March 23, 2016

WELCOME TO THE ZOO | Trump

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With an open mind and two sides of the story, you’re bound to learn something new.

Welcome to the zoo! This is a blog where both the Republican and Democratic
viewpoints are represented. The blog is not meant to sway you either way necessarily, just present both sides of the story. You may not agree with the whole article, but hey, you’re likely to agree with half! The topic this week: Donald Trump and the rise of the third party.

Stance 1

Donald J. Trump has single-handedly made a mockery of the United States democratic process. He is a bully who takes pride in instilling fear and inciting hatred in his followers. He garners support through his spectacle of a campaign, which feeds on media coverage. Lucky for him, the media thrives on his racist, misogynistic, and altogether unacceptable discourse.

When announcing his candidacy, Trump expressed that he plans to build a wall between Mexico and the US to protect against “the killers, drugs & crime.” He also called for the “complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States.” His racist statements also reek of misogyny. He commented that, “if Hillary Clinton can’t satisfy her husband what makes her think she can satisfy America?” and that he “could see there was blood coming out of [Megyn Kelly’s] eyes. Blood coming out of her…wherever.” These snide comments exemplify his chauvinism. Furthermore, he tweeted that there are “26,000 unreported sexual assaults in the military-only 238 convictions. What did these geniuses expect when they put men & women together?” Rather than addressing sexual assault as a real issue, he dismissed it as a natural behavior.

During rallies, Trump encourages his supporters to violently and verbally attack protesters. At the Iowa caucuses, Trump shouted, “if you see somebody getting ready to throw a tomato, knock the crap out of ‘em, would you? …I promise you I will pay for the legal fees.” This statement was met with resounding cheers and applause. We do not want a President who will punish anyone with differing opinions: that is a dictator.

When explaining his decision to vote for Trump, one voter put into words perfectly what would happen if Trump were our next President: “I just want to see the world burn.”

Stance 1.5

I identify as a Republican: that is how I am registered and that is wherehow my ideals lean. However, I do not support Donald Trump. I do not lack respect for those who want to vote for him, because this is America and people can make their own choices. Nevertheless, I personally believe that Trump is bad news for the Republican party.

At the core, Trump’s ideas have conservative roots, like supporting the repeal of the Affordable Health Care Act. Reasonable. But Trump takes things too far and crosses boundaries; for example, he warned the country to stay “vigilant” of Muslims living in America, while supporters chanted “send em’ home” and protesters were hauled away by security. On that note, Trump’s antics incite violence; numerous violent incidents have occurred at Trump’s rallies. Protesters have been punched, kicked, and threatened with chants like “light that motherf****r on fire.” Although I like the idea of bringing Americans together, I do not feel comfortable with Trump stimulating people to come together in acts of violence and hate.

Finally – and the ridiculousness is almost laughable – how can Trump, representing the GOP, be taken seriously when he says things like, “my fingers are long and beautiful, as, it has been well documented, are various other parts of my body”? Trump is clearly unprofessional and a dangerous candidate for the presidency.

Conclusion

After observing this presidential campaign over the past few months, it has become evident that the two party system is failing us. Today, every issue is polarized as a Democratic or a Republican issue. Furthermore, many issues have been brought to the forefront and party stances have radicalized to the extremes of either side. For example, gun rights recently have become even more controversial and extremist democrats want guns banned altogether, while radical republicans want to enable anyone to own a gun.  Trump’s outstanding ability to spark hate in most Americans has put the credibility of the Republican Party in jeopardy – basically reducing the party into a joke. Theoretically, if the GOP were to lose enough support, the opportunity could arise for other parties to gain momentum. Although it is clear that both of us – the authors – affiliate with  different parties, we both enjoy contemplating the emergence of third parties. So, the left-right scale could more closely resemble a spectrum in which Americans are given more than two options. What do you think?

Welcome to the zoo,

Becca & Katie

Katie Barlow is a sophomore biology major in the College of Arts and Sciences. When not debating politics, she can be found running half marathons and eating nutella by the spoonful. If you’re up for a chat, Katie can be reached at [email protected].

Rebecca Saber is a sophomore government major in the College of Arts and Sciences. She aspires to be Secretary of State, but is willing to settle for Supreme Court Justice. When she is not writing about politics, Rebecca can be found watching TV in her bed or at some musical theater rehearsal. If you want to chat, Rebecca can be reached at [email protected].

Welcome to the Zoo appears on alternate Wednesdays this semester.