Mr. Trump, although you may think different, we can still do this together.
So, it happened. President Trump attempted to make good on a campaign promise to bar visitors from Muslim countries from entering the country by signing an executive order to temporarily ban refugees from seven mostly Muslim countries. However, what the president was probably not banking on is what happened next.
A Washington State federal judge halted the executive order, Trump’s Justice Department filed a motion to remove the block, and the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals responded with an emphatic, ‘No!’
Given this sad state of affairs our nation finds itself in, I thought it appropriate to pen this letter to the president.
Mr. Trump, although you may think different, we can still do this together.
As tough as this may be for you to accept, the majority of the United States of America sees things differently than you and most of your supporters. Yet, contrary to what you may believe, many of us also feel that there should be better vetting processes and stricter scrutiny for immigrants looking to better their lives in our country. Most of us do not advocate for completely open borders, allowing whoever wants to come in full access to the country.
We do, however, feel that a blanket ban on Muslims, and, let’s face it, this is what you are attempting to accomplish, is incredibly detrimental to the elements of religious freedom this country was founded on.
Whether it has already sunken in or not, the overturning of your Muslim ban by the courts, as well as the many thousands of protestors taking to the streets and the hundreds of thousands currently calling for your impeachment is not some vast left-wing conspiracy orchestrated by a dishonest media. You are being challenged on all fronts because your plan to ‘Make America Great Again’ is not working.
Which leads me to my question for you.
How does it feel to have your executive orders challenged and reversed? By the way, did you notice how the mass protests were larger than the crowds who gathered to attend your inauguration? Or better yet, how long do you think it will take before even more members of your political party turn against you? Because as I’m sure you already know, once it reaches a critical mass there are only one of two options left—impeachment or getting booted out of the White House four years from now in a staggering defeat.
Perhaps you are too insulated from the rest of us ‘little people’ for this to ever sink in. But if there is even a sliver of saneness or reasonability within your soul, then for goodness sakes, offer yourself an olive branch and ask yourself, ‘How do I want to be remembered’?
As an image-conscious individual involved with reality TV, you surely don’t want to be remembered as America’s Biggest Joke, do you? Over the past couple of weeks, you have asked that the hundreds of thousands of protestors taking to the streets give you a chance to govern. However, the problem is that you have been governing without taking into consideration the majority of Americans.
What Type of Legacy Do You Want to Leave Behind, Mr. Trump?
If you don’t want to be remembered as some villainy rogue President being escorted from the White House before jeering crowds, then you are going to have to work with the American people. Even those who don’t share your beliefs. Believe it or not, that’s what it means to be at the helm of a nation, especially one as big and diverse as this one.
As the millions of your fellow Americans have made perfectly clear; walls make no difference. Bans, nationalism, and protectionism are the tools of yesterday; but they aren’t viable tools for moving forward.
It would take an incredibly naive individual to think that the world of today is even the same as what it was even two years ago. And how did this happen? In large part, you and your ilk have helped to usher in an era of fear. But make no mistake, there are indeed people out there who wish to harm us, not the least of which are your good friends in Russia.
Which reminds me, why you chose to align yourself with a murderous dictator like Putin is something best left to the investigative journalists, but there is only so much that even your own supporters will accept about this alignment. That said, it might be in your best interests to put it on ice.
Immigration Threats—Real or Imagined?
Of course, there are threats, and there always will be but the message that citizens across the nation are sending are a sure sign that you are going about the whole thing the wrong way. You are essentially banning an entire religion, stirring up hatred, along with the potential for retribution in the process. Again, that we need to know who is coming into our country is not the issue. After all, every nation should have the proper screening and vetting in place.
What we do not need, however, is to turn away children running from war-torn regions. We do not need to turn away individuals such as your own mother who immigrated to these shores many years ago to make a better life for herself and benefit society in the process.
What we do not need is hate.
Although you will always have your core base of supporters, they will not be enough to carry you through if all you are touting is an agenda of hate, nationalism, and rage. The resistance you are experiencing is not a conspiracy, and you need to realize it is a very real threat to your presidency.
The country you vowed to make great again was already great before you even stepped onto the scene. So, please dispense with the delusions of grandeur and wake up before everyone in the nation ends up suffering. We’ve already seen what happens when a nation falls under the vicious spell of xenophobia. Fortunately, for Germany, they’ve since turned the ship around. Please do not steer America down the same path of pain and suffering.
