Trumped by age: Teens look at new president

Editor’s Note: Jessica Zaccarelli of Caln is a junior at Bishop Shanahan High School who has an interest in writing. She was asked last month to get reactions from her peers to the election of Donald J. Trump as president in anticipation of his inauguration on Friday. This is her report.

“The kids of tomorrow don’t need today when they live in the sins of yesterday.”

For some Chester County teenagers, this quote from a song called “Red Flag” by the popular band Billy Talent rang true when they woke up on Nov. 9 to the news that Donald J. Trump would officially become the 45th president of the United States.

In their eyes, they had no say in making the decision of who would be leading their country and shaping American society for the next four years, and yet they would be the ones whose lives that fact could shape in the future. It was reported shortly after the election that there had been a sudden spike in hateful actions against specific groups such as people attacking young African American students both physically and verbally, drawing swastikas in public places, and writing graffiti that reads ‘Make America White Again.’

However, there were others who were more optimistic about the outcome of this election. With Trump in the White House some hope that he will be the man of action that he claims to be, while others are expecting him to make the wrong kind of progress.

To gauge the overall reaction, area high school students were asked for their opinions on the new “United States of Trump.” To ensure their candidness, those interviewed were allowed to give only their first names.

Naomi, 17, is especially worried by the hate she says that she has seen spreading across the United States. As an Arab, bisexual, young female she feels that many of President-elect Trump’s ideas could negatively affect her and her family.

“Not only did half the people vote for him, but so many people I know support him and his policies which stand for hate against people like me,” she said. Naomi is also concerned that Trump supporters’ “the president did it, so I can too” attitude will make matters even worse. She went on to say, “He is proven to be bigoted in the way he treats women like objects, his offensive comments towards people of color, the LGBT community, and other marginalized groups. I am just worried that his hate will become policy.”

The policies he has already proposed raise concern for many different reasons as well. For instance, many people voiced concerns about the wall that Trump suggested we build on the Mexican border.

Stacey, 17, said, “The wall is economically unsound and most likely would take longer than just one presidential term,” and she was not the only one who held this opinion. She also explained that Trump’s lack of specific policies scares her too.

Some teens are not worried about what he will do as much as they are worried about the things he will ignore. For instance, Michael, 16, is concerned about how President-elect Trump will address the issue of climate change. “Climate change is something that is very important to the future and could affect me and my generation,” he said. Trump has repeatedly stated that climate change is not a real problem and that America should be worrying about its own affairs, he said. “If Presidentelect Trump ignores climate change then it could make the issue much worse,” Michael added.

While many young Americans are concerned about how Mr. Trump will hurt the country, others are more hopeful that he will be a force of positive change. Chase, 17, said, “I like his idea of allying with Russia and creating a better trade relationship with them.” He also mentioned that Trump’s business expertise could potentially create new jobs and good business deals with other countries.

Chase also went on to say that Trump will help the country because “he is a realist and he won’t tolerate uprisings and rebellions.”

Some supporters reacted to the protests that occurred in the streets of big cities after the election. Places like Chicago and Boston had many protesters taking to the streets and shouting slogans such as, “not my president, not today!” Chants like this also make many teens wonder what their future will be like.

Ryan, 17, said, “People screaming ‘not my president’ doesn’t solve anything. They have to fight for what they believe.” Ryan pointed out that neither of the candidates in this election were promising and that we cannot just stay in denial. He continued to say, “I can only support my president until he makes a mistake that greatly harms this country.”

Many people hold very differing opinions on what America’s next president will mean for this country, but no matter what view you have, most can agree that there is much progress to be made and teens are no different. Perhaps they see the world through a different lens, but that offers a new perspective on the election.

Although we may not be old enough to vote, our future is still affected with every election.

Jessica Zacharelli