In the recent months of Donald Trump’s presidency, many people have become frustrated with his policies and decisions. Trump has received a 54 percent disapproval rating, which is one of the highest of any president.
There has been a great deal of controversy and turmoil since Trump has been elected. One of the most controversial topics during his presidency were the riots that took place in Charlottesville, Virginia.
These riots consisted of five main groups: the white supremacists, the alt-rights, the Neo Nazis, Black Lives Matter, and the Antifa. The first three groups were the people that are white nationalists, and were there to protest the removal of a statue of Robert E. Lee, a confederate general.
This protest was opposed by Black Lives Matter and the Antifa, who were there to protest the white nationalists. The protests became violent quickly, ending in three deaths and over 30 people being injured.
People were surprised by these riots and confused that this type of hate for other humans still existed.
“I feel like if you have that much hatred for a person you should just leave them alone and not go confront them,” senior Nick Benford said.
Many people think Trump responded in a way that was backing the white nationalists, and could have handled the entire situation with greater delicacy.
“I think Donald Trump should’ve handled the riots way better than what he did,” junior Jordan Bingham said.
Trump comments regarding NFL players kneeling during the national anthem has been a controversial topic lately. During a speech held in Alabama on Sept. 22, Trump stated, “Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out! He’s fired. He’s fired!’”
The language that Trump chose to use during this press conference is seen as divisive to many people. This sparked more football players to protest, as they were upset that Trump was seeming to take away their first amendment rights.
“I think it’s not Trump’s place to tell athletes whether they can or can’t kneel because it’s their constitutional right,” freshman Ellen Baker said, “I think athletes should be able to stand or kneel as they choose because kneeling isn’t disrespectful.
Others agreed.
“I don’t think kneeling during the national anthem is disrespectful and I personally think that athletes should be able to choose whether they want to kneel or stand during the national anthem without backlash because it’s a way to protest and show solidarity for fellow teammates,” junior Sophie Kovalan said.
Players participated in a variety of forms to protest ranging from kneeling and locking arms, to stretching during the anthem.
“It’s [kneeling] exercising your rights and taking a stand for what you believe in,” Baker said. n —Sam Fisher & Ashley Glesing