How Does SSU Feel About the Election Results?
By: Megan Grossi
Since November 8th, the country has been brimming with talk on the results of this past presidential election. Many are outraged that Hillary Clinton led by almost 3 million popular votes, yet still lost the presidency. A petition on social media was circulated demanding that the Electoral College vote to reflect the final popular vote, but after December 19th, 2016, that effort came to an end.
The world of politics has been turned on its head, especially for first-time voters. As tense as Trump’s victory and the country’s backlash has been, Salem State students don’t seem to have it any easier since the inauguration within the past few weeks.
We can’t know for certain what President Trump will do in the next four years, and whether or not we understand the dynamics of his campaign threats and promises. There is still an underlying fear for many young students. Students of color have been targets of harassment, having derogatory terms thrown at them as if it’s suddenly more acceptable. One student, in a discussion group after the election, shared her own story of harassment, being targeted for her Latin roots.
Many black students are afraid of how racial tension across the country will affect them, especially after seeing the art exhibit in the Ellison Campus Center’s Winfisky Gallery last fall. One student said that the painting of the KKK made “me sick, and churned in my stomach.”
Students of immigrant parents are, jokingly or not, saying that their parents will be shipped out soon. They either need to “hurry up and get their green card” or their children will have to “say good-bye to daddy, because he never obtained his citizenship like my mom.” Some students are afraid of being deported themselves. The last thing that people need in moments of fear is to have their feelings invalidated by statements such as, “You’re overreacting,” or “It doesn’t work like that.”
A young woman, serving as a reservist, and attending classes for the time, was disgusted and offended that Trump would be her new Commander-in-Chief. She believes strongly, like many service men and women probably do, that a man or woman, with no experience in politics should not be leading her into battle. She feels insulted to be under his future command.
Now that the hustle and bustle has died down , students too are calming down and accepting the election results, but fear of what’s to come still exists. I may be an adult, but I also have two young girl cousins – one is 6 years old and the other only 2 months. Perhaps this is an overreaction, but I can’t stand to think of either of them growing up in a world where boys and girls alike both learn that it’s okay to treat women the way we’ve seen Mr. Trump treat women.
This is be the first time since 1928 that Republicans will hold the Presidency, House, and Senate. Students cannot believe how far ahead Clinton is in the popular vote, yet losing the Electoral College was all that mattered in the final analysis. However, that is our way of government, like it or not. Any change in our voting process could not have been made while our President-elect was in that political limbo between November and January. Now that he is officially inaugurated and in power, however, I doubt that such a change will come under his presidency.
Not every student at Salem State is upset by Trump’s victory. I didn’t vote for him but people did, not just from around the country but from our own student body. People on both sides have expressed their opinions about Trump's presidency, which is important and should not be disregarded based on personal belief.
It’s amazing that we live in a country where the people can voice their opinions so freely, but moving forward we should keep some things in mind. First, no matter how upset you may feel, offending or attacking another will not fix anything. Second, nobody in Washington can divide us without our consent. Mr. Trump is our president, and we should all find the best way to deal with that. Third, if your candidate did not win, consider how voters who opposed Mr. Obama felt these past 8 years. There will never be unanimous consent over the presidency, so the best thing that we, as citizens and students can do, is give President Trump the benefit of the doubt, and stay positive.