When I was in the second grade, I came home from school with an assignment to research a significant historical figure. Naturally, I contemplated researching heroes such as George Washington and Martin Luther King Jr. But, when I shared this plan with my mother, she told me to research a significant woman in history.
Looking back on this moment now, I realize that this single homework assignment sparked a feminist chord in me. My second-grade self got caught up in society’s view of what is considered a hero, and a woman didn’t even come to mind for me. I don’t want my future children to grow up in a society that glorifies only men. And it is for this reason that I am appalled that Donald Trump is running for president in the upcoming election.
Since announcing his candidacy early this summer, Trump has taken the campaign trail by storm. According to CNN, Trump is currently leading in the polls with a whopping 24 percent of GOP support, which is nearly double the support of his closest competitor, Carly Fiorina. In August, he filled a stadium with 30,000 supporters in Mobile, Ala., for a pep rally. And in the most recent GOP debate, his antics and controversial views drew a record 23 million viewers, the largest numbers CNN has had for any broadcast in their history.
However, the cult following and support that Trump boasts is, in fact, severely frightening. How can it be that in a nation where the foundations of our political system are based on equality, we could potentially have a president who publicly and vehemently goes against this very concept?
In an interview with Rolling Stone, when asked if Fiorina would be a good contender for president, Trump said, “Look at that face! Would anyone vote for that? Can you imagine that, the face of our next president?” By routinely making disparaging comments about women’s appearances and how that translates to their worth, Trump is undoing the work of so many women before his time. Women have fought for their right to be educated and respected in the workplace for decades, but this could all be for naught if Trump makes it socially acceptable for men to disparage a woman’s capability based solely on her looks.
Additionally, one of Trump’s main campaign promises is that he will fortify border protection between the United States and Mexico by building a wall. This promise of isolating American culture is not only massively insulting to people in this country of Latino decent, but also goes blatantly against many of the very values our country was built on. As every elementary schooler knows, the first settlers of the United States were fleeing persecution and came here in search of a better life. How are immigrants searching for opportunity and security any different from our country’s first settlers? If our president is advocating for a mass rejection of cultures that are not Anglo-based, his view will trickle down into the social consciousness and will further stigmatize immigrants.
Trump claims that he can “Make America Great Again,” emblazoning this phrase on all of his campaign merchandise and materials. However, the United States is a nation that prides itself on social mobility and freedom for all and would not be made great by enforcing sexist and isolationist policies.
Samantha is a freshman majoring in communication arts and journalism. What do you think of her perspective? Do you feel as though her thoughts regarding Trump’s sexism ring true? How do you feel about his intense stance on immigration? Please send all thoughts and comments to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
