Carly Menker
Editor in Chief '17
Walking down 5th avenue, as I approach 56th street on the way to the restaurant I'm headed to for dinner, the amount of people clustered on the sidewalks seems to increase drastically. Side streets are blocked off and as I look around there is more of a police presence here than usual. After pulling up google maps to see where I am exactly, on the block ahead of me it shows the following: DUMP TOWER. After double clicking it, Trump Tower comes up.
With everything that happened within this past election, it makes perfect sense why this would be the case. The rivalry between the political parties drives people to points of insanity. The day election results were known, the Canadian immigration website crashed. American citizens have lost faith in our country, yet just days after Trump has been elected into office he has already gone back on his radically obscure promises. Many people are becoming less nervous about the Trump presidency as a whole, but more so about the environment it will procure for America.
How can ethical residents support a man who is a slut-shaming, racist bully, misogynist, homophobe, and white supremacist? How can they support a woman who is a criminal who fights fire with fire, discriminates towards millennials and homeless, and has zero stamina? Both candidates have their faults. The election became a matter of picking who would be the best of the worst. Yet, if wanted, it is possible to find the better parts of both of them. The lens a person chooses to see through is what dictates their opinion in its entirety.
Although lacking in the politics department, Trump has built an entire empire. An American entrepreneur, author, and television personality, Trump has dedicated his life to getting himself to where he is today. A graduate of Ivy-league University of Pennsylvania, after beginning work with his father’s company, Trump gained an affinity for his work with his charismatic larger than life personality helping him soar to success. After years of working in entrepreneurship, he decided to run for president in the republican campaign. Through the journey, he came head to head with opposing candidate Hillary many times. Yet, Hillary herself has complimented Trump on his children, who are incredibly able and devoted, which says a lot about Trump because he was responsible for raising them.
Hillary’s situation was radically different. As previous Secretary of State, Senator of NY, and First Lady, Hillary had a leg up in the political game. She attended Wellesley College, and has been involved in politics for majority of her life. Attending a UN conference in Belgium, Hillary stated "human rights are women's rights and women's rights are human rights", a message necessary to be heard by many misogynistic people in the world. A role model for many young women and girls, Hillary has spent her life breaking down the barriers of the constraint of the societal combine. When she lost the election to Trump, she handled it with grace, leaving with the lasting words “to all the little girl whose are watching this, never doubt that you are valuable and powerful and deserving of every chance and opportunity in the world to pursue and achieve your own dreams”. Hillary is not a quitter, and Trump has complimented Hillary on this fact; that she is a fighter, and works extremely hard towards what she believes in.
This election has come to influence every aspect of our lives, voting age or not. In America, everyone has freedom of opinion. Yet this election has caused people to self-censor their opinions; because of their immense fear of shame they will face from exposing where their true political opinions lie. In Great Neck North High, there is a fair share of both Trump supporters and Hillary supporters alike. This time around though, many have chosen to stay apolitical- for fear of repercussions. People have become afraid to express their opinions, and that is a problem. America should not reside under a presidency in which persons of all ethnicities and colors are terrified to make their voices heard. Speak out, because nothing is worse than ideas unexpressed. Words never spoken will never have the impact to change the world.
Editor in Chief '17
Walking down 5th avenue, as I approach 56th street on the way to the restaurant I'm headed to for dinner, the amount of people clustered on the sidewalks seems to increase drastically. Side streets are blocked off and as I look around there is more of a police presence here than usual. After pulling up google maps to see where I am exactly, on the block ahead of me it shows the following: DUMP TOWER. After double clicking it, Trump Tower comes up.
With everything that happened within this past election, it makes perfect sense why this would be the case. The rivalry between the political parties drives people to points of insanity. The day election results were known, the Canadian immigration website crashed. American citizens have lost faith in our country, yet just days after Trump has been elected into office he has already gone back on his radically obscure promises. Many people are becoming less nervous about the Trump presidency as a whole, but more so about the environment it will procure for America.
How can ethical residents support a man who is a slut-shaming, racist bully, misogynist, homophobe, and white supremacist? How can they support a woman who is a criminal who fights fire with fire, discriminates towards millennials and homeless, and has zero stamina? Both candidates have their faults. The election became a matter of picking who would be the best of the worst. Yet, if wanted, it is possible to find the better parts of both of them. The lens a person chooses to see through is what dictates their opinion in its entirety.
Although lacking in the politics department, Trump has built an entire empire. An American entrepreneur, author, and television personality, Trump has dedicated his life to getting himself to where he is today. A graduate of Ivy-league University of Pennsylvania, after beginning work with his father’s company, Trump gained an affinity for his work with his charismatic larger than life personality helping him soar to success. After years of working in entrepreneurship, he decided to run for president in the republican campaign. Through the journey, he came head to head with opposing candidate Hillary many times. Yet, Hillary herself has complimented Trump on his children, who are incredibly able and devoted, which says a lot about Trump because he was responsible for raising them.
Hillary’s situation was radically different. As previous Secretary of State, Senator of NY, and First Lady, Hillary had a leg up in the political game. She attended Wellesley College, and has been involved in politics for majority of her life. Attending a UN conference in Belgium, Hillary stated "human rights are women's rights and women's rights are human rights", a message necessary to be heard by many misogynistic people in the world. A role model for many young women and girls, Hillary has spent her life breaking down the barriers of the constraint of the societal combine. When she lost the election to Trump, she handled it with grace, leaving with the lasting words “to all the little girl whose are watching this, never doubt that you are valuable and powerful and deserving of every chance and opportunity in the world to pursue and achieve your own dreams”. Hillary is not a quitter, and Trump has complimented Hillary on this fact; that she is a fighter, and works extremely hard towards what she believes in.
This election has come to influence every aspect of our lives, voting age or not. In America, everyone has freedom of opinion. Yet this election has caused people to self-censor their opinions; because of their immense fear of shame they will face from exposing where their true political opinions lie. In Great Neck North High, there is a fair share of both Trump supporters and Hillary supporters alike. This time around though, many have chosen to stay apolitical- for fear of repercussions. People have become afraid to express their opinions, and that is a problem. America should not reside under a presidency in which persons of all ethnicities and colors are terrified to make their voices heard. Speak out, because nothing is worse than ideas unexpressed. Words never spoken will never have the impact to change the world.