It doesn't really matter whether you supported him or abhorred him: no one genuinely saw his victory coming.
And honestly, for the purpose of this post, it really doesn't matter who ultimately won; what matters is the rhetoric from the campaign.
Trump's campaign was characterized by a right-wing, nationalistic platform, and his actual rallies consisted of "the Donald" ranting for several hours about what is wrong with America and how he is the only one who can fix it. Guests at his rallies could often be heard chanting to lock up his opponent, Hillary Clinton, or were frequently incited to violence towards protestors by their candidate.
On the very day Trump announced his candidacy, he called Mexicans "rapists," and insinuated they are all criminals and bring drugs, which is factually not even remotely true, but also carries with it some potentially xenophobic or racist undertones.
Trump later called for a total shutdown of Muslims entering the United States.
He mocked a disabled reporter for their disability. He got into a feud with the Khan family, the parents of a U.S. veteran killed in the line of duty overseas. He joked about committing sexual assault and getting away with it because he was rich, and was accused of sexually assaulting numerous women.
Many of his comments left many undecided voters and Clinton supporters feeling like there was not a place for them in Trump's America. Many felt like a Trump victory would be the literal end of the world because of how disenfranchised they would be.
Gaudium Et Spes is a Vatican document that dictates how the Church should interact with the prevailing culture. In Section 55 of the document, the Church states that:
"From day to day, in every group or nation, there is an increase in the number of men and women who are conscious that they themselves are the authors and the artisans of the culture of their community. Throughout the whole world there is a mounting increase in the sense of autonomy as well as of responsibility. This is of paramount importance for the spiritual and moral maturity of the human race. This becomes more clear if we consider the unification of the world and the duty which is imposed upon us, that we build a better world based upon truth and justice. Thus we are witnesses of the birth of a new humanism, one in which man is defined first of all by this responsibility to his brothers and to history."I believe that many Clinton supporters and undecided voters looked at Trump's rhetoric and realized that they did not agree with him, leading them to resolve to work to become the authors and artisans of the culture of their community (country.) Working against them was the many Trump supporters who believed that it was their duty to their brothers and sisters to work to get Trump elected because they believe it is best to reshape our culture under his platform. Ultimately, it is the American voters who are responsible for shaping and reshaping their culture not only through who they elect, but also by how they choose to live everyday and what values and world-views they decide will govern their lives.
All voters this election cycle who stood behind their candidate did so because they wanted to improve their culture, to reshape it either in a more accepting and loving way, or in an untested but hope-giving view of the future. Most votes were cast in an attempt to reshape our culture in a chance to give it a new direction.
It is very easy to vilify voters who supported an opposing candidate, but it is important to remember that everyone is only doing what they believe to be best for the country. No one takes part of an election because they hate our society, but because they always want to continue to be a part of how it is shaped.
As good voters, Catholic, Christian, or otherwise, we need to be aware of our own culture's past and present so we can make informed choices about how we want to shape its future.
Culture played a huge role in this election on the national scale of "American culture" and the many different cultures that make up American culture. I think you pointed out some valid points and not so positive comments from the Presidential elect. You are right to point out that it is important we as people and Christians make "informed decisions" while also keeping in mind the culture from our past and present. Now that the election is over, I believe this is a chance for all Christians to bring about the best in themselves and to show God's love by being kind and respectful to everyone- regardless of religion, race, or background. As you quoted from Gaudium et Spes, we have a "responsibility to [our] brothers." Yes, it may be challenging to bring about unification throughout a nation so divided- especially for a few months after the election, but it is through times like these that can be our greatest opportunity for us to be great representatives of the Church and of God's image.
ReplyDeleteI appreciated that you highlighted the emotions of those anti-Trump voters through the election: "Many felt like a Trump victory would be the literal end of the world because of how disenfranchised they would be." That's pretty much exactly how I felt Wednesday morning after the election. However, in the few days that followed I started to realize that I couldn't rely on the president to cultivate society, but that I, as you said, had a responsibility to "resolve to work to become the authors and artisans of the culture of [my] community."
ReplyDelete^^ The second comment was Benjamin Hergenroeder (I'm bad at technology and didn't put my name in it)
ReplyDeleteIt is undeniable that cultural differences played a major role within this election, one only needs to look at a county map of the United States to see which regions and cities voted for which candidate, as well as which type of people voted for which candidate. This election prompts the question how will culture trend as a result of this election? To this, I do not know, but as Gaudium et Spes declares, it is not the elite, but the common authors and artisans that will decide the culture, not the leaders.
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