My Point of View

On Wednesday March 16, we witness a Great Debate regarding the upcoming elections. Topic of debate: Mr. Trump’s proposition on closing the Mexican border and denying the entrance to Muslim’s in American soil. Both debaters brought out interesting personal facts to defend their point of view. While watching the debate I pondered about what I thought about this topic of debate.  Two themes came to my mind: identity and hypocrisy.

As a permanent resident I am not allow to vote in the upcoming elections. People usually ask, “Who are you going to vote?” “What do you think of this party”? My answer is simple: “Since I can’t vote I don’t watch American politics”.  This careless attitude about politics in the USA never bothered me. However, Trump’s political campaign has raised issues about immigration and religion that have caught my attention.

Regarding the issue of building the Mexican border I always get astonished when someone that comes from Mexico says that they will be okay with such construction.  If I lived in France and someone said we are going to built a wall so Spanish immigrants don’t come I would not be okay saying, “Yes go ahead”. I am a Spanish citizen and that is my identity.  This theme of lost identity is what I see as an issue when the proposition of closing the border is put on the table.  I feel that this rejection to one’s country from mostly first and second generation is a great issue that gets hidden within the political debate. Why are certain Mexicans favoring Trump’s view? Why are they burying their identity and where they come from?

I always ask myself those questions because I am trying to understand the denial.  Why would someone agree to deny his or her own identity? Does their agreement come from fear?

Similarly, there is the situation with banning Muslims.  Trump wants to ban Muslims to protect America. But the truth is that there are more than one thousand killings in America that do not come from terrorist attacks. Why isn’t he banning arms? Or targeting American citizens that have harmed the country just as must as terrorist have? Maybe I am not well informed with how much arms mean to the American people. But banning Muslims based on terrorist stereotypes is a very hypocritical way to discriminate a religion.

                     I might not be an expert on American politics or show care towards the upcoming elections. But what I know is that there are issues of identity and hypocrisy underneath these propositions. Such hidden terms definitely won’t Make America Great Again.