By Benedict Carrizzo
Donald Trump’s an acerbic, barbed tongued man who speaks his mind, all to the consternation of the other Republican candidates. He is a gift from God for those who seek to delegitimize the views of the Republican Party. His blunt rhetoric and impressive following could very likely leave a deep scar in the GOP, which may take years to recover.
It is very frightening to see that the sophomoric, impossible goals proposed by Trump have garnered such an impressive following, especially to a moderate Republican devoid of xenophobia. He has clearly separated himself from other Republicans — the commentators who can hold conservative ideals with authentic conviction — who reasonably yearn for a more secure border between the United States and Mexico. His wall proposal is incredibly costly, a mass-deportation process would take decades and he will lose the trust of one of our closest allies. Additionally, by responding to his critics in such a vulgar manner, he risks alienating liberal advocates of unity between the parties, enhancing the polarization of an already divided country.
Thankfully, the polls are starting to change. The Trump hysteria is losing traction, and Dr. Ben Carson is starting to trump (excuse the pun) the other candidates. This large-scale political nightmare, however, reflects a deeper problem. In every party, there exists a group of credulous, arrogant, ignorant people ready to throw away their reasoning faculties at the drop of a hat for some deluded idealism. Realize though, I am not painting all Trump supporters as having these qualities, but many of the values he embraces are accepted by people, like white nationalist David Duke, who you wouldn’t want to touch with a ten foot pole. I can even add that as a liberal, I am also disappointed by the reprehensible arrogance of some other liberals. Bigotry does not discriminate; it can affect anyone. Look towards any NBC, CNN or Fox News comments section — it can be of any political article or video — and see what I am talking about.
The media disproportionately covers this bigotry as reflective of the Republican Party. This should act as a signal to educate our flock of embarrassing liberal adherents. If liberals are viewed as part of the more intelligent and tolerant party, we will have a secure advantage on the world’s stage. Moreover, we need to make sure that no monster of a candidate ever tries to grab the Democratic Nomination, for it will resurrect the demons of our party. This is our opportunity to educate.
We need to encourage our liberal spokespeople not to engage in crude attacks, like the infamous Donald Trump tirade against journalist Megyn Kelly. Liberals, dear liberals, please never… ever… say anything remotely analogous to that, or risk smearing the entire group with the misogyny card. This is not necessarily a call to be more politically correct — we need to be able to call a spade a spade — but a call to engage in speech that is more ethical. In this new age of social media, whatever is said will travel the airwaves and land on the computers of millions of people. With a few clicks of a button and a few hundred words, a single tweet can become a social media and journalism sensation. Each racist tweet by a high-profile figure becomes a new Huffington Post article; each sexist tweet by Donald Trump becomes nationwide controversy. Liberals need to refrain from name-calling at all times and contexts to secure their own credibility, and, not to mention, worldwide respect as leaders.
This Donald Trump Twilight Zone episode for the Republican Party needs to be addressed. I do wish the Republicans the best of luck in dealing with their zealots, but this should come as a wakeup call for liberal activists. We need to look in the mirror, realize what we see, and address our own fanaticism. Donald Trump’s Republican candidacy should be a dream come true for the Democrats.
Benedict Carrizzo, FCRH ’18, is a communication and media studies and English major from Kings Park, New York.
