By Angelina Newsom:
With attacks against Jewish communities on the rise, President Donald Trump addressed them by speaking out against such horrible acts. Bomb threats, headstone vandalism, and other harassment have reportedly struck Jewish communities nationwide, and many groups have demanded President Trump publicly address what has been happening. In fact, Hillary Clinton took to social media to also demand that the President act. Since President Trump has taken office, one thing has been made clear—he doesn’t cave very easily to pressure or outrage from the masses. When it comes to social issues such as racism and anti-Semitism, society needs to stay informed. Having our head of state address these issues is crucial to moving forward and not repeating mistakes of the past. Regardless of the timing, when the President of the United States speaks on a matter, it should be taken seriously. Love him or hate him, President Trump has made it clear that anti-Semitism is a shameful atrocity that has no place in our country. In fact, the President’s daughter Ivanka Trump converted to Judaism. She also made a public statement via social media condemning attacks on the Jewish community. It was met with many counterproductive responses that blasted Ivanka mostly based upon who her father is.
It’s been made crystal clear that President Trump has a style of leadership that is mostly lacking in political correctness. While this has left many Americans with a bad taste in their mouths, others have regarded President Trump’s off-the-cuff speaking style as a trait a successful leader must have. He has unapologetically spoken directly to the American people via social media. This action is unprecedented and makes many people uncomfortable because they feel that it’s unprofessional. However, President Trump was elected on the promise that he would not behave like a politician. So far, this has meant that he makes no qualms about speaking out against those who he feels are reporting inaccurately. As such, I believe it’s hard for President Trump to be persuaded to make statements that he doesn’t stand behind. Whether for political reasons or personal ones, the President has spoken out against discrimination.
There are going to be people who have criticism no matter what. Proving this to be true, Jewish groups have called on President Trump to do more than simply speak out against discrimination. If my time in the military has taught me anything it’s that if I have a complaint that I need to voice, it needs to be accompanied by a plan of action. By using constructive criticism, these groups should put something together that they would like President Trump to support. It shouldn’t be up to the head of state to solve every problem in America. Many people will remember the backlash former President Barack Obama also received for not addressing the Standing Rock Sioux tribe’s protest of the Dakota Access Pipeline as quickly as groups would have liked. In fact, he came under very public fire for his continued silence. Both Presidents eventually addressed concerns, which, along with a plan of action, should be the important thing to take away from this discussion.
Angelina Newsom is an OpsLens Contributor and U.S. Army Veteran. She has ten years experience in the military, including a deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. She studies Criminal Justice and is still active within the military community.
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