What Now, America?
On Wednesday morning, the world woke up to the announcement that Donald Trump will be the 45th President of the United States. The now President-Elect’s victory has come as a great surprise. He entered the political world as an outsider. His opponent had been in the political network for decades, and was deemed to be the most qualified candidate to be running in the rollercoaster that was the 2016 Presidential Election.
What drew many people to President-Elect Donald Trump were his promises to the working class, many of whom have felt ignored. Despite his four encounters with bankruptcy, Trump’s promises of economic progress and his reputation as a successful businessman intrigued voters. One anonymous Class II discipuli believes that Mr. Trump will “establish better infrastructure in the country.” When asked about candidate policies regarding the Syrian refugee crisis, they outlined their concerns with Secretary Clinton’s stance “not because [they] don’t genuinely believe that they’re running from a war and have nowhere to go, but we have problems within our society and I’m not sure that letting in people who are unvetted is the best choice.”
According to the BBC, Trump has also promised to cut corporate and estate taxes, which is likely raise income for the wealthy at a much faster rate than the rest of the population. When it comes to trade, Mr. Trump has criticized the Trans-Pacific Partnership and other international trade agreements. On the topic of climate change, he sides with more conservative ideas, claiming it to be a “hoax.” Sticking with the trend of more conservative ideas, he has promised that he will make abortion illegal and has admitted that he wants women to be punished for abortions. His other hallmark policies include the implementation of “stop and frisk,” six weeks of maternity leave, and more gun rights.
Many in the TBLS community identify with groups that Trump has attacked in his speeches. As we walked into school on Wednesday, we were met with a community in tears. In our school, there is fear for the lives, for the safety of our family, friends, and even ourselves. This is a theme echoed on social media, as shared in a post by Jameel McNichols, a student at Hunter college: “I’m not worried about what Trump would do once becoming president. I’m worried about the message that it sends. I’m worried about the confidence that certain hate-filled people will gain because of it.”
In the face of this fear, teachers comforted students by sharing their own experiences. Students of all classes hugged in the hallways. We held each other up as a community. TBLS is a family, and we must remember that in this time known to many as the biggest political upset in American history. As a discipula who prefers anonymity replied when asked about what she remembered from the day, “My brain isn’t remembering specifics but the raw emotion, people just opening up about why they were so afraid was so impactful. It was just a moment of support and feeling, even though everyone was scared and broken, we were all there for each other.”
Now, to answer the question in my title. What now, America? Protests have erupted throughout the country as people shout their dissatisfaction. In New York, people who want to share their dissent have been standing outside Trump Towers since election night. In response, President Obama has asserted that there will be a “peaceful transfer of power.” He has reached out to America’s youth, reminding us to “stay encouraged. Don’t get cynical. Don’t ever think you can’t make a difference.”