Embarrassing, America

​

November 28th, 2016

​

Nicklaus Bartelli

​

If I were an international student on this campus I would be scared. But not because Donald Trump is the president elect. I would be scared that this nation’s actions are resembling the kind of one I was so eager to leave. For the majority of the last 240 years the United States has been a land of opportunity, openness, and peaceful democracy. Foreign families fled to America to escape dictatorships and poverty to seek democracy and cultural stability. Parents of international students have been sending their children to the United States for an education in a first-world, fast-achieving and driving economy to obtain degrees without worrying about riots in the streets and violent democratic transfers. If I were an international student traveling through borders, I would be both appalled and scared of the change in my surroundings and be disappointed that the people within our borders are greeting each other with hatred, cold shoulders, and dirty pointed fingers.

​

I think it is time we stepped back, evaluated our surroundings, and watered the ground beneath our feet, because it hasn’t changed and it’s not going to change. I keep hearing “We can’t…” and “America will…” Well America can and nothing has happened yet. Not only should we bear in mind the attitudes and judgements of outsiders coming into our country legally to start a life that America has been so historically effective in giving, we should be thinking about our children.

​

Recently I saw a picture of a sculpture done by Ukrainian artist Alexander Milov at Nevada’s Burning Man convention. Entitled “Love”, the sculpture is of two giant wire-cage humans sitting back to back at conflict with one another. Inside them, two children are seen standing and facing each other, touching fingers in a sign of tranquility and harmony.

​

No matter how at odds we are with our neighbors today, we can all agree that our children will be living together and that we want them to be able to live together, loving and connecting the things that are the same between them. Today, focus on local efforts and investing time into the future if you’re so worried or proud about it, not stomping the interstates or graffitiing racial slurs.

Because whether or not you want Trump to be your president, he is going to be your children’s president, and your grandchildren’s president, just like the time of Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt has shaped who you are and where you stand today.

​

Politicians represent us and make decisions for us, they are not us. I made the decision long before this election began not to trust the people on Capitol Hill to accomplish anything for me. Slavery was abolished over 150 years ago. I think we can all agree it’s philosophy is wrong. But there are people being bought in Washington D.C. still today. In the same way that slaves couldn’t do what they pleased in 1800, politicians are restricted from doing what they need for their people when they are bought by lobbyists. We need to rid our country of enslavement, and I hope to see that happen in my lifetime. Even if Donald Trump doesn’t end up representing me, someone who talks to him might if they had a clear conscience.

​

 Finally, I was raised to focus on what I had in common with everyone, not dwell on the differences. I share in and love seeing in others the passion and care for the direction of our country. Let’s direct our passion to appropriate action and remember that through all, our country’s motto is “In God We Trust.”