Trump Supporters: Feeling Left Out?

Let me play you a song on the world’s smallest hugest, alternative-facts-free, really just terrific violin.

On January 25th, Syracuse’s Daily Orange published an article titled “Feeling unwelcome, Trump supporters at Syracuse University want civility.” The article falls under a category on their website “Life Under Trump.” It goes into detail about the hardships Trump supporters have been going through at SU. The SU Trump supporters have apparently been feeling a lot of “open hostility” thrown at them since he announced his candidacy. How tragic.

In just two weeks, President Trump has definitely done what he’s promised, and then some; so this article’s timing really is perfect. Executive orders enforcing the building of “The Wall,” renewal of construction on the North Dakota Access Pipeline, dismantling the Affordable Care Act; I really can’t decide which presidential decision this article juxtaposes more beautifully with. But one presidential order glares above the rest—the “Muslim Ban.” If we really want to talk about someone feeling “unwelcomed” let’s take a look at the executive order on immigration that is unapologetically targeting an entire religion.

It’s hard to feel sympathy for these Trump-supporting oranges (pun completely intended), when the person they have supported is trying to make an entire group of people feel unwelcomed in a country that boasts inclusivity at it’s front door. Literally, the plaque at the base of the Statue of Liberty reads, "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me…” Isn’t this ban a direct violation of what Lady Liberty asks of us?

“Feeling Unwelcomed” focuses on conservative Syracuse students who have experienced hostility in the classroom or on campus in general. The D.O. piece quotes a student: “I think far too often we focus on the ideas themselves or the decisions themselves, and we shut down to the person behind the decision.” Hm. Curious. This student is asking us to put our political beliefs aside and just be nice! Well, I’d love to. But it really is just impossible when the entire Trump campaign was run on the dehumanization of marginalized groups. This was just one brave Trump supporting student who chose to reveal his name. Some students questioned felt the need to remain anonymous in the face of all of this hate. Yeah, honestly, I completely understand. It’s hard to have the balls to admit to your xenophobic, sexist, and racist ways. I get it, you don’t want all the “bad hombres” and “nasty women” to know that you, in fact, support someone who is inherently against their existence.

Eric King, Jerk’s Executive Editor, says, “If you are supporting ~truly~ conservative ideology and politics, fine, there’s nothing overtly insidious about that. But if you want to express our opinion, you can’t cower away when others in your class or peer group want to challenge you.” Doesn’t shying away from confrontation about your politics make you just as bad as your special-snowflake-liberal peers? If these masked conservative students are really feeling so unwelcomed, maybe they should talk to their Muslim, LGBTQ, female, or minority classmates; they could probably gain some insight about what being unwelcomed really feels like.

I’d like to give these students who complain about being “attacked” for their political beliefs some advice from their own party—toughen up. If you can’t take the heat get out of this goddamn kitchen. You won. Trump is in office, and now everyone should be critical of his moves, Republican or Democrat. You don’t get to feel marginalized about it.