I just want to start by saying that in no way is this blog meant to be about politics; but, this isn’t about politics anymore is it? This is about humanity. I’m sure most people would agree that the 2016 Presidential Election has seemed more like a reality TV show lately than a serious government function; but now, things are just getting scary. We’ve all seen the outrageous videos, Twitter posts, and articles written about the infamous Donald J. Trump, and though he has been condemned and even cursed by those on both the left and the right, somehow, he has managed to stay in the running towards becoming the 45th president of the United States. The presidential hopeful has shocked the nation and the world with his sexist, racist, and classist hate speech, not to mention his well-documented insults towards disabled people, obese people, and entire countries. The New York Times even decided to compile a list of “The 202 People, Places, and Things Donald Trump has Insulted on Twitter.” You’d think that speech like this would kill Trump’s chances at the presidency, but it seems to have had the opposite effect. Trump has flown to the top of the republican primaries, possibly cementing his position as the republican nominee for this election. According to the Associated Press, Trump has won 384 delegates (as of March 7). Trump’s closest competitor for the republican nomination is Ted Cruz with 300 delegates won – though it is worth noting that technically, by the Constitution of the United States, Cruz might be ineligible for presidency, as he was born in Canada. But regardless of Cruz’s eligibility, Trump has practically solidified his place in the final round of the election – and many are not happy about it. On Friday March 11, Trump will be holding a rally at the UIC Pavilion on my college campus, The University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), where I will be recording, reporting, and live tweeting the event, which is sure to be a lively one. Many UIC students have voiced their opposition towards one of the most diverse schools in the nation hosting an event for someone known for spreading hate speech. Protests have already been organized, including one called “Trump Rally Protest – Chicago” that has circulated Facebook with a whopping 8,200 people marked as “going” and another 14,000 “interested” (as of March 7). Additionally, a petition calling for the cancellation of the event has collected over 45,000 signatures (also as of March 7). The Chancellor of UIC, Michael D. Amiridis, released a statement on March 5 after receiving numerous messages of discontent from students, faculty, and staff at the university, as well as community members: “UIC’s core values of freedom, equality and social justice for all, regardless of race, religion, national origin, disability status or sexual orientation, are deeply rooted in our diverse community and not endangered by the presence of any political candidate on campus. We encourage public and civic engagement by all members of our University and we endorse the idea that the answer to speech that one does not like or finds offensive is more speech and not censorship.” As of right now, it looks like Trump will indeed be making an appearance at UIC by the end of the week. To find out more information about attending the rally, regardless of your political position or opinion of Trump, check out the Eventbrite page or watch the live stream of the event when it becomes available, below. Update March 11, 2016: See what really happened at the UIC Donald Trump rally here.
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Rachel is a senior at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Visit the About page to learn more! Archives
April 2017
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