An Open Letter to the President Elect, Donald J. Trump

Dear Mr. Trump,

I did not vote for you, however friends and some family did. I don’t hate them for their vote, but I vehemently disagree with it. I am hurt by their decision, and more so because I feel I must now question their values, therefore questioning my relationship with them. 

In light of the situation, though, I have tried to take the positive and proactive path. I have asked my friends and followers to treat others, no matter who they voted for, as fellow human beings deserving of compassion and love. Some people find that difficult, and I can’t blame them, considering the hateful rhetoric and dangerous ideas you and your supporters promoted during the campaign. But I’m basing my views on a hypothesis that may or may not be correct.

Considering your track record for consistently changing your position on issues such as abortion, gay rights, the Iraq War and others, I hypothesize that you really don’t care about anyone other than yourself and your family. You saw the presidency as a trophy to acquire, and now that you have it, you’re almost confused as to what you should do with it. I hypothesize that you don’t truly believe all the things you said on the campaign trail. I believe you said what you said to court the voters to win. That’s the true definition of a demagogue.

Now that you have won, what do you plan to do? While stumping, you touted very little in the way of actual, coherent policy. You ridiculed your opponents because of the specifics of their ideas, yet offered no specifics to your own. What are your plans, and how do you plan to accomplish them? You say you want to “Make America Great Again,” but how do you plan on doing that? What about America isn’t great? For people of color, non-Christians, the LGBTQ community, and others, of course there are many things about America that aren’t great. But for a white male with an exorbitant amount of income at his disposal, what isn’t great about America?

Switching gears, to your acceptance speech, you mentioned unifying the country, and us all coming together. Did you mean that or was it something your advisors told you to say? Were you speaking from the heart, or were you saying whatever you thought would get you the most publicity? If it was the latter, then nothing I say will sway you. However, if it was the former, then I have a favor to ask; several, in fact.

(Nothing short of you and your running mate stepping down and not accepting the offices of President and Vice President will truly be acceptable, considering the campaign you ran. However, in the interest of bipartisan compromise…)

President-Elect Trump, would you openly and publicly condemn the endorsement you received from the known domestic terrorist group, the Ku Klux Klan? Would you openly and publicly condemn the illegal actions and hate crimes perpetrated by your supporters and in your name? Would you openly and publicly condemn the bullying you are engaged in with rivals? Would you openly and publicly support your wife’s initiative to combat bullying by changing your own behavior both in public and private? Would you openly and publicly apologize for your statements to women, about women, and your treatment of women? Would you openly and publicly honor the freedom of the press, even if they say things that you don’t like? Would you openly and publicly vow to protect ALL the citizens of the United States, and those who have sought refuge here, not just the ones you deem worthy of protection? Would you openly and publicly respect the Constitution of the United States that allows freedom of religion, even if that person’s God is pronounced, “Allah?”

Because, Mr. Trump, that is what you will be swearing to on Friday, January 20th, 2017.

If my hypothesis is correct, you will take that oath, say what you need to say, get in that office, put your head on the desk, and, perhaps for the first time in your life, admit defeat…Because this is the biggest thing you have ever or will ever do in your life, and you are wholly unprepared for it. The question is, how many people’s lives will be negatively affected by your “fake it ‘til you make it” attitude? 

But…If you truly are the person who is deserving of the office of President, then convince us that you are. Convince us that hate is not the position you choose to take on every issue. Convince us that compassion and empathy are possible within your leadership. Convince us that this country and its people aren’t broken for voting in at best, a passive aggressive bigot, at worst, a dangerous demagogue who can literally bring down the whole of civilization.

Show us you’re better than you were on the campaign trail. Publicly denounce these acts of domestic terrorism committed by your loyal following as what they are: Hate crimes. Prosecute these criminals to the fullest extent of the law as you have claimed to do to your former opponent. Prove those of us who know you’re unfit for the office wrong. Or will you take Nixon’s approach? “Well, when the president does it, that means that it is not illegal.” 

You are a dangerous person, Mr. Trump, and more so, with your new power. Prove to us that you will not “Make America Great Again” but make America even better for everyone, not just people who look like you. Prove us wrong, sir. Prove me wrong.

Sincerely,

Erica Schultz

 

1 thought on “An Open Letter to the President Elect, Donald J. Trump

  1. DCS says:

    “I hypothesize that you don’t truly believe all the things you said on the campaign trail. I believe you said what you said to court the voters to win. That’s the true definition of a demagogue.”

    Sounds to me like a typical politician, not necessarily a demagogue.

    “I did not vote for you, however friends and some family did. I don’t hate them for their vote, but I vehemently disagree with it. I am hurt by their decision, and more so because I feel I must now question their values, therefore questioning my relationship with them.”

    A thought. Beliefs are opinions, and opinions are emotional resolutions to cognitive dissonance. Where opinions are concerned, there are no true facts. Opinions are abstractions, non-provables. We all see the world differently, but we’re all looking at the same world. Abdullah and the Pope are both right.

    Reply

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