Freedom

America: How Greed Trumped Freedom

Much has happened over the past week as a result of Donald Trump being elected as President of the United States.

When I woke up last Tuesday morning to hear the news, I felt like the world had ended. Shock, depression, anger, fear. I felt it all at the fact that our nation, who appeared to progress so far against prejudice in the past 240 years (officially), was being torn apart. It seems as if all that hard work and determination to create and establish change was crumbling beneath us. 

But this race was always more complicated than Hillary is good and Trump is bad.  Throughout his candidacy, I viewed Trump as this disgusting racist, homophobic, sexist discriminatory piece of trash. I had the same negative connotations with those who supported Trump or chose to vote for him. 

There are great deal of Republicans who voted for Trump because of the promise of a prosperous economy and strengthening middle class America, rather than strictly agreements on a discriminatory basis.

However, the overall outcome is a nation divided by greed. It is greed that has long dominated and continues to dictate our nation and the people that voted for economic change rather than social change and liberty and justice for all.

And while I still have strong negative feelings toward Trump, I dislike both Presidential candidates during the election race. 

We, the people, were given two steaming piles of shit candidates and told to choose the lesser evil.

Hillary Clinton’s actions didn't remain true to her country. Lying and cheating to get what you want is the equivalent of greed.

Both parties fought hard against each other. However, both seemed to be largely after one objective: the title of President of the United States. The race between these two candidates proved to be selfish at the core when it came down to power. So why were many of us shocked that this major problem that continues to afflict our society dominated this election? 

Because we believed in our own abilities to change a system that often cripples many of its inhabitants. Even middle class America, who have been victims of the economic system, chose the candidate they best sought fit to reform their situation. 

However, Donald Trump’s platform for "change" based on a business man’s views feeds back into the revolving concept of greed. 

To complicate things further, some of the people who chose economic liberation are people we know, people we love. They are people who are capable of love and kindness. Yet, the promise of supporting one self or one's family financially won out; rather than realizing the big picture: freedom for all.

Hillary Clinton’s open arm stance on rights for all religions, races, nationalities, women, the LGTBQ community is essential and critical to this county’s well being.

The United States of American consists of a variety of people, not minorities, but people. They are our neighbors, our brothers, our mothers, and our best friends. They are us, and it is why we need to support one another. Because that is the only way we can properly function as a society, together.  

The people that make up this nation who stand for equality and liberty are terrified to be who they are. Children are fearful, with the threat of their mothers and fathers deportation to the countries where they were born. Kids worry about going to school because of the taunting and chanting of white, male privilege in the hallways.

Making decisions by those considered to be voting adults, decisions that greatly affect children in America and taint the innocent lives of our country’s youth, it is not only majorly problematic. It is cruel and corrupts the good heartedness of children. 

The majority of parents teach their children to do good and to do what is right. And yet, half the country made decisions for the good of the one rather than the good of the many.

It is an issue that has plagued our country for centuries. But in this election, greed has made a significant tear at our nation’s structure. 

“The land of the free and the home of the brave."   

These words sometimes used to describe the United States are now enforcing laws and the threat of repeals. It is making freedom circumstantial. 

But that won’t stop us, each of us that are labeled as minorities or each of us that believe in equal rights for all, to keep fighting for the country that we are all apart of. 

by Lauren Peterson