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Thursday 10 November 2016

An Open Letter to Donald Trump

Dear Mr. President - Elect, Donald Trump,

I am not an American citizen. But I live just over an hour North of the border, so let's call us close neighbours.

An actual, real sign I saw outside of a BUSINESS today.
Living on the East Coast of Canada means I have taken a few trips to the Big Apple. I've seen all the popular sights: the Statue of Liberty, the Freedom Tower, Times Square, the Empire State Building, and of course, Trump Tower. When seeing such a grand building, one can't help but marvel, with it's floor to ceiling marble and gold finishes, rooftop gardens, luxury shops, and of course a Starbucks. I was in awe of this shrine you had built to yourself. I honestly wasn't sure what you even did for a living. It seemed a little conceited, but hey, you can do what you want with your own money, and I'll just take some pictures.

When I heard you were running for the Republican candidacy, all I could do was laugh. Since I don't live in America, it didn't really affect me and I never thought you'd actually win. But then you did. When I watched your campaign, I didn't really pay much attention at first because I never thought anyone would take you seriously. But then people were. As clips of you saying terrible things surfaced, including racist, sexist and homophobic remarks, I started to worry. But as more and more of these things came about, I assumed you must be losing supporters. My Facebook and Twitter feeds were flooded with Hillary supporters, and I never thought the election would even be close. I was wrong.

So now you are going to be President of the United States. Some say that it doesn't affect us in Canada, but it surely does. The President is one of the most influential world leaders, and the fact that we are attached to America does us no good at all. Not only that, but our neighbours to the South are no different than us. We are all North Americans, and I worry for them. There are children in this world who are going to grow up thinking that not all lives matter. Those who are Caucasian might grow up thinking that they have some special privilege and can take advantage of other minorities. Those who are not "blessed" with this skin colour or nationality might live in fear of how others are going to treat them. The work that so many others before us have done against racism, sexism, and other injustices could all be in vain.

I can truly and honestly say I know absolutely nothing about politics, global issues, and government processes. I am also a straight, middle-class, Christian Caucasian, so I have not faced struggles like some have. But at this point it doesn't matter. Who you are and what you stand for sets an example for people across the world, whether they understand everything that is going on, or not.

Seeing how you have built Trump Tower in your honour using your own money worries me. If you will use your own money to build such a lavish shrine to yourself, what are you going to do with the money of a country that is already so far in debt. How are you going to treat the other countries who will try to work alongside you? How are you going to fix the problems that are already present, without creating more?

People in Canada are making light of the situation, saying that the President doesn't have any say here and that it's hilarious. But it really does affect us in many ways. What will happen when our Prime Minister tries to collaborate with the you on world issues? Will it be safe for minorities from our country to travel to the USA for work and vacation? Are we going to see an influx of refugees if you decide to remove certain races or minorities? Can you actually do that?

Mr. Trump, you have a big job ahead of you. Half of your country doesn't feel that you can do this job. But the decision has been made. So now all I will do is pray for America, and pray for you. I pray that you will prove everyone wrong and somehow be the greatest President they have ever seen. They deserve that. I will pray that those living in fear will be at peace with this decision and be able to live freely. I will pray for the children who will grow up seeing you at the helm of the nation, that they will see through the inappropriate messages that have so far been portrayed by you and your supporters, and not think that they can also act this way.

When you take the reigns in January, I will pray for a renewal of your mind and attitude, that you will rule with an open mind and a caring spirit. It's possible that we were all wrong about you. For the sake of the world, I really hope that's true.

Sincerely (and on to lighter topics next time),

Liv

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