Letter to the Editor: Response to Letter from 2/16

In a recent letter to the editor, a fellow student makes claims that under President Trump’s governance, minorities in America have more access to jobs and that people can be assured of their president standing up for their rights among other things. My question is, when have these statements been proven in the past year of his presidency? Under the Trump administration we’ve seen his disrespect towards immigrants, the institution of travel bans, the approval of the Dakota Access Pipeline, support for private prisons and more. Actions such as these have isolated populations of the American people. Through bitter diatribes on social media, documented opinions from his business career and official speeches, Trump vocally manifests the implicit (sometimes explicit) racism present in his policies.

A common response at this point is that the media is biased and that liberal news sites are attempting to lead a revolt against Trump with disrespect never seen before in American politics. Everyone has biases — media outlets present this, and this is not new. A simple solution is to read a variety of news sources instead of trusting word-of-mouth or Facebook. If you truly want the American people to keep encouraging one another to “make America great again” (a phrase with problematic implications), start by taking the time to see things from the perspective of your neighbors even if they look different from you, because diversity is what can make America great.