Ever since Donald Trump has risen in the ranks of political popularity, I've been fascinated by the strong support he receives. At first, I was like many other left-leaning people and thought his 15-seconds of fame in the presidential spotlight would quickly fade from public consciousness. Trump has been trying to get his name in runs for the White House since the 1980's. He's never been thought of as a serious contender, but now, for some freakish reason, Trump's name association with President of the United States of America has not quit.
Why does such an offensive man have the most support in one of only two political parties? Could Donald Trump's support be an indicator of something seriously wrong with American society?
The list of people Trump's anger and ridicule has been directed at could fill pages. It's unfortunate that his targets aren't tabloid fodder anymore, like when he called Rosie O'Donnell a "fat pig". The targets seem to have extended to anyone in Trump's path. Millions of immigrants should be deported and ripped from their families; women like Megan Kelley are debased when crude references are used towards her vagina; the Pope was referred to as "disgraceful" when he commented on how it's unchristian to build a wall instead of building bridges; an entire religion should be discriminated against and not be allowed to enter the country; and Syrian refugees should not be allowed asylum from a government that has killed thousands of its citizens, including women and children.
When people are asked to explain why they like Trump, they typically talk about how appealing his strength is and that he tells it like it is. What worries me is that so many Americans are falling for the shadows of strength and understanding he offers. It doesn't take strength to give knee-jerk assessments of serious political issues that affects the livelihoods of millions of people.
What Trump's support tells me is that many Americans are so frustrated and scared for the future that they can't even think straight. We live in a time, where nothing is shocking anymore. We've seen kindergarten children gunned down, imminent threats of exotic viruses, major buildings successfully targeted by terrorists, and many more events that were once things only read about.
Donald Trump is monopolizing on the fear and uncertainty our now volatile global world brings. His black-and-white views on complicated issues are comforting, when no other solutions are being offered up. I believe Trump's popularity is a testament not to any real leadership ability on his part, but to how American government has struggled to lead in recent decades.
