Many people looked on in disbelief as a majority of Americans decided to re-elect Donald Trump for President. I’ve heard some reasons: the economy, abortion, bigotry. I’m going to throw in my own two cents while I can in case our freedom of speech enshrined in the First Amendment gets taken away.

First off, to those who are pro-life, looking at those who were raped (even children) or expectant mothers who are having pregnancy complications that may even result in their deaths, you  have the nerve to call them children murderers? “Oh no no, we can let them have abortions. Just not people who don’t want to deal with having a baby.” Yet, it’s been over two years since Roe v. Wade was overturned, and I don’t see any South Dakotan pro-lifers working to pass legislation that would allow abortions in these circumstances. If you don’t care if a woman dies and leaves the child motherless, if you don’t care what happens to an unwanted child after they’re born, you are notpro-life. You are pro-birth.

I’ve also heard pro-life supporters making remarks like, “Well, that’s what she gets for not keeping her legs closed.” Ignoring the messed up fact that you’re weaponizing the gift of life as a punishment, why are the women theones who are lambasted for having an unwanted pregnancy? The men can’t be expected to control themselves enough to keep it in their pants? Are they animals? Should we lock them in cages like one? Oh wait, no, that’s what we do to the children of illegal immigrants. 

On the topic of illegal immigrants, Trump wants to deport the illegal immigrants who work in the fields and other undesirable jobs. When his voters already complain that people are lazy and won’t work the jobs that are already available, do his voters honestly think those people would work those more difficult, less desirable jobs? Get ready for food prices to skyrocket as the time and cost of labor increases.

Do I think we should just open the gates and let anyone in? No, I don’t, but I also understand why people come here illegally. I challenge anyone to research how difficult it is to get a visa to see if they would even be eligible for one themselves. When you live in a country filled with corruption, you do what you have to  in order to protect yourself and your family. I also find it interesting how the same people who say that illegal immigrants should stay in their country to fight said corruption are usually the same people who tell those unhappy about Trump, “If you don’t like it, then leave.”

Speaking of countries outside the U.S., I understand the mentality of people who say, “We should take care of our own nation’s homeless and veterans before we help other countries.” But why is it treated as an issue of either, or? Have you forgotten that we are all children of God, regardless of where we were born? You can argue that our resources are limited, but I find that hard to accept when we have multi-billionaires making more money in a month than most people make in a year and more than some will make in an entire lifetime. 

On the topic of money, for those who voted for Trump because you don’t like the economic conditions, I have two points for you. One, the economy doesn’t flip on a dime; it takes a few years before we see the effects of the current administration. Two, do you honestly think prices are going to go down once Trump sets up his tariffs? You’re in for a nasty surprise then.

And, to those people who blame the Biden administration for the increasing prices, why? Why not the multi-billionaires in our country? The corporate heads who keep raising prices, continuing to use COVID as an excuse or blaming the workers who actually want a decent wage, so they don’t have to stop lining their own pockets? Or how about the kind of billionaires who ask for donations to cover their court costs instead of dipping into their own mountains of money? And to those people who actually donated to said billionaires instead of putting that money towards homeless veterans or others who are actually struggling to survive, shame on you.

Trump getting elected, it’s not him alone that I’m worried about; it’s his cult-like followers – the people who believe and follow everything he says (see the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection) and the Justices he stuffed into the Supreme Court  near the end of his last term (God-forbid if Obama had been allowed to do the same) giving him Presidential immunity for his actions. If Trump were only to be in office for another four years, I’d groan and roll my eyes but know most of the damage he does could probably be fixed next term. However, if he tries to install himself as the permanent leader of this country, I no longer have the faith that the majority of citizens would care to stop him, and that’s what scares me.