5 Reasons People Protest Donald Trump

5 Reasons People Protest Donald Trump

Presidential candidate and Republican Party nominee Donald Trump has created quite a stir in the 2016 election thus far. Is it because of his inability to let others speak during debates? Is it his blatantly racist, sexist, and xenophobic remarks? Are people realizing that his stances don't represent  the United States, but instead are a capitalization of issues in the United States that uninformed voters support with intense emotion and no logic? Is it the reaction of his supporters and the attention the media pays to these incidents? The answer is indeed all of the above. I want to dive into some of the reasons why people are protesting this candidate's events so passionately and why the media is eating it up.

Racism

The first, and most likely the largest, reason I noticed intense altercations at Donald Trump rallies is the racial tension he has created and given an excuse for. Mr. Trump's comments throughout the campaign and his past have shown his ignorance and racial biases. It is as simple as that. Whether he is calling Mexicans "rapists", African Americans "lazy", or Jewish men and women "political masterminds", he always finds a way to expose his true racist nature. We are a nation that has always prided itself on being a melting pot of cultures, races, religions, and nationalities. In fact, the very founding of this nation is based on these principles. Attempting to stifle the unity that has created incomprehensible progress in technology, economics, culture, society, politics and so much more for this nation, and the world as a whole, is potentially the most anti-American thing I have ever seen. The great people of this nation will not sit idly by and let someone divide us by the color of our skin. For this reason, they protest. And when they protest it is not uncommon to hear racial slurs from those Trump supporters. This alone is reason enough to protest every appearance this man makes for the rest of his life.

Childishness

If you've ever seen a Republican debate during this campaign then you've seen a grown man act like a 4-year-old child who can't stand to see others receive attention. Donald Trump spent a large part of his stage time yelling over other candidates, attempting to hush them, or slipping in insults to distract listeners from his inability to adequately discuss policy. What do you think will happen when he is meeting with world leaders to discuss major global issues? Is he going to yell over Vladimir Putin, the controller of the most nuclear warheads in the world? (www.sipri.org) His childishness continues even in the way he handles someone's freedom of protest. His encouragement of supporters violently removing protesters just proves he can't handle anyone who doesn't agree with him. Donald Trump is a nightmare for the United States' international relations. People protest him because they know he won't address their questions, and they exploit the incompetence of his stances. Mr. Trump acts like a childish dictator. He removes free speech from his presence and uses violence to silence all who stand up to him.

Sexism

Trump's continuous remarks about women in this campaign have opened people's eyes about his character. He views women as visual tools that  can fix bad publicity, gain an advantage in the workplace, and are at fault for 26,000 unreported sexual assaults in the military. This man refuses to acknowledge anything about women except for his twisted views on what he thinks is their place in modern society. How can we even begin to support a man who can't see women as having in value other than appearance? Trump's inability to accept something so simple as the equality of sexes is more than enough reason to stand up to him in any way possible. This nation is supposed to help set an example for the world and the way politics help further the human rights agenda. We have been making a lot of progress in exposing systematic biases in recent years. As much as it may seem frustrating, the conversation has been started and we are taking steps in the right direction, or at least beginning to publicly hold those who don't help the cause accountable. Our society can't afford to take giant steps backwards after the progress we have fought so hard to make. 

Economic Incompetence

One of the biggest arguments for supporting Trump has been this strange belief that he is going to fix the economy in these tough times. Oh he's going to bring jobs back to America? Not a single one of Trump's alleged policies are going to bring jobs back to the United States or boost our economy. In fact, his stance on immigration alone is a violation of the most basic principles of economics. He doesn't support the market's ability to grow, regulate price, or invest back into communities. Placing large tariffs on China and Mexico are only going to either spike prices on products imported from those nations, including the American car manufacturers who operate largely in Mexico, or force Americans to purchase the more expensive and lower quality goods produced domestically. Either way, economics 101 teaches us that a higher price results in lower demand. If you force us to pay more we will buy less, and all those jobs that are supposedly created from buying domestically start to dwindle alongside each company's sales. Forcing economic isolationism via tax and trade policy isn't going to make matters any worse. Wouldn't it make more sense to cut back on the cost of importing goods so that Americans can spend less, invest more, and get the best products for their money? Yeah, I think so too.

Media Coverage

Media coverage plays a huge part in everything this man does and all that surrounds him. Protesters know if they cause a scene at a Trump rally they will also be on the news and trending in social media. The problem is, the media never covers why they protest or how Trump addresses the issue. All they cover is the violent carnage that ensues from the incidents. So what does Trump gain out of it? Trump gains all the publicity and the mob mentality that appears to be pulling in supporters. The media needs to stop giving this man and his flaws so much time on television. Instead we should be hearing about his policies and what they mean for the country. Those who protest are being robbed of the very message they took a beating to spread. When African American protesters question Hillary Clinton about her remarks regarding the black community the media outlets ate up every detail of the altercation. I can't even tell you what Trump protesters were standing for because the news only wants to see the violence. This is a disservice to all that protest accomplishes for the United States. 

What else can we do?

Protesting this man's rallies only seem to be boosting the mob mentality that has swept uninformed voters into a frenzy of passionate and ignorant support. The best thing we can do for the sake of this nation is to avoid any kind of support for this man. Don't watch his rallies, don't watch his speeches, don't follow his social media, don't spread his image. Turn yourself away and direct the energy you would use to spread his face in protest towards something that will make a positive impact. Use your voice in all its outlets to raise awareness of the third party options for the 2016 election. The front runners for both major parties are destined to doom this nation for the length of their presence in Washington. Shed light on the Libertarian Party and all the services it provides to supporters of both parties. Help them understand how we are fighting to break the system that has kept us sheltered, ignorant, and obedient for too long.