When Donald Trump first announced that he would be running for the Republican nomination, I got a laugh out of it. Forget the fact that he is wholly unqualified and has no experience in politics; the guy was rude and unabashedly inappropriate.
In my mind, his campaign would provide some painful-to-watch entertainment, but wouldn’t be taken seriously by voters and would eventually flame out as Trump got bored and moved on to a different publicity stunt. He acted like a child (a poorly behaved, spoiled child). Who would take him seriously?
To my dismay, many people would.
With both Ted Cruz and John Kasich suspending their campaigns, the last adults have bowed out of the Republican primary, and it appears that Donald Trump will be the Republican Party’s nominee for the election. The same guy, who regularly makes disparaging comments about women and minorities, is now the chosen candidate of one of America’s major political parties.
Now, full disclaimer, I have very liberal beliefs.
I have many objections to Trump’s political platform, which includes ideas such as:
-Deporting all of the illegal immigrants currently residing in the U.S. (Border Patrol estimates that the number of illegal immigrants in the US is between 15 and 20 million people, and possibly higher).
-Building a wall along the southern border of the U.S. (which Trump insists Mexico will be paying for).
-Cutting the Department of Education (’cause who needs that?) and cutting the Environmental Protection Agency (’cause all they do is get in the way anyway, right? Stupid nature).
All that and more can be found on his website, but I want to emphasize: the point of this article isn’t to analyze his political ideas.
I am not advocating for Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders. I will not tell you who to vote for.
The point of this article is to highlight that somebody as divisive as Trump, who has played a role in inciting violence against protesters and insinuated that the violence at his rallies is justified, is not fit to be president.
The point of this article is to highlight that someone who, in debates, has made references to opponents’ wives and taken the time to comment on the size of his hands and other bodily parts, should not be a serious candidate for president.
The point of this article is to highlight that somebody who has time and time again made disparaging comments about women is not somebody who should represent the United States.
The point of this article is to highlight that a man whom the KKK would endorse is absolutely the wrong choice to lead the country in a time of racial tension.
The point of this article is to highlight the fact that anyone who would consider torturing terrorists’ families as an actual strategy in war should not be involved in the military at any level, let alone be commander in chief.
The point of this article is to highlight the fact that anyone who refuses to acknowledge man-made climate change despite the consensus of the scientific community does not care enough about future Americans to serve as our leader.
The point of this article is to highlight that somebody who knows so little about Islam that he has proposed a ban on ALL Muslims from entering the U.S. would be a poor representative of the U.S. to the international community.
The point of this article is not to urge support for one candidate over the other. I am not advocating for Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders. I will not tell you who to vote for. But I will say that voting for Donald Trump acknowledges that you are willing to overlook the actions of an out-of-touch billionaire who continues to divide the country when we need to unify most.
“Trump for President” is a joke that stopped being funny a long time ago.
If you have been living under a rock for the duration of the primary election and are incredulous that Trump could have said any of the things that I am attributing to him, I would encourage you to investigate for yourself. Google is a valuable tool.
“Trump for President” is a joke that stopped being funny a long time ago. Now, more than ever, is an important time to stay involved in politics. Do your own research. Formulate your own opinions. And, I can’t emphasize this enough, register to vote.
The time for being passive is over.
I am pledging my support for #NotTrump2016.
Austin Warner is a second year biological science major.
This article originally appeared as a post on Austin’s Facebook page, and was later submitted to the Nexus.
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