In Defense of Trump

****This is an op-ed piece I wrote as a final paper for my freshman composition class on 12/03/2018. I received an "A" and decided to share! Let me know what you think!****

     Defending the current President of the United States may be an unpopular, maybe even dangerous, stance to take in today’s political climate. The American people have seemingly dug in deep to their positions, choosing to love Trump unconditionally or to hate him with every ounce of one’s moral fiber as any other view or opinion in between must be invalid or not goodenough. Social warfare is the latest trend and the people have become passionate for politics.

     With all eyes on the Trump administration, down to the amount of ice cream scoops, the people of this country have become part of a more aware, engaged, and informed democracy. Those who rarely made it to the polls on election days and youths that previously would drag their feet when registering to vote, showed up to the polls in the recent midterm elections in record numbers; the best turnout for a midterm election since 1966. Some of these voters could be misinformed, ignorant, and in some ways, brainwashed, but voters in general are talking politics, organizing, calling for change, and are actually doing something about it. As more and more citizens begin to pay attention to the horrors of the current administration, more eyes are being opened to the horrors of past administrations and as these citizens become informed, they start to realize that things have operated in this unfavorable way for a very long time.

     Trump may be boisterous, ignorant, abrasive, and have a toxic tweeting habit, but I do believe in giving credit when credit is due. Protest, riots, outrage and corruption are nothing new to our society. Big banks have always pretended to keep customer’s best interests in mind, the mainstream media has always been misleading, the government has always been in cahoots with large corporations, Russia has always tried to influence American politics, immigrants have always been tear-gassed at the border, hate-crimes have always gone without justice, cops have always been improperly trained, and health-care systems have always been imperfect. It took the collective hatred and ridicule of one man in a position of power to get everyone to wake up and start paying attention for what seems like the first time in decades.

     While our nation is still greatly flawed, its people have been changing the way they view the government, the media, the big corporations and the collective power that hangs over a portion of their lives. Some will call for higher regulations, more government involvement, and a higher transparency, while others will call for less regulation, less government control, and less restrictions on personal freedoms. Both parties have done their research, made their arguments, elected their representatives, and are actively voting on the issues, no matter how controversial. While I may disagree with some of the current administration's actions and policies, I am extremely grateful for the important conversations happening in our nation as a result of the 2016 election and for that, I must thank Donald Trump.