Feature Photo By: Alexis Oliver- The five authors of this election editorial pose for a photo. From left to right, Chris Arias (12), Vanessa Guereca (11), Alivia Lee (12), Hannah Metzger (12), and Dennae Pigford (11).
Below are five editorials written by the editors of the Raider Review. These editorials address each author’s unique reactions and views on the results of the recent presidential election.
I am a proud woman; I am a proud feminist; I am was a proud American.
Tuesday, November 8th, as I casted my very first ballot two days after my 18th birthday, I was exhilarated and prideful to be able to finally fill my civic duty and take part in our country’s great democracy. Today, I am distraught.
Not only did the United States blow the opportunity to elect its first woman president, but the U.S. also displayed blatant disrespect and disdain for women in general by electing a man who has been openly heinous towards women, and countless other demographics, throughout his entire life.
The election of Donald Trump is a disgrace to our country. Trump is a man with no political background, a long history of racism and sexism, and a laundry list of sexual assault allegations; according to an article written by The Cut magazine, “An Exhaustive List of the Allegations Women Have Made Against Donald Trump,” there are at least 18 allegations of sexual harassment and assault against Trump, including the pending rape case of a 13-year-old girl in 1994 which is due in court this December.
Any person with Trump’s track record should have no chance of being elected the President of the United States; and perhaps he wouldn’t have, if Trump were running against a man. However, that was not the case.
Because of Clinton’s gender, she endured unreasonably harsh criticism for everything and anything she has done; because of Clinton’s gender, she was held to the unrealistic standards of a “perfect” candidate; because of Clinton’s gender, Trump won the presidency.
I’m not suggesting that Clinton deserved to win because she is a woman. Clinton deserved to win because she is an all around better candidate.
Clinton has over 30 years of political experience, has worked within every branch of American government, was the Secretary of State for four years, served as the Senator of New York for 8 years, has a political science degree from Wellesley College, and a law degree from Yale.
Not to mention her eight years of service as the First Lady of the United States. Clinton is one of the most capable and qualified presidential candidates that we have ever had.
I wholeheartedly believe that if a man with all of Clinton’s education, experience, and even “scandals” ran against Trump for president, that man would’ve won by a landslide.
The fact that a candidate as inexperienced, bigoted, and openly hateful as Trump was able to beat a candidate as capable, educated, and politically successful as Clinton, sends a strong message about society’s view of women in the United States. Not only did half of the country fail to see Clinton as the fit candidate that she is, but they were also perfectly okay with electing a man with a long history of disrespect and violence towards women.
The United States does not care about women, even the women (54% of white women reportedly voted for Trump); the United States does not respect women; the United States has refused to allow women the power that they’ve earned. This spectacular woman being beaten by such an inferior man shows that we, as a country, are much further from equality than I once thought.
By: Dennae Pigford, Managing Editor
President Trump. I never thought that those words would escape my lips with such truth. To be elected on such terms is to be chosen with good intentions. Though I’m not sure I fully understand what the repercussions of what is to come, I have a theory of why Mr. Donald Trump was chosen to lead our country for the next four years.
In a world full of new, possibly terrifying liberal ideals, Trump represents the conservative values that this country was based upon. For example, the legalization of gay marriage, the further acceptance of a transgender decision, or even the possibility of weed becoming legal across all 50 states on a state government level.
Though many may not completely agree with the things that Mr Trump has confessed to, (sexual assault towards women, not filing his taxes, wanting to build a wall to Mexico, etc.) the ideals that he represents or chooses to voice in favor of coincides with many American’s voiced opinions. That is the truth.
Besides possible reasons to have chosen to vote for Trump, his lack of political background poses a threat to the structure of American government. The business background that he has does propose some benefit in certain parts of the government, maybe, but his temper and vulgar vocabulary isn’t nearly the best way to represent our country.
My feelings towards Trump will likely never change for the way that he presents himself and the way that the media paints his figure. No matter what happens, Trump will always be a racist and sexist narcissistic body. However, he is also not the first president to set up shop in the White House with this mindset.
I don’t disagree with Trump taking office for the things said in his press conferences or the things proven true about his past. I disagree with Trump taking office for the fear he incites in this country. For the negative effects he’s had on this nation not even 24 hours post-acceptance of the position, his elected position has caused riots and protests in many states already. He has caused fear in the hearts of many — real fear. I disagree with Trump, for he is not, nor will he ever be, the candidate that America needs.
By: Vanessa Guereca, Managing Editor
I’m waiting anxiously as the votes are counted in every state to decide who our next president will be.
I’m watching the news in Spanish, since my parents want to know what’s going on. Hours pass and the results still aren’t in, but they are very close.
Next thing I know, I’m asleep, and the next morning when I wake up, I check my Twitter to see that Donald J. Trump will be the 45th president.
At that very moment, I felt as if I had been betrayed; betrayed by my whole country. This is a man who insulted my people, a man who made fun of a disabled person and encouraged a supporter to beat someone up at his rally.
As a Mexican-American and Latina in the United States, I feel… let down. There are reports that 29% of Latinos voted for Trump, even though last year at one of Trump’s speeches he said, “When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best… They are bringing drugs, they’re bringing crime. They’re rapist. And some, I assume, are good people.”
Both of my parents came to work and find job, just like every other Mexican family I know, and other immigrants from other countries as well. And just like my parents, these people came to escape the chaos of their country, to escape the trouble and provide better for their family.
Seeing my parents faces when Trump won the election was a face of fear. Not hate, not anger — fear. The Latinos of our community are now living in fear.
It’s hard seeing this personally, because we all come from the same backgrounds, similar cultures. I cannot go on with my life knowing that my parents, my parent’s friends, and my own friends, are now wandering the streets in distress, wondering what they’re going to do next. I cannot go on knowing that my family and I will be looked down upon.
From just one day, I’ve seen rallies, and I’ve seen insults to my people all done by the caucasian race that overwhelmingly voted for Trump. This was just in one day; I can only imagine the next four years. Of course though, if the president can insult people, I guess it’s okay for us to insult and threaten one another, after all, we’re supposed to look up to our leader, right?
A man who has had no political background, a man who doesn’t know what living in poverty is and doesn’t care to listen to the concerns or experiences of those who are less fortunate. A man who is endorsed by the Ku Klux Klan.
The KKK is happy; America should be scared.
Tears roll down my eyes as I realize that my country, the country I was born and raised in, does not even want me or my family here, a country of “freedom.” A country where I will walk across the stage to receive my college certificate, soon, and I fear I will get dirty looks by the predominantly white population, many places a go.
Latinos have put up with insults, threats, discrimination and more for decades, as well as the African American population and any other minorities.
But I have just one thing to say — we shall not let this man, this country, put us down — on the contrary; we will help build it up as we have.
The blood that runs in our veins will be there for the rest of our life and following generations; we cannot be ashamed of who we are. As a Mexican-American, I am more proud than ever to be who I am, and I will never let anyone tell me to be otherwise, especially not the 45th president of my country.
By: Alivia Lee, Editor in Chief
As the future of our nation was recently decided, I have never been more terrified of my future as a woman in this country. From campus rape to the gender gap that still exists in 2016, I never questioned this country’s ever so prevalent sexist agenda, but as Mr. Trump has just been elected into office the slim bit of hope that I had for the future of myself, my female friends, my nieces, even my future daughters has diminished.
It’s been more than eight years since Hillary Clinton lost the democratic nomination to Barack Obama; this was way before Benghazi, way before the e-mails, way before Mr. Trump and though time has passed, it is still obvious that America is not ready to have a female leading this country.
Many in this country would simply never consider the idea of having a female in office. Period. It is both disappointing and disgusting to think that in this developed country, a large majority of voters would rather support a man that demeans not only women, but many other minority groups, than have an actual, highly-qualified female president.
I want every person who voted for Trump to look into the eyes of his or her daughters, wives, sisters, mothers, nieces, and explain to them how they could support a man who will consistently demean and shut down women.
Why would you vote for a person who you agree with on perhaps one signal issue, but who is also the epitome of discrimination, and claim you are not racist, sexist, a bigot? How can one truly support someone who doesn’t even support women’s rights?
I remain completely in shock, hurt, and above all disappointed that this is the country we live in — the one that allows a misogynistic, demeaning, hateful man to be the leader of this country. Right now, America is not great.
By: Chris Arias, Copy Editor
Yesterday was the end of an exhausting election unlike any that America has seen before. We have been rattled as a country. Rangeview students seem defeated and hopeless, angry that U.S. citizens have chosen this racist, misogynistic bigot to be our commander in chief.
Secretary Hillary Clinton addressed the public last night, “Our responsibility as citizens is to keep doing our part, to build the better, stronger, fairer America we seek.”
It is our job to band together, not to get mad, but to get even and prove that we can make a difference and it doesn’t matter who our president is because democracy is by the people, for the people.
While I was watching “Democracy Now!” during the election, there was talk of people voting for Trump to “fight a virus with a virus,” to shock our political systems with something that has never happened before. But voting to make a wave is different than having to deal with the consequences of that vote.
I don’t know what’s going to happen. To be honest, no one really does yet. We can’t predict the future, but we can change it. Even president-elect Donald Trump stated, “Now it’s time for America to bind the wounds of division.”
Whether or not he understands the significance of his statement, it is undeniably true. This is our opportunity for us to become stronger in a time of hardship, a time of questioning American morals, and hopelessness for the future. This is our opportunity for what some may call an “American tragedy” to bind us together, to make us fight harder for what we believe in.
This election could be the catalyst for a new era of American history. We could learn from our mistakes and agree to never have an election like this one ever again. We could fight together, all races, genders, sexual orientations, religions, ignoring that that divides us, and make positive changes in our country. Or we could complain about our government, live in fear and do nothing.
Some of us fear for our future. Yet, we seem to forget that we are the future. We are becoming the doctors, lawyers, teachers and politicians of the future. It is our choice where we want our country to go; we have the power to make changes and be heard.
