign was doomed.
My gut was telling me that Mr. Donald Trump (now, President-Elect Donald Trump) would end up in the loser’s circle. However, that is not the case and it is a reminder to me that maybe I should not completely trust my instincts when it comes to elections.
My vote was not for either candidate from the Democratic Party or the Republican Party. But I had decided in my mind that I would not give in to the apocalyptic talk that was bound to happen when one of them won the election. It has been done in the past and it would be done so with this election. I have heard people get a bit outlandish with what they believe will happen in the future under a Trump presidency. I imagine that they will see the day when Trump is sworn into office come and go, his first 100 days will appear then disappear into history, too, all the while they are getting up, going to work and hoping for the best with our economy and the security of our country without their intense focus on it.
Besides the doomsday rhetoric that is typical, there is also the denial of Trump’s future presidency that is heavy in social media and society right now. Some of it may come from legitimate emotions because of the disappointment people have felt with Trump’s statements concerning race, women, and religion. Therefore, it is important that we all not dismiss people’s actual emotions if they are rational and if the truth rings loud in their emotions due to their experiences. We must learn that others will view politics and other social issues differently from ourselves, so we should try to dialogue with them to see if we can walk beside each other to peaceful solutions
Now, having written that, there have been some who want to deny Trump’s future political top spot by saying that he is not their president. A protest, of sorts, has started in different places around the country and many on social media began using the hashtag: “#HesNotMyPresident.” As I wrote before, we should not dismiss anyone’s feelings or thoughts when it comes to politics and other issues of the day. However, it should be encouraged for all of us to still try and rational and think sensibly about these things. For when it comes to Donald Trump being our president in 2017, a chant or a motto will not change the reality of this country’s future leader.
I do feel that peaceful protest has its place, but it is important to have a complete understanding of what the protest is for and if it is also designed to get peaceful, and yet, radical results (at times).
What am I trying to say? It is that I think that the protest may be unfounded if one thinks through what is taking place. First and foremost, Trump has not taken the office yet, so he has not put forth any policy that would cause alarm to some possibility that he is trying to place himself up as a tyrant and desiring to take away rights from specific groups in America. Another thing to think about is you do not have to like a person in a position over you in order for that person to still have authority over you. For example, I have never hired any of the people who are my bosses at my current position. A selected group hired them into their positions without my knowledge or desire and they have certain titles that go along with their positions. I have not always been happy with decisions that were said, nor have I always been happy with things that were said about me, but as long as I am at this institution, I must submit to, and even obey, their authority.
So, President-Elect Donald Trump may not be who you voted for, but remember he is now becoming this country’s leader, whether you like it or not. You are in this country, so one can say that he IS your president; you just don’t have to necessarily submit to him or obey him because you (this is true for most of us) are not in direct contact with him.
I am a bit of a pessimist myself, but as with prior elected officials, I try to hold out a little hope. I live in this country, I like this country, therefore, I would like to see her continue to grow and thrive and for her people to live freely having opportunities to build successful lives and communities. This country is not perfect as history has shown us, but a perfect past is not needed to have a hopeful future. We just need to learn from past mistakes in order to really make America great again (if she ever was great or had ever actually lost her greatness).
I know some will not like this next statement, but I really am hoping the best for my country’s next president – Donald Trump. How could I hope for Trump to fail? For if I can liken the United States of America to a vast ship, then that means Trump will have his hands on the steering wheel, and I would prefer that the ship that I am on stay afloat. How about you?
Click here to listen to Mr. Danner discuss President-Elect Donald Trump and issues surrounding his win.