Trump's Return: A Wake-Up Call for Our Generation
A second Trump presidency brings a wave of challenges that could alter our nation’s course. It's time to confront what this means and decide how we stand together.
Donald Trump is set to return to the White House, marking a turning point that may bring unprecedented challenges for young Americans. With key policies aimed at rolling back hard-fought rights and protections, we could be looking at a future where the progress many of us have relied on begins to erode. From attacks on healthcare and education to threats against civil liberties and climate action, the stakes have never felt higher. This moment demands our attention and our willingness to confront what lies ahead, not with naive optimism, but with a resolve to protect and uplift one another as we brace for what may come.
How Did We Get Here?
It's difficult to grasp how a moment like this could come to pass. The outcome of this election defies expectations: one of the most qualified candidates in modern history, with experience across all three branches of government, has lost to a man who faces 34 felony convictions and two impeachments. This reality forces us to question the direction our nation is headed and what this says about the state of our democracy.
As we reflect on this turning point, it’s worth remembering that history has seen powerful empires fall under eerily similar circumstances. The Roman Empire, for instance, experienced a decline marked by political corruption, the erosion of institutions, and a growing divide between the ruling class and the people. In the late stages of other great civilizations, we've often seen leaders rise to power by appealing to fear and division rather than unity and progress.
What does this mean for America? The parallels are unsettling and demand our attention. If we continue down a path where truth is devalued, and institutions are weakened, the risk of further instability grows. Yet, there is still time to change course, to learn from history rather than repeat it. As a society, we must confront these issues with a renewed commitment to the values that have long been the foundation of our democracy: fairness, equality, and the rule of law.
Women’s Healthcare: A Threat to Reproductive Freedom
One of the most immediate concerns under a second Trump administration is the potential for a nationwide "backdoor ban" on abortion. Trump’s influence on the judiciary has already paved the way for restrictive state laws. With more MAGA-aligned judges and potential Supreme Court appointments, the future of reproductive healthcare access hangs in the balance.
Quote from Trump: “It could be a state ban, it could be a federal ban.”
What This Means for You: The prospect of further limiting abortion access doesn’t just affect women; it impacts entire families and communities. Clinics may shutter, particularly in states with preemptive bans. Contraception could also come under threat, affecting the fundamental right to bodily autonomy. For those who value these freedoms, it’s crucial to support healthcare organizations and advocate for reproductive rights wherever possible.
Education: Threats to Knowledge and Freedom
Trump has suggested abolishing the Department of Education and expanding book bans that could stifle the free exchange of ideas. This could have a devastating impact on schools, particularly in marginalized communities, where educational resources are already limited. The prospect of student debt payments resuming without relief adds to this burden, making it even harder for young people to achieve financial stability.
Source: The Wall Street Journal notes that Trump’s education policies could “reshape how and what American students learn.”
What This Means for You: Book bans could limit access to diverse perspectives, particularly affecting LGBTQ+ and BIPOC stories. Gutting education resources may hinder equal opportunity, making advocacy for inclusive and comprehensive curricula more important than ever. Yet, there’s a hope that Trump’s proposals might not gain enough traction in Congress, leaving room for resistance and change.
Civil Rights: The Risk of Regression
Civil liberties could face significant setbacks, particularly for the LGBTQ+ community and other vulnerable groups. The rollback of protections could include restricting gender-affirming healthcare and limiting anti-discrimination measures in employment and housing. Trump has also shown support for reinstating government surveillance measures, which could disproportionately impact Muslim and immigrant communities.
Quote from Trump: “On day one of the Trump presidency, I’m restoring the travel ban, suspending refugee admissions and keeping terrorists the hell out of our country”
What This Means for You: For friends and family who are LGBTQ+, Muslim, or immigrants, the coming years could feel precarious. There’s genuine concern, but there’s also love and unwavering support. Communities have shown time and again that they can rally together to provide resources, solidarity, and safety. We care deeply about these groups and stand committed to making sure no one feels alone or forgotten.
Climate and Environment: Protections Under Threat
Trump has announced plans to end many climate protections, potentially undoing progress toward clean energy and environmental preservation. From withdrawing from global climate accords to reversing emissions regulations, these changes could have a lasting impact on our planet and future generations.
Nobel Prize-winning economists have warned that ignoring climate science could have dire economic and environmental consequences.
What This Means for You: Rising temperatures, extreme weather, and pollution could become even more pressing issues. Yet, there is still hope: individual states and local governments have the power to continue prioritizing climate initiatives, and young people have a strong history of advocacy in this area. Every voice matters, and our efforts can still drive positive change.
Finding Hope: A Call to Action
The policies outlined here are daunting, but we shouldn’t lose hope. We must prepare for the potential impact of these changes while holding onto the possibility that Trump might govern more moderately than expected. The strength and resilience of our communities have carried us through difficult times before, and they will do so again.
Here’s how you can stay engaged and support those at risk:
Join Local Advocacy Groups: Whether it’s for reproductive rights, climate action, or civil liberties, there are countless organizations that need your help. Volunteering or donating can make a real difference.
Support Minority Communities: Show up for LGBTQ+, immigrant, and Muslim communities. Sometimes, the most powerful action is standing in solidarity and being a vocal ally.
Stay Informed and Educate Others: Use your platforms to share credible information and help others understand the stakes. Awareness can empower and inspire action.
Vote in Local Elections: Change doesn’t only happen at the national level. Local leaders influence everything from school policies to healthcare access. Make your voice heard.
Stay Hopeful: While the next four years may be filled with uncertainty and challenges, we can find strength in our determination to fight for what matters. Even as we brace for the worst, we must remain vigilant and ready, knowing that our resilience and collective action can make a difference. The path forward may be difficult, but together, we have the power to push back and defend our values, no matter what comes our way.
What’s Next?
The next four years are poised to test the resilience and unity of young Americans in ways we haven’t yet faced. As the political landscape shifts, bringing with it the likelihood of setbacks to our rights and freedoms, we must stay vigilant and engaged. This is a time to harness our collective strength, to protect one another, and to fight for the future we want to see, even when it feels uncertain or grim. The challenges ahead may be daunting, but they also present a call to action — a reminder that, even in the face of adversity, our voices and our solidarity remain powerful forces for change.
Thanks for another well-written sharing of your thoughts, Eli.
From my perspective, I don't think "It's difficult to grasp how a moment like this could come to pass." What is difficult, though, is accepting what brought this upon us. As with all of the political troubles we've had, the fault lies with We the People, for not being engaged in the process of keeping our republic. This is just the current manifestation of the waves of troubles we have brought upon ourselves after decades, a couple of generations, of neglecting our rights, responsibilities and privileges as citizens of a representative democracy. We have had "government of the people," but the "by the people" part has been very weak, which has resulted in the "for the people" part also being very weak.
We have paid a lot of attention to the freedoms that define our nation and that we desire so dearly, but we have neglected and even been in denial of the concomitant responsibilities that are inherent in these freedoms. And there are great responsibilities that are essential to keeping freedoms, particularly when considering that these freedoms must truly be for all rather than for just a few. This also doesn't mean just for all people, it means for all beings, all ways of being, including the plants, the animals, the microbes, and even the beings we typically consider to be non-living such as the stones, water, air .... all and everything that is part of Mother Earth. We have been focused on personal freedoms to take and ignored or denied responsibilities to give to maintain.
You say "there is still time to change course, to learn from history rather than repeat it" yet we don't know this and we do know that we may have seriously limited our time to change and do better. With the exploitation of non-renewable resources, our disrespect for the Natural world, our human-powered climate change, our disrespect for ourselves and each other, we may have already been inexorably on our way to a greatly accelerated self-demise that may now become even further accelerated.
Long ago I participated in organizing the first ever Earth Day event at the University of Minnesota, Duluth. Our awareness and concern about our environmental impacts was suddenly becoming deeper, broader and more widely spread and many of us were trying to spread the knowledge and understanding even more widely. Over the ensuing 54 years the scope of our collective knowledge, understanding and concern has expanded greatly, yet our actual progress in stemming our negative impacts has been tiny in the scope of the huge issue We the People have created and continued to exacerbate. Yes, we have made some progress, but we have also continued to make our problems more serious and more widespread. The Pogo comic from way back then has made little difference in the observation that "We have met the enemy and they are us." We the People, collectively, continue to be our own enemy in many ways: politically, socially, environmentally, economically, religiously. The next administration in our White House will not make it any easier to do what needs to be done and they will likely expand on what needs to be done to recover.
"The challenges ahead" have always been daunting ... because it doesn't take much to daunt us. I'm sorry that my generation has been so daunted. I sincerely hope that your generation will not be. Humans could do a lot better than we have been so far. After all, we named ourselves Homo sapiens – we are supposed to be wise, able to make wise choices, able to survive ourselves. Many have deemed the dinosaurs "failures" because they went extinct – apparently thinking they were "losers" but they were around for about 145 million years before they got wiped out. Compared to them, we humans have barely gotten here, having been around for around 7 million years. We still have a long ways to go.... Best wishes!