America is entering an era of moving backwards instead of progressing forward. Our president, Donald Trump, openly exhibits nationalist and xenophobic qualities, condemns peaceful protest, and prioritizes spending on the military while taking away funding from countless other things. Additionally, Trump seems to act as though he's 60 years younger than he actually is, using degrading words like "rocket man," and constantly tweeting nonsensical things. You could also compare Trump to an angry, annoying housewife, easily offended and giving his opinion frequently when it's absolutely unnecessary and unprofessional to do so. I don't think anyone could have predicted that we'd have a president who seems to have more money than brains, especially after having President Obama, who had two college degrees, one of which was from Harvard.

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Trump's newest nonsensical rant is directed toward football players who choose kneel during the national anthem. Trump, in regular, unprofessional fashion, called the peacefully protesting football players 'sons of bitches,' and said they should be fired for their choice to kneel. While Trump is allowed to have whatever opinion he wants, it's indisputably dangerous for a president of a democratic society to openly condemn peaceful protest. I mean, if we don't have the choice to kneel during the anthem, are we really the land of the free? Furthermore, if no one has the nerve to question and protest America's issues, are we really the land of the brave? Making standing during the anthem or saying the pledge of allegiance compulsory would be more fascist than republican. JFK, one of the most highly regarded presidents in American history said it himself: "Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable."

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The only answer to changing this is to keep protesting peacefully, to keep defying injustice in a way that can not result in arrest, changing the world in a way that doesn't hurt others. Activism and awareness are the only way to end this injustice, we must ensure that the next president we have will care about all people, not just white, middle class families. We must elect a president that will protect the right to protest our state, that will ensure health care for all families, and will fund important programs besides the military. Even just a president who exhibits professionalism would be better than the disgraceful man we have now at president, who is the antithesis of a role model.

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