The Election Trouble with Trump’s Ideology

Streets are being flooded by masses of signs that read we care and stop the hate that are being held up high by children, adults, men, and women of all races. These are citizens that stand chanting by one another pleading for the U.S. to step away from the ignorance that the country has fallen into. The President has provoked citizens to discriminate against other racial groups by expressing his personal opinions; although they are platforms of free speech, Trump has taken advantage of those rights. After all the time that has passed it seems the U.S. has still not recovered.

After Trump's presidential campaign, there has been an increase in harassment due to the manner in which Trump has persuaded many. While these cases are more common in adults, the tension has also spread into the lives of many children. Dr. Bandy Lee, a psychiatrist who specializes in violence, has introduced The Trump Effect, which is the increase of bullying in schools after Donald Trump's presidential campaign (42). The President's name has been used as a chant now by other children to evoke fear onto classmates as if mentioning the boogeyman. This leads many parents to worry about the criticism that they receive due to their heritage, and introduces them to the prejudice in American society. On the other hand, there are adults justifying their hate crimes against minorities by the resent that Trump kicked off in his campaign.

In a statement by the Southern Poverty Law Center it reports that, in the two-week period between Election Day and February 9, 2017, there were seventy anti-Jewish incidents and thirty-one anti-Muslim incidents, the majority being bomb threats (Lee 44). Although, the President has never directly told his supporters to kill anyone, he has filled a gap in many that may manipulate his words for their own convenience. Then again, how can those emotions be contained when the person that started it does not conceal it. Not to mention that the President does not shy away from his personal opinions. In fact, he encourages others to follow in his footsteps during his rallies. For instance, during the 2016 presidential election Trump's campaigns started with yelling Get' em outta here! (Trump qtd. in The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump). Even though he did not mention who, many know that the reference was towards Mexicans and Muslims because of his stance on immigration.

It seems that his campaign was a preview of what his presidency would be with the derogatory remarks. Not only were Trump's remarks towards citizens but there were also some addressed to President Obama. In particular, Trump's discontent with President Obama's victory led to the Birtherism conspiracy, which was solely based on the idea that Barack Obama was not a U.S. citizen and, like Lee argues, His use of it as a jumping-off platform to launch his presidential candidacy (261). Such ideas were debunked by President Obama himself but many did not believe it to be true for the simple manner that he looked different from the other presidents. Which is another way of stating that citizens could not tolerate such changes. At the time Trump may not have been in office yet, but his reputation was definitely building up. Without a doubt, the President has taken advantage of the position that the people of the U.S. entrusted him with. Such as when he managed to pass a ninety-day travel ban deceiving many Muslims that brought a new fear into Americans' that he is going to use executive power (Lowery).

The act was so sudden that many citizens could not leave airports because they had to go through security checks, which held up many travelers. Refugees that were arriving with the hope that the U.S. would take them in were disappointed at the news that help would not be offered. Many thought it to be an abuse on the President's part since his reasoning behind the ban were accusations towards the Muslim community. After some time the ban dissolved, but there was residue that left many Americans fearing excessive power in the government. It should be noted that Trump's messages have gone farther than expected with the help of social media. Notably, with the neighboring country, Canada has conducted studies that have proven, a 600 percent increase in the amount of intolerant hate speech on social media by Canadians between November 2015 and 2016 (Racists misogynists). More commonly seen with the use of hashtags as a movement created by extremists. The internet is a place to express one's opinions, but when someone with authority does so they should know the amounts of views it will receive. That very number may be what fuels the President.

As a result, easy access to technology means that everyone can know what the President has done in a matter of seconds. Therefore, the U.S. had to make a tough choice during the election. While Donald Trump may have won the election there hasn't been any permanent damage but there has been a streak of fear. Since the campaign there has been an increase in bullying at schools and the use of racial slurs are starting to be thrown around like nothing. Even before the inauguration the President was loud on immigration and was insensitive towards the topic. There are many platforms that the President has access to, but that does not mean that they do not have boundaries. When overstepped it result in a drift within the civilians. The worst part is that the President has awoken this hate and is not doing anything to stop it.

On the contrary, he is fueling it through his words and actions in office. Friends and families are being separated by the very person that was elected to unify and strengthen the country. Works Cited Lee, Bandy. The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump: 27 Psychiatrists and Mental Health Experts Assess a President. St. Martin's Press, 2017. Lowery, Wesley, and Josh Dawsey. "Early chaos of Trump's travel ban set stage for a year of immigration policy debates." Washington Post, 7 Feb. 2018. Global Issues in Context. Accessed 29 Oct. 2018. "Racists misogynists do not deserve a platform - anywhere." Toronto Star, 9 Sept. 2018. Global Issues in Context. Accessed 30 Oct. 2018.

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