Hoards of women have been quoted saying, "Well-behaved women seldom make history." And in the spirit of 2017's newest leader of the free world, Donald Trump has made nasty women out of thousands who previously were uninterested in politics. Yes, President Trump, I am saying that your opposition is a direct result of your actions, or to put it more bluntly, is entirely your fault. And here is why.
Historically, leaders who tell their populations that their rights are less than others and that they should just back down for their own good have met unfortunate and often fatal ends. Whether it was Louis XVI trying to raise France's taxes in 1789, Nicolae Ceausescu trying to hold onto power after his 24-year rule of Romania, or Muammar Gaddafi battling rebels in the recent Arab Spring which spread to Libya in the early 2010's, these authoritarian rulers reached the end of their positions of power as well as their lives because they didn't listen to their people. These were not clean revolutions evidently. And while protesters against Trump haven't threatened violence (for the most part), the language that Trump uses resembles that of dictators and monarchs who used fear and xenophobia to other outsiders and advance their own means. And we see how that often ends brutally.
I don't want violence. I want activism. We saw hundreds of thousands of people marching in Washington and millions protesting nationally and internationally the weekend of Trump's inauguration. Listening to The Young Turks' live coverage of inauguration weekend, we witnessed both the media and the public vehemently denouncing Trump's words and action against those outside of his normal. By this, I mean people of different genders, sexualities, abled bodies, nationalities, and opposing political views. Not that there aren't people supporting Trump, but they are less likely to be a part of these select groups.
According to the PEW Research Center, white men of an older age and with less education were more likely to support Trump than Clinton during the 2016 election. There is also the working class vote which Trump won overwhelmingly because the Republican party has been representing working class ideals more and more. By promoting anti-immigrant and pro-blue collar jobs in his platform, Trump brought together a cumbersome and homogeneous voting base that wanted to return to ideals that they believed would place their values back in a priority. Whether Trump upholds those ideals is another bridge to cross, but let's focus on what's happening right now.
Because of the language that Trump ascribed to and the people he aimed to please both before and after the election, he alienated what could have been a diverse support system. And don't even get me started on Trump supporters who claim that Trump only said mean things while Hillary endangered the public. Because of what Trump has said and his choices in allies, we will see immediate action to limit climate change initiatives, deport undocumented immigrants, and repeal the Affordable Care Act. And Vice President Mike Pence has previously supported the use of government-funded gay conversion therapy.
While this is among some anti-globalization policies that I would support under different circumstances, I cannot support the overall picture. His 100-day plan is expensive and will repeal millions of Americans' rights if certain bills and orders pass through all three branches of government.
So this is why I openly oppose Trump. And whether it is because of their support of women, people of color, undocumented immigrants, affordable healthcare, or a combination of reasons, this is why millions of other Americans openly oppose and mock the 45th president of the United States. This won't stop. While Trump can take some criticism, it is when he is reminded of his failures that he lashes out publicly (and often childishly on Twitter). We will continue to remind him of his failures and others will join us as he pursues a job he has no qualifications for.
I don't want the leader of the United States to fail necessarily. But I can either see him adjusting his policies to be more inclusive or resigning before he is impeached. So welcome to the White House, Donald Trump. We will be waiting and we will not let up. I look forward to watching you deal with a public watching your every move. Let's see if you can handle us.