Opinion: Donald Trump is not the problem; he only represents it

Sometimes the biggest jokes aren’t funny at all, and honestly no better notion can sum up the most recent presidential election cycle than that one.

When Donald Trump announced his bid for election, it was rousing. The businessman-turned-reality-star had slim chances to win and was more reminiscent of a walking meme than a realistic choice for president.

But, ever so gradually, he rose to power atop a platform of hate-filled rhetoric supposedly supported by freedom of speech. Many questioned his legitimacy in the race, and others feared for their families and safety. Soon his candidacy was more reminiscent of a joke gone way too far than a bid to be the next president of the United States.

As a result, on Nov. 9, when the electoral votes were in and former Secretary Hillary Clinton conceded the election, many Americans were shocked. The public asked how we could have taken so many steps back after years working towards tolerance.

Initially, there was a very valid astonishment felt by many who opposed his ill-founded promises of making America great (see white) again. But there was also a subgroup of Americans who knew his win was so unfortunately logical that it was almost laughable.

Marginalized communities, to be specific, are used to these kind of things happening.

From a young age, many Black and brown kids learned histories of “not so happy endings” due to phenomena like white privilege. It’s one that dates back to the foundation of the United States and one that put Donald Trump in office. Being used to such events does not make his victory sting less, but it’s just another example of how white lives and white voices are prioritized even when it damages the lives of marginalized groups.

As such, white America’s surprise that a man who spoke so awfully about anyone who wasn’t a rich, straight, able-bodied, Christian, American male, acts almost like a micro-aggression. It’s a micro-aggression not because it’s inconvenient, but rather because the surprise almost outs anyone who wasn’t paying attention to the racist institutions that plague the United States. The fact is that, to be fair, Trump is not the problem. Rather, he is representative of all of the systematic notions of white supremacy that the United States was built on. Surely, he exploited that.

For example, ask yourself how likely it is for a man of any other background to perpetuate hate against white American males on a national scale and still become president of the United States. Then, ask yourself if even the mention of that idea is offensive.

Furthermore, try to understand why it’s almost impossible for an ethnic minority in a position of power to speak out against white society without repercussions.

When Donald Trump, a white man can do it and still become president, it’s not something surprising, it’s something symptomatic of a bigger issue. Even today, with such an explicit example, some doubt the power of white privilege. But in reality, it’s like the wind in that although we can’t see it, we can all feel its effects.

For the next four years through Trump’s presidency, we will be feeling its effects in some very explicit ways.