I bet you’re probably confused right now, and before you start jumping to conclusions, this isn’t necessarily a thank you letter to Donald Trump because I honestly don’t have anything to thank him for.
I think we can all agree that this past presidential election was disappointing, to say the least. For many people, Donald Trump running for president and even coming into office was a devastating reality check about the values of many Americans. I can’t say that this was a reality check for me because it wasn’t and I can see exactly how this happened and why. However, this isn’t about whether or not you support the Trump Administration. This is about how Trump running for office pushed me to care more about politics.
I’ve always cared about what was going on in the world and felt that it was good to know a little bit about everything than to know nothing at all. I’ll be completely honest when I say I am not the most educated person about politics, but I’m very eager to learn and stand firm in my opinions when it comes to what I am knowledgeable about.
This past presidential election really caused me to throw myself into politics because it was the first election I was able to vote in and I felt that it was too controversial for me not to care. Voting is one of the most simple ways to make your voice heard other than simply speaking and I wanted to make my voice heard in many ways.
I knew that the election was incredibly important, not just because I could finally vote, but because it was a presidential election and there was a candidate who I deemed as unworthy to be a leader and still determine so. I knew that the changes and policies he talked about implementing were morally wrong and destructive and I didn’t want to sit by believing that there was no way in hell he could win, which meant that I could kick back and relax. In fact, I wanted to believe he had absolutely no chance, but deep down I knew the hate and ignorance of many Americans would prove otherwise, and it did. Many people I personally knew and respected looked up to Donald Trump and anticipated his potential presidency. I knew people who said that Hillary Clinton couldn’t stop Bill from cheating on her, so she definitely couldn’t take care of America. I heard and saw so much more than that from people I knew and it disgusted me. What was even more disgusting was thinking how someone like Donald Trump could possibly gain all these supporters even throughout all the hate and stupid things he said.
What I knew without a doubt was that I had to dive into the world of politics even if it meant being confused for a moment, which I definitely was. Knowing a little bit about everything was not good enough. I had to know more so that I could support what I believed by facts because my moral compass was not enough.
When Donald Trump became president it was disappointing but not shocking. I realize now that he is president, so I need to keep an even closer eye on politics and what is going on. Although just about everything I saw was depressing, I still felt informed and wanted to learn more. I wanted to be engaged, not to where I run for office, but to where I know how certain things will affect me or even other people and what can be done to blunt the effects of it.
I soon realized that I was so tied up in the movements of the Trump Administration that I forgot to acknowledge that there was politics at the state and local level. So I got involved by learning more about it and even starting interning with a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that gets people involved by registering them to vote. We do much more than that, but as I said, it’s a great way to have your voice heard and I plan to be more engaged with what is happening close to me.
I realize that I would have jumped into politics regardless, but I have Donald Trump to ‘thank’ for giving me a reason to jump into the deep end where I was treading water rather than walking through the shallow end.