President Donald Trump’s address Monday evening was alarming and infuriating to many Americans for a number of reasons. Somewhere in between the incoherent babbling and deplorable attempts at defending himself and his actions, the president announced that not only does he plan on keeping troops in Afghanistan, but he wants to send more.
Trump’s stance on the war in Afghanistan can be described as shaky, at best. His opinions have wavered several times throughout his civilian life, his campaign and his presidency. This notorious inconsistency is something citizens have been touching on for months with grave concern. While we agree his lack of focus is a big issue, there is something more troubling we noticed after Trump’s speech.
Traditionally, most voters will vote for a candidate who they align with politically. With Trump supporters, we’ve noticed this isn’t really the case. They voted for the person and all the fanfare that accompanied him — not for his beliefs or for his plans for the country. No matter how many times this man changes his stance on an important issue or makes a marginalized group feel uneasy about living in their own country, people still love him.
Despite originally bashing former President Barack Obama for sending troops to Afghanistan and calling America’s presence there a waste of money, he decided to strengthen our forces in the Middle Eastern country. During his campaign, his supporters seemed to agree with this stance. Oddly enough, they also seem to agree with his new stance announced Monday.
Likewise, Trump skeptics had a similar reaction. Even if they had been in favor of increasing troops in Afghanistan, they remained firm on their hatred for Trump. They found other reasons to criticize him after his speech and neglected to mention the fact that he may have done something they actually wanted.
It would appear Americans have made their decision. They love Trump, or they hate Trump. No amount of policy change or reconsideration on his part can change that. The lack of flexibility from the public is the bigger issue Americans need to be focusing on right now.
That being said, we aren’t the biggest fans of Trump. However, we can recognize when he is leaning in the right direction, and we aren’t ashamed to say it. You can dislike a person and a majority of their stances but still be pleased with a few of their choices.
To this same effect, you can like a person and be displeased with their choices and actions. Although Trump has done nearly nothing in office that he promised Americans during his campaign, his supporters remain ardent and loyal and his adversaries are more fired up than ever.
One thing Trump said in his speech that really resonated with us was that he didn’t want soldiers to return home from Afghanistan to a country at war with itself.
Right now, America is a divided nation. We have Trump lovers and Trump haters, and it has led to an unstable and unsafe environment to live in. We believe Americans need to start listening more to what is being said rather than who is saying it. Until we are able to break away from our unwavering opinions, America remains divided, and problems remain unsolved.
Please, dear reader, open your mind to a more unified America.
