It's finally happened. Donald Trump, the man who has taken American politics by storm and pretty much controlled every single headline since Fall 2015, has finally been sworn in as the 45th president of the United States. Depending on the person, you are either ecstatic or disgusted. That's what makes it the most confusing I guess; but although he is certainly not perfect, we need to embrace him as the guy from here on out.
I remembered the day Barack Obama was sworn into office in 2008. It was a day that was filled with excitement, joy, and hope. Being the naive 5th grader I was, I saw it as something almost magical seeing him succeed and acknowledging the change he represented. I was seeing history in the making, and thought now that he is president, the world would change for the better. I thought that he had the power to fix everything, but I didn't take into consideration the complexity of the issues he would be tackling. Fifth graders should never run for president.
Now, as a college freshman, I understand on a much greater level of how he did his job, and must honestly say that a lot of the things he carried out while in office I was not in support of. I started to question his policies and positions on certain issues, and was surrounded by people, friends and family alike, that did not believe in him anymore. What started off as such a promising and inspiring campaign was something that became to many as just a bunch of empty promises. It is for these reasons why we all should've seen this election result coming, especially when Hillary Clinton received the democratic nod, that an outsider running a polarizing campaign would singlehandedly take down the establishment.
Now, as stark of a contrast to Obama as there could be, Trump's inauguration has come with general feelings of fear and negativity. At the end of the day, however, he is still the president, the man that was chosen to do the job. Many of the things he's said prior to being elected were certainly questionable, but nothing he's said before is going to change the reality. That means that people should not be rioting in the streets over the fact that he is president, the guy literally has not done anything yet to hurt the American people.
From here on out, I will support and acknowledge President Trump as the man leading this country, knowing very well that his slogan to "Make America Great Again" could fall just as short as Obama's "Yes We Can" promise did for me since 2008. I want to see him succeed and do a great job running the country, in spite of all the times he made himself look stupid during the campaign. I also will continue to look at facts as opposed to believing everything the media says, as I think a lot of news is biased and manipulated. If the day comes where Trump messes up "big-league," I will be sure to point it out, especially if its not in everyone's best interests.
The bottomline is to give the man a chance. Depending on who you are, he is either your favorite or least favorite person, but at this point we're all stuck with him. He claims to have an agenda that prioritizes the safety and well-being of Americans before anyone else, and for now we should honor that. Until he proves otherwise, there is no reason to complain and be petty, it will only make matters worse.
The world will not end, everyone will be fine, and America, as always, will prevail.
