As I begin to write, I think of all the things Donald Trump has done this week to negatively impact our country. I am upset that so much of my daily thoughts, words, and actions are dedicated to a man who has no care for me or many of the other citizens like me. It is this thought that made me angry at the fact I had planned to discuss him in my article this week. I am annoyed that I must continually write about someone who does not deserve any of my thoughts, much less my emotions.
However after giving this much contemplation I have realized that no matter how painful it is, we must continue to speak for those who may be unable to. Because the day that we are silenced is the day we will ultimately lose.
With this being said, this past week President Trump rescinded the protections Obama had previously put in place to allow transgender students to use the bathroom they identify with. Not only am I confused as to why Trump thought this was a necessary move to make, but don’t we have bigger things that our nation should be worrying about right now? I don’t know, maybe our national debt? But also, it saddens me to see how far backwards this will move our country.
To the majority of Americans, this may not seem like that big of an issue. It’s just a bathroom, right? Wrong. Absolutely wrong. In rescinding this federal law, Trump leaves it up to the states to decide what bathroom American citizens should be able to use. Meaning if the states decide that you have to use a bathroom that corresponds with the anatomical sex on your birth certificate, there are no protections in place for trans individuals. This means that they will be forced to obey this heinous law or have a fear of facing prosecution. Meaning the freedom to chose is being violated and stripped away from thousands of citizens.
So what is Trump’s reasoning behind rescinding this law? Contrary to President Obama’s stance, where he argued that anti discrimination laws required students to be able to use the bathroom of their choice. President Trump disagrees, arguing that these laws would not be applicable here. You might be wondering why anti discrimination laws don’t apply to the entire American population. As I am sure that myself and many others will continually wonder for the duration of the next four years.
After all shouldn’t greatness mean moving forwards?