The United States is more unified under President Donald Trump than ever before, but not in the conventional sense.
Americans from coast-to-coast are increasingly sharing the same thought: “The U.S. is entering a new era, and I am going to be a part of it.” But the part each person plays can be vastly different.
For Trump supporters, the U.S. is finally claiming its right to the royal throne of the planet. America and its people have sacrificed for the benefit of foreigners and now it is time to garner respect. But Americans want more than respect — they want a government that works for them and not for everyone else around the world. A new age is dawning where America comes first and national pride can be ignited like never before.
The pride some Americans are feeling recently translated into a movement. The movement was not just Trump’s presidential campaign, but his actual presidency. About 500 Trump supporters marched down the streets of Berkeley, California, over the weekend to support the president, but the rally ended in violence, according to The Washington Post.
While police officers clad in riot gear showed up to the demonstration, the real violence started when counter protesters and Trump supporters confronted each other. Smoke bombs, pepper spray and punches left at least two men injured, who received help from paramedics, The Washington Post reported.
Whose fault is it? Well, that’s not exactly the point. It would be bad enough to have Americans attacking each other on the streets during a presidential campaign, but it’s another thing to have it happen over a sitting president. But what’s worse is that what happened in Berkeley is not an isolated event.
Denver, Colorado; Washington, D.C.; Austin, Texas; and Erie, Pennsylvania, are among a list of cities that saw pro-Trump rallies and marches, and in many cases, anti-Trump activists, according to The Chicago Tribune, Associated Press and The Washington Post.
The confrontations are a telltale sign that America is divided. Obviously the country was divided during the election, but the split is deepening and widening. Thousands of people are still battling for the soul of America and there is no end in sight.
Twitter wars and Facebook rants are not enough for people to blow off steam. Blood was spilled this weekend to argue over what the future of America should look like. There are fundamental differences Americans have with each other that no one can fix. Some people will continue to support Trump while others will continue to oppose him.
The vast number of Americans are not a part of this fight. They are the silent majority, and while they may have an opinion of Trump, they are not so quick to march in the streets. Many people who just want a good job and a house for their family will get increasingly caught up in a war of ideologies.
America, as a culture and country, is heading down a road it may never quite be able to turn back from. Whether the road is good or bad is not the point. What matters is if the division grows there will be a fork in the road and Americans, silent or not, must choose which prong to walk down.
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