Since Donald Trump’s election, people, including students at West Ottawa, have been afraid. They worry about the potential changes that may come out of Trump’s presidency, ranging from how he will handle immigration to how he will balance industry with environmental regulations. These are common fears when it comes to Trump and his cabinet, but Sr. Alex Miller, Vice Chairman of the Young Republicans, does not believe that the U.S. will be worse during Trump’s term. In fact, Miller strongly believes Trump’s decisions as President will be beneficial for the U.S. and West Ottawa over the next four years.
The first subject Miller touched upon was the violence that occurred in Trump’s name. The hate crimes surrounding the election ran rampant and increased tenfold as the results showed that Trump, perceived by many (even supporters) as racist, was president elect. One of the concerns WO students have is that these crimes will continue during Trump’s term. Miller understood the concerns and the seriousness of the issue, but he believes the hate crimes are the result of a high strung election. Miller stated that “there has also been hate crimes against Trump supporters,” and neither Trump nor Hillary controlled or condoned such actions. In time, Miller suggested, the excitement from the election will die down, and the crimes will follow.
Mike Pence, Trump’s VP, is currently one of the largest LGBTQ attackers in politics, which worries the LGBTQ community and their supporters immensely. Miller thinks there is little to fear from Pence or Trump concerning LGBTQ Americans. The only time the VP can make a large decision on an issue is if the Senate has a tie, and the last time that happened was eight years ago. Miller also pointed out that Trump himself does not want to reduce or attack the LGBTQ community. “Caitlyn Jenner came to Trump Tower, and Trump told her that she can use whatever bathroom she wants, and he stated himself that he wants to appoint a supreme court judge that is pro-LGBT,” Miller said. The LGBTQ community, as Miller sees it, will not change drastically in any way during the next four years.
On the subject of Islamic refugees, Miller clarified Trump’s intentions when it came to immigration. Trump believes that illegal immigrants, especially those who are Islamic, are more likely to be radical terrorists. While most people believe Trump will stop immigration for Muslim people, “He never said that he wanted to stop Muslim immigration to the U.S. totally. He simply stated that he believes we need to find a better vetting system, so that people aren’t coming to the United States that are going to cause terror,” Miller said. Trump wants to keep the U.S. safe, and do it as constitutional as possible.
Because the Republicans lean more toward industry efficiency over environmental safety, some West Ottawa students fear that environmental safety laws may be skewed during Trump’s term. Miller immediately argued against this claim, saying that environmental laws cannot be excluded from America’s industry. Miller explained that strict environmental law discourages industry efficiency, while loose laws attract it. With that in mind, Trump looks to further research on clean energy in the private division, so that some time in America’s future, industry can be large while pollution can be low. Miller also raised the interesting point that historically, a country that becomes more wealthy tends to respect the environment more. “Once people have enough income to live comfortably, they then have the luxury to worry about issues like the environment, and a lot of Americans are not in that position right now,” Miller said.
Miller, on a final note, spoke about what the economy will look like after four years and why West Ottawa families will be very happy by the end of Trump’s term. “Anyone that has a 401K is already experiencing the benefits of a Trump presidency, as the stock market is booming from the mere prospect of him taking office,” Miller said. Many West Ottawa families will also be very happy to hear that Trump is eliminating lower and middle class income taxes, which “will give many West Ottawa families surplus income that they did not previously enjoy.”
In the end, Miller is not a Trump supporter because he likes Trump’s reckless personality, or his broad, promising statements; Miller chose to back Trump and his administration because he knows and approves the kind of future Trump will provide for the U.S., and for West Ottawa families and students.
If Miller is right, many West Ottawans harbor unfounded fears and will be surprised to find themselves happier over the next four years.
