The Current | Vol. 31 Issue 12

October 27, 2020 | nsucurrent.nova.edu 10 Opinions Is 2020 really all bad? Although 2020 has brought us a series of traumatic events, should we be so quick to call it the worst year yet? Have you gotten a breaking news notification today about something else that’s going on in the world? Yes, I bet you have -- and that’s my exact point. As the new year started, there have been notifications informing us of the disasters as they’re happening. This year began with the death of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna Bryant and continues now amidst an ongoing pandemic. As the series of bad news unfolds, we’re glued to our phones reading about each of the stories- giving us the feeling that there’s a new one to catch up with right after we are finished. The news leaves us refreshing the page to stay up to date with the latest disasters our world is going through, creating a slight obsession. We are witnessing how this pandemic continues to kill thousands of people around the world and realize this may not be stopping anytime soon. Protests against police brutality have occurred around the world to fight for peace and equality. Yet, we still don’t see anything positive in our breaking news alerts. Other than the negativity covered in breaking news headlines, many great things are happening every day. We have seen in the media how mental health has become more talked about since the stay at home orders have been in place. Several people are finding ways every day on how to cope and better their mental health while staying at home. Anti-racist books are now in their prime, and recently, they’ve been at the top of the bestseller lists. Animal shelters are emptying quickly. It has been now more than ever that animals are getting adopted at a high rate from animal shelters. It seems as if this pandemic has gotten individuals to run to their local animal shelters to pick up a new friend. Many frightening things are happening this year, but there are also many positive sides to these negatives. Instead of focusing on the bad, I encourage you to look for and see the good that is happening. I don’t care if you’re a Republican, I just care if you’re a Trump supporter It’selectionseason,whichmeansthatmany people are evaluating their personal morals to cast their vote on politicians to represent them. President Donald Trump is seeking reelection as the Republican party nominee, but some of the more traditional Republicans are beginning to distance themselves from him. Traditional Republican voters share their worries over Donald Trump on the YouTube channel called “Republican VotersAgainst Trump.” Now more than ever, it seems that the divide between political parties has grown vast and uncrossable. Our nation’s current leader is divisive, isolating and defensive, yet he represents one of the two major parties in the U.S. While the values of the Republican party have certainly evolved over time, the core values center around low taxes, free market economy, gun rights, immigration restrictions, increased military spending and often view social issues from a religious standpoint. Donald Trump preaches these values, but preaches a lot of other things too and has overall changed the way that the Republican party is viewed. The thing is, hatred isn’t a partisan issue, or at least, it doesn’t have to be. For every right wing value there is, Trump seems to take it a step further. Trump is not just a Republican. He’s not just leaning to the right. He has swung himself far into the alt-right. He’s supported by numerous nationalist extremist groups and crazy conspiracy theorists. The fact of the matter is that Trump’s views are so full of hate that he is isolating himself from his own party. Just because you’ve been a registered Republican does not and should not mean that you have to vote for Trump. Any voter, but especially Republicans, should look at their own values and evaluate which nominee will truly support them this election. Four years ago, we knew a lot about Donald Trump, but four years later, we’ve learned so much more. We’ve heard hatred spewed from his mouth, and at this point, it is impossible to ignore. While ‘Republican’ and ‘Trump supporter’ used to go hand in hand, there is a whole world of difference now. Many people argue that you shouldn’t judge your friends or the people you surround yourself with on their political views, but I find it hard to not do so if someone says they are voting for Trump. Supporting Trump is no longer supporting the Republican party; it’s supporting hate. Supporting Trump means that you support all of the racist, homophobic, sexist and classist things he has ever said and done. Supporting By: Aliyah Gomez Contributing Writer By: Sofia Gallus Arts & Entertainment Editor Trump means ignoring scientists, denying climate change and women’s rights to their own bodies. Supporting Trump means that you’re choosing to ignore the hundreds of thousands of people that lost their lives due to COVID-19 because our President was too proud and ignorant to take safety measures seriously. I have always emphasized the importance of voting with compassion and Donald Trump is the least compassionate person I can imagine. I don’t believe that he represents the Republican party; I believe that Trump represents hatred. PHOTO PRINTED PERMISSION BY F. SHABAN Local Trump supporter sign