Opinion: Election of Trump Reveals Cultural Divide and Flaws in Our Democratic System

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How was Donald Trump allowed to enter the White House as leader of the most influential nation on the planet? By electing Trump as President of the United States, we as citizens may have done irreparable damage to America. Mr. Trump has not only stoked the flames of ignorance; he has undeniably revealed our democratic system to be flawed and in need of an ideological reconstruction.

As Americans, we profess ourselves to be intelligent, a people of strong moral fiber, to be just, merciful, tolerant and proponents of cultural diversity. However, by entrusting our nation in the hands of Trump, we made a choice that doesn’t reflect any of these characterizations.

Donald Trump didn’t arrive in Washington D.C. and suddenly transform into the miscreant we see before us today. He’d built a track record of dishonesty, ignorance, bigotry, misogyny, corruption and suspect intellect long before November 8, 2016.

Donald Trump openly campaigned on a platform of hate. He made sweeping declarations regarding entire races of people, based on faith and ethnic origin. Trump fabricated stories and facts to fit his ignorant narrative daily. When caught in his deceptions, he never accepted responsibility and pivoted to other topics. His rallies were hotbeds of violence and intolerance of opposition. Trump was repeatedly called to the carpet to explain his actual agenda and repeatedly failed to comply.

Despite these obvious warning signs, Trump won the election. The last vestige of hope was in the hands of the Electoral College.

There is very specific and relevant language in the constitution that calls for Electoral College to void the results of an election when faced with the proposition of a man like Donald Trump as POTUS:

“The process of election affords a moral certainty, that the office of President will never fall to the lot of any man who is not in an eminent degree endowed with the requisite qualifications.”

“Talents for low intrigue, and the little arts of popularity, may alone suffice to elevate a man to the first honors . .but it will require other talents, and a different kind of merit, to establish him in the esteem and confidence of the whole Union, or of so considerable a portion of it as would be necessary to make him a successful candidate for the distinguished office of President of the United States.” Furthermore, the Electoral College was also instituted to ensure that “…a charismatic tyrant who has manipulated public opinion would not come into power.”

There has never been another presidential candidate that has warranted invoking this constitutional protection more so than Donald Trump. Our system, by way of the the Electoral College, spectacularly failed America.

The impeachment and possible imprisonment of Donald Trump, for treasonous acts are almost inevitable but it never should’ve come to this, and it won’t solve the long term ramifications of his presidency.

We now must envision his service, ironically, in the context of a tainted investigation. When law enforcement doesn’t secure a proper search warrant, any incriminating evidence discovered by way of this faulty warrant is determined to be poisonous fruit, garnered from the tree which was off limits.

The office of President is now a poisonous tree. Upon impeachment his successor will be the fruit of that tree, leaving the country in no better hands than with Trump. Look at his entire administration and find one person you would entrust with the fate of America. We have to take our responsibility as voters more seriously.

American citizens must resolve to fully vet the candidates that they favor and cast votes not based on party, but on policy. We have to enact more stringent requirements of the next elected Commander in Chief, such as psychological, physical and mental baselines to properly determine fitness for duty. We must revamp and reinforce the guidelines of the Electoral College and employ electors with a clear vision and intelligible understanding of democracy. The current set of cowards must be promptly replaced due to blatant dereliction of duty. Donald Trump is a tragic and appalling mistake that must never happen again. It will take many years for America to recover and rebuild from his incompetence.

This dim prognosis is a direct result of a segment of Americans casting a ballot based on cultural and racist bias, fanatical political party allegiance and old fashioned stupidity. The end of Donald Trump’s presidency won’t mend the open wounds of our nation or ease the pains of our bruised liberty, but for the sake of healing and national redemption, it must take place sooner, rather than later.