If there’s one thing in this world that I dislike more than the Boston Celtics, it would be politicians. I’m also not a fan of people who are rude. If you put two and two together, it’s safe to say that the blossoming presidential race has been a rather frustrating experience for me so far.
Let’s be real, GOP candidate Donald Trump has built his entire campaign on being a loudmouthed bully. Every time he’s given a platform, a stream of racist, sexist and sometimes downright ignorant statements spew out of his mouth like water from a fire hydrant.
Despite all of that, a great amount of people consider him the perfect choice to take residence within the Oval Office. Opinion polls from organizations all across the country frequently have him leading the other Republican candidates, and social media is ablaze with people pledging their allegiance to his presidential aspirations. My main question here is, “Why?”
In an Aug. 17 piece for The Atlantic, author Conor Friedensdorf conducted a series of interviews with 30 individuals who have announced their support for Trump’s campaign as a way to understand what they like most about him.
Responses included one person appreciating Trump’s business-savvy approach to correcting the economy, while a couple others admitted they simply want to see the chaos that would ensue if he were to actually win. Some have even cited (you guessed it) his brash personality as the source of his magnetic appeal.
“Mr. Trump is truthful,” said one of the unnamed people interviewed. “Good or bad, the truthfulness of his words are as clear as a breath of fresh air spoken from a foundation of experience and wisdom with a dash of enthusiasm.”
Yes, Trump is exercising his undeniable right to free speech – the same right that I’m taking advantage of while writing this article – but where do we draw the line between expressing ourselves and just being flat-out verbally abusive?
Instead of debating his opponents in a professional and civilized manner, Trump repeatedly bellows terms like “loser” or “fat pig” to disparage those who disagree with him. Doing this makes him come off more as that kid who said he’s going to beat you up on the playground than the potential leader of the free world.
The fact that people not only support, but also encourage this kind of behavior could potentially set a rather harmful precedent for the way we interact with one another down the road. Many say that embracing and imitating Trump’s abrasiveness is a way to combat a “PC culture” within our society, but ultimately, I think it’s a matter of human decency.
We shouldn’t be afraid to be argumentative, dissenting or bold when it comes to stating our opinions, but relying on taunts and a narcissistic attitude doesn’t make your beliefs any more right than opposing ones. Quite frankly, it just makes you a jerk, and no amount of money or hair products can ever change that.
