I started this my platform on Friday to have a voice against the new President Who Must Not Be Named, but realized I did not want to add more fuel to the fire and make this a searchable tag and smirk that yet another news outlet is talking about him.
Instead there are two things I would like to talk about: the media and the Women’s March that happened this past weekend.
The media using their platform to talk about how much they hope he will fail: I hope this is not going to become a trend. Using headlines to spread negativity to hard working people to keep up the morale isn’t an effective use of paper or ink.
Secondly, the President Who Must Not Be Named is using his power to take the U.S. back to the 1800s and in doing so, has brought to light certain bigoted, pigeon-holed modes of thinking that seem popular in a country said to be a modern superpower.
Now if President Who Must Not Be Named uses these people’s ideologies to instill policies and tactics, there could be drastic global repercussions: another great depression, WWIII, or genocides are all very real possibilities.
Finally, it’s been a few short days since the inauguration. Executive orders that are being signed are already taking leaps backwards instead of forward: banning funding for abortions and removal of the U.S.A. from the TPP.
Any media that stumble onto this, please use your power, voices, platform, and paper for good. Spread some joy, bring the hidden figures to light, and please stop adding more fuel to the fire.
After all this bad news, you’re probably feeling pretty miserable; I know I was. But then something beautiful happened just 24 hours after the inauguration: the Women’s Marches all over the world.
It was a celebration of diversity and of solidarity that not only empowered people, but inspired and unified them as well. With over 2.6 million people participating, media coverage, and celebrity support, the marches showed people who would have been feeling miserable hours before that they are not alone. There are measures people can take to ensure that their voices are heard, and the movement is doing a very good job of sharing those things on social media.
After watching the march, listening to what they had to say, and shedding a few tears, I have resolved to do better, be better, and help make a change. I will do my part, will you?
Rameesha Qazi
5B, Honours English Literature, Digital Media Specialization, International Studies Minor
