We still have freedom of speech, so now is the time to be educated, get involved, and voice our opinions about our country.
Opinions, predictions, and what the U.S. presidency means for the country and the world.
My blood is boiling, my fingers shaking, my breathing unsteady. November 8th, 2016 saw one of the most intense elections in the history of this country. Individuals that had never voted before (despite being eligible for years even) went and put in their ballot. Half the country tucked in their children last night, in fear of what was to come. And then they woke up, with their greatest fear now a reality. A man with such hatred has been elected president of such a big, influential country. He is the embodiment of everything that is wrong with this country…
This man has been accused by 12 women for assaulting them. It’s telling this country that we should not accusations seriously to the point where we even allow people like him to be the face of our country. What he may have done is illegal, more than his racist slurs because people like him claim it’s “freedom of speech”. (Enough with such excuses. Our freedom is speech is not meant to boast such discrimination). So many individuals are already terrified of reporting such personal crimes. I didn’t even do it through the police and the judicial system, I did it through a small college, and that was hell on earth. Now even fewer will report these crimes. And we’ll have an even less accurate statistics of these crimes. (Obama just passed the Sexual Assault Survivors’ Rights Act, and now we have a president that has a double-digit number of sexual assault accusers, one of which is 13 years old). (Read “An Open Letter to Survivors in the Wake of a Donald Trump Presidency“)
Regarding my ‘speciality’ (just my major), U.S. health and global health will certainly suffer as a result. Similar to most Republicans, Trump does not support International Organizations (UN, WHO, World Bank, etc.), and so he will likely pull out funding for huge global health programs that are vital for the world’s well-being, some of which are very effective and the only chance third-world countries have for better health outcomes. Thousands of women and children will continue to die in Africa from AIDS, and the numbers may come back up after all the progress. Due to Trump’s conservative views, abortion will not be tolerated, and so teenage pregnancies may rise back up, and maternal and fetal health problems may escalate. (Unsafe abortion is the cause of many deaths of women as it is, as are deaths based on abuse and lower social status). He has not provided specific plans regarding healthcare (because he does not have proper experience regarding this topic).
Trump’s little friendship with Putin is not surprising. Their extreme points of view (homophobia, suppression of anyone different from them) naturally bring them together. Russia is spending the most it has since before 1990 (CNN, 2016). What will this look like if our new Republican president supports this spending? What will happen to Ukraine? To Syria?
The environment is doomed. This man actually does not believe in global warming, despite all the scientific evidence, and claims it is a conspiracy theory created by China. Wow.
As a country, we took a major leap forward when we elected a black president, and then several steps back when we elected this racist, homophobic, sexist, Islamophobic man. (A former KKK leader boasted his support of Trump on Twitter, screenshots of which are in the slideshow below). Not only have we been stunted, but we are moving backwards. Those of us on the lower side of the spectrum financially and socially, we will not be able to grow upward and improve the quality of our lives for our families. The poor will be hated for no other reason than being poor, the people of color will be hated for no other reason than being of color…