If the main thing you’ve thought about lately is whether the United States will plant its flag in Greenland, you’re probably not alone.
Recently inaugurated President Donald Trump’s pledges to take over Greenland, the Panama Canal and even Canada have dominated headlines with a certain blend of irony and amusement. Alerts about Trump declaring the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America and his meeting with California Gov. Gavin Newsom on a tarmac have entered dinner table discussions. But focusing on the ridiculousness of Trump’s first-week promises only distracts from the tangible harm that some of his actions pose, like his pledge to end birthright citizenship and pardon Jan. 6 felons. To combat those orders and search for solutions, we have to stop feeding Trump’s attention-mongering.
Just look at what some of his executive orders, both those already enacted and loosely promised, would mean for Foggy Bottom and D.C. at large. The federal hiring freeze and promised mass layoffs in the name of “efficiency” mean people in GW’s backyard are losing their jobs while students’ possible employment opportunities are drying up. The District’s population of nearly 100,000 immigrants now have to live under perpetual fears from the administration’s increasingly restrictive policies. Trump has also hinted at ending home rule in D.C., which would effectively strip the District of its self-governance and place the key to the city in a Republican Congress’ hands. Any one of those policies can and will impact the life of a GW student much more than the hat Melania Trump wore to the inauguration.
Only talking about the absurdities can brush even the most alarming headlines under the rug, as laughing at Trump wielding a saber at the inaugural ball pulls attention from his moves to pull out of the Paris Climate Agreement, withdraw from the World Health Organization and eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs — all of which will have resounding and long-lasting reverberations.
At the end of the day, unless you’re on the Supreme Court, your options to prevent an executive order from going into effect are unfortunately limited. But you can begin to mobilize to support the communities put at risk by these actions and stop fueling the perpetual cycle of over-the-top, attention-grabbing headlines that have been key to Trump’s success.
The reality is that we’ve inherited Trump as our neighbor for the next four years, but we shouldn’t exhaust ourselves by throwing stones at the castle on the hill, and instead, focus on engaging with state-level officials to demand actions that will protect our communities from the wrath of Trump’s pen. Just last week, for example, Democratic attorneys general from 22 states, along with D.C. and San Francisco, filed lawsuits challenging Trump’s move to restrict birthright citizenship. Putting time into these local offices can often be more accessible than jumping into the national fray and more fulfilling than griping about the White House with your roommates.
Plus, there are enough things that might stress one out about living in Trump’s America. Putting his intentionally provocative yet unsubstantial comments at the front of your mind can only make everyone more exhausted, without the energy to do any of the necessary work to push back against ideas one finds particularly objectionable. This information burnout poses a roadblock to educating yourself about the legislation the president is proposing and signing into law.
In November, right after Trump was elected to office, we urged students to remember that power is still in our hands if we chose to lean in and commit ourselves to chasing change. “Just because the election may not have turned out in some people’s favor, doesn’t mean the issues that many people felt so passionately about no longer matter or need to be advocated for,” we argued. We echo that call now.
Advocacy groups, like the Amica Center for Immigrant Rights or the American Federation of Government Employees, are always looking for organizers, for people to join the ranks and help those most affected by Trump’s avalanche of executive orders. Go out into the District, offer support to local communities and directly combat both Trump’s actual policies and the culture of isolation that’s helped breed his political success.
We all only have so much brain space and energy for politics. Don’t let Trump force you to fill your mind with his folly.
The editorial board consists of Hatchet staff members and operates separately from the newsroom. This week’s staff editorial was written by Opinions Editor Andrea Mendoza-Melchor and Culture Editor Nick Perkins, based on discussions with Contributing Culture Editor Caitlin Kitson, Research Assistant Carly Cavanaugh and Sports Columnist Sydney Heise.
