The New Yorker has compiled sixteen essays that each focus on an aspect of Trump's soon-to-be Presidency and what that means for America. Since this article is long, I encourage you to focus on 2-3 topics. Toni Morrison discusses the growing white supremacy in our country and how that is killing the reality of America being accepting of minorities. Jill Lepore touches on the divisions of the people in America right now. Each author has something significant to say about the aftermath that affects every single citizen.
As you read, reflect!
1) What is one topic that is touched on that is most interesting/significant to you? Why? Why are the words powerful?
2) Do you believe that the political divisions in society will ease? Or will the opposition to the President-elect stay strong?
3) Thinking about our executive branch unit...How do you think Trump will handle the White House? How will he use his powers? Will his lack of political experience hinder his abilities?
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/11/21/aftermath-sixteen-writers-on-trumps-america#top
Despite the recent protests that have dominated social media, Trump's interview on 60 Minutes revealed that Trump was not aware of how widespread the anti-Trump movement is. Perhaps he is aware of the opinions against him, but he is failing to properly recognize or reconcile the needs of the American people, which will only cause the cracks to divide even further.
ReplyDeleteTime heals all. The protests are temporary and will fade over time. People will get used to Trump as their president. As long as he has good advisors and makes more rational decisions, we should all be fine. Obama is doing a good job of welcoming and maybe even advising Trump. We should all follow after Obama and welcome Trump into his new role. Protesting is the immature thing to do. The people have spoken and Trump will be our next president. We must accept that and focus on what we can control in our lives.
ReplyDeleteI agree. I do believe that people are acting irrationally in the form of protesting. At this point, it is important to realize the futileness of protesting and how people should be coming together instead. Trump has already backed on several of his campaign promises, such as cutting obama care completely and not hiring a special prosecutor to indict Clinton. Thus, Trump has demonstrated that he is willing to work with people of both parties and make compromises.
DeleteI agree but for different reasons. Donald Trump has the ability to change American politics forever. Trump has the ability to reform the government and bring an outside perspective to the White House. With all of his negative aspects considered, Trump could end the brutal gridlock that political parties have had for all of recent memory.
DeleteI believe that the opposition to Trump will eventually begin to fade. However, I am unsure about the future of America with regards to its political division. As time goes on, the protests and organized opposition movements will most likely decrease. The opposition is a passionate backlash to the results of the election. Essentially, this suggests that the movement will have it's most strength in the days immediately following the election and will then slowly decline in power as time goes on. However, the end of the Trump protests will not mean the end of political division in the US for the time being.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I do hope that Trump is a good president. Although I certainly did not support him, what is important is not so much personal hatred towards him, but the question of whether or not he does a good job running our country. And I think that it will be both interesting and frightening to see whether or not people continue to protest against him. This is the first presidency I can think of where the election of a president has caused such massive uproar and protest. It just goes to show how divided the country is.
ReplyDeleteI think that people begin to criticize Trump not so much on his personal shortcomings but on his soon to be legislation and executive choices. Otherwise, we might have to face the scary reality of an entire country divided.
I agree, Trump is our president now and we can only hope for the best; I found a metaphor that suits this situation: Trump is now the pilot of the plane we are on, we can only hope that he flies the plane well so we don't all crash. In addition, most of the anti-trump protest will fade away as they are venting their temporary frustration with the results; time will heal and in a year or two "President Trump" will not sound as unusual as it does now.
DeleteRegardless of who won, this election will be defined by the massive division it caused in this country; Trump supporters despise Clinton supporters and Clinton supporters despise Trump supporters; its time for all of us to come to terms with the election in order to do the best we can for our country.
The anti trump protests are simply a trend because many people feel threatened and worried about the controversy behind Trump. However as of a few weeks ago Trump is our president and despite the trending hashtag #heisnotmypresident he simply is and people need to either accept it or move on. American people pride themselves on nationalism so either show support for your future or move out.
DeleteI found the essay, "Health of the Nation" to be very interesting and somewhat frustrating. It touched on the difference of what Americans preach and practice based on the healthcare system. The man that was focused on in the beginning of the essay decided not to vote in the election because he didn't think either candidate could help his situation, but it was later clearly stated that he was directly effected by Obamacare being eliminated. It frustrates me that so many people don't vote because it just means that people are less represented in the country, and people similar to you have less of a support group when it comes to a majority.
ReplyDeleteIn the aftermath of the 2016 election, we come to ask ourselves: have we really been neglecting the desires of the white, working class -- or as Donald Trump puts it, the "silent majority"? Yes, our hatred towards Trump may fade over time, and many of us are already accepting his unexpected victory. Yet, I think that this election will be remembered for the violent implications it will bring to this country; minorities have already been experiencing acts of discrimination across the country, children may feel that their acts of bullying are justified, and women may feel less confident about their self-ownerships.
ReplyDeleteIt frustrates me that so many people think that the outcome of this election shows the frustration of the "underrepresented" working-class. No, just because we have achieved a higher standard of diversity in our policy making process does not mean that we neglect the needs of our working class. Thus, this election wrongfully enlarges the class divide between the working class, minorities, and the middle class -- both sides feel wronged, and thus, tensions between them rises.
The aftermath of this election is unlike anything I have ever seen. People are genuinely fearful for their places in this country. The protests demonstrate that people do not know what to do with the results. They are scared, enraged, threatened, and heartbroken. On the one hand, this could be a good thing because people feel compelled to use their voices, but it is sad to see such a divided country. I think this election will divide everyone even more and make the parties more polarized because more than half of the country did not vote for the current President-Elect. Additionally, the majority of these people feel strong negative feelings about Trump.
ReplyDeleteI partially agree with Madelyn Obama. I believe that this election will create more polarized parties, however; I think that in a way this can potentially bring similar people together. Because the parties are so polarized, and it seems as though you either love Tump or hate him, I believe that these two vastly different opinionated groups will unite within themselves. Because many people disagree with Trumps potential policies, they are coming together to protest them. The common group of disagreeing (or agreeing) with Trump provides a common ground for people to express their political beliefs. Although political parties will remain polarized, its important to look at the unity emerging from the polarized groups.
DeleteThe backlash against president elect Trump will die soon because people will move on and realize that this democratic election is what America is all about. While I agree that Trump may not be a conventional candidate, he won fairly and there is good reason behind while he did. He has made many controversial comments that many citizens who want a political outsider with strong opinions and a dominant attitude support. Many are baffled by the results of the election but in reality, it is actually not that difficult to interpret.
ReplyDeleteThe election of Trump is almost like the American people's teenage rebellion phase. The majority of people who like Trump found his aggressive rhetoric refreshing. Once people realize that Trump's ideas are nearly impossible to execute they will revert back to more moderate candidates.
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