Brianna Cunningham

AmeriCorps member, Tulane University Center for Public Service

[email protected]

On Nov. 8, 2016, the U.S. Electoral College selected Donald Trump as president of the United States of America, while the popular vote was won by Hillary Clinton. In fact, Americans do not directly vote for the president, the Electoral College does.

Our country, the United States of America, is known to many people as the land of the free. But are we really? People have come from all around the globe to work, visit and experience the American culture. While this land is full of great people and places, people in this country are divided by economic status, race and political affiliation. Yes, I am proud that America is diverse, but often our division keeps us from moving forward.

Leading up to the election, both candidates, Trump and Clinton, participated in debates, lead campaigns and carried out community outreach. In her campaign, Clinton advocated for a fair tax system, a fair economy, criminal justice reform and healthcare. Trump advocated to build a wall to keep illegal immigrants out, larger military support and to stop the drug epidemic in New Hampshire.

Unfortunately, because we do not know the candidates personally, we can only assess their perspectives based on what they tell us through reports and the media. Trump says that he wants to make America great again, but what exactly does Trump mean by great? There is, truly, a wall between the world and Trump’s thoughts because in his campaign, Trump has belittled people, divided people by religion, race and sexuality and created an atmosphere of uncertainty.

We should be proud of how far we have come. America would not be great if we all looked the same. America would not be great if we did not accept people’s differences. Moreover, America would not be great if people did not empower one another. While there are many things to be celebrated, we cannot forget about the foundation that America has been built on: slavery, capitalism, racism and division. It is these ideals that remain prominent in our world today.

Donald Trump has been our president-elect for nearly a week, and he still has not taken the time to acknowledge or address the inappropriate and unacceptable comments that he has made towards black people, Latino people and people of the LGBTQ community. So, why is this not okay? History tends to repeat itself, and while I believe time continues to recycle itself, we cannot move forward if we do not address the problem. Because of the position of power he is in, Trump has the power to change people’s perspective, but instead he has continued to unite the white majority.

Often, I feel like people of different race, gender and cultures are used for their skills or talents and not given much in return. Their worth is belittled because they are either too good or white supremacy does not want them to rise above. Through the historic portrayal of groups of people who have been used and then pushed aside, they can never be forgotten. While many are devastated by the election results, many people truly need a leader that is aware of those kinds of problems. They need a leader that is going to be honest and trustworthy.

Yes, we all want the best for this country, but if we do not negotiate the problems we have there will be no progress. In the future, I hope that Donald Trump will acknowledge and address his negative and unacceptable comments toward minority groups. Because if not, I doubt if America could ever be humanely great, but better for future generations to come.