Here it is. My final article for the Wildizine. I could have written an article about our school, my favorite teacher, my wild experiences… but I decided to write about Donald Trump. Why would I write my last article about one of the least favorite presidents of the US history? Well, while other seniors may have something personal to write about, there is something that needs to be said to you, my dear fellow Americans and those who live in America.  

It has been 16 months since Donald Trump became the 46th President of the USA and almost every day I hear people blaming Trump as a problem in our daily lives. Hate speeches, racism, sexism are all motivated by Trump. Trump’s presidency brought nothing but pain, terror, humiliation. Right? The President of the United States of America, the country known for its exemplary democracy, is an immoral businessman who found his way out of paying taxes for more than ten years. It hurts, doesn’t it? It hurts that it is no more “The Land of Opportunities” where people would come from all over the world to achieve their dreams. Now, to the world, it is an unwelcoming, Islamophobic, anti-semitic, and white supremacist place. We can’t help but ask ourselves “Who is to blame?” We all turn our faces to Trump. Trump is the problem. What is going on in America is because of him.

However, truth be told, if you are looking for the guilty, you need to look into a mirror. The problem is not with Trump. The problem is with the people and the how the system works. Trump showed us the sad reality that we were hiding from ourselves for quite a long time. The reality is that people are still sexist, racist, and homophobic. You can dread it and run from it, but these problems will still be there. Trump is the one who exposed that reality to you. If it was not Trump, it would have been someone else. You can impeach Trump, but it would not solve the problem. These problems are and still will be here without him.

If we think about America as a garden, racism, discrimination, and ignorance are a weed. Imagine that it stays under the ground, and pops out after several decades. Whenever it is out in nature, it is vulnerable. However, it stays out only for a short period of time. If you do not cut it while it is out in nature, once it goes deep under the ground, it will continue spreading its roots, making things worse and worse. Now, the question is “Are you gonna just watch the weed grow into something more evil?” Life has presented you an amazing opportunity to stop the weed. Like many of you, I appreciate the comforts of routine and the tranquility of the repetition. Nevertheless, it is the time to act.  It is the high time we got rid of the plague that brings down America. Do not fight the people, fight the ideas.