For now we can only hope that the presidency is going to shape Donald Trump as much as he is going to shape the presidency. The preponderance and sanctity of his office, let’s pray, will inevitably temper his self-aggrandizement and bigotry, proclivities that he has betrayed in his words and deeds so far.
The election of Trump is undoubtedly a setback for the American society, signaling a foreboding lapse in the continuous progress this country has made in the past half century towards a more inclusive, fairer, and kinder society. This election is an anomaly. True, the Americans have always been engaged in a struggle to draw and redraw the line between two worthy goals: liberty and social justice. I remember reading somewhere an article that elaborates on the paradox inherently implicated in the sacred doctrines this country is founded on: “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Standing by itself, the epithet sounds glorious, even sacrosanct, to be taken for granted as a laconic expression of the American ideals. In practice, however, each lofty principle, when implemented, may run into a violent conflict with another. For instance, to provide healthcare for each citizen in this country or to preserve a clean environment, (in an endeavor to ensure people’s inalienable right to life and the pursuit of happiness), the government has to collect taxes from the society, a practice that inevitably antagonizes some citizens who believe that their right to liberty has been infringed by the government’s unwarranted intrusion into their business activities through excessive regulations and taxation. The American society has been constantly swinging back and forth between these two doctrines, and I believe this oscillation between liberty and social justice represents a healthy pulsation of the political life of America. What has turned out to be incomprehensible to me is that such a candidate, who has demonstrated so much prejudice and so little respect for truth, has been accepted by so many people. It’s sad to find out that, after all, much of the society remains unchanged or resistant to change… Ture hope rests with young people. Hillary Clinton is certainly right when she says in her concession speech that the fight does not end with this campaign; it will go on because it is a fight for a better future for our children and grandchildren. Fortunately, the framework of this country rests firmly on a solid foundation of ideals, indelible ideas derived from aspirations of countless generations. Young people will keep moving on, for sure.