The march against the new Trump order

To write about Donald Trump officially becoming the 45^th President of the United States, has been a struggle. But for the next four years or however long he’s presidency lasts, there is no way to ignore him. Even though we’re here in Australia, America is an influential world leader. Decisions made in the Oval Office may very well affect the way the world moves forward (or backward).

So I decided to try and find something positive about this new world (or Trump) order and after a while it became clear to me.

The one thing that has already come from Trump been sworn in, is that it has forced us to look at ourselves. The discourse and climate of intolerance of the ‘other’ incited by Trump’s campaign has made most us question how we act and treat others and what morals we uphold.

Trump has only just taken office which means, until now it has been all talk. It’s now a waiting game to see what action Trump will actually take. Some people are waiting in anticipation and others are understandably nervous.

In politics a few false promises is to be expected.  Trump’s press secretary, Sean Spicer, gave his first press conference where he made inaccurate statements about the attendance numbers at this year’s inauguration, which were easily debunked. Senior advisor to Trump, Kellyanne Conway, spoke to NBC’s Chuck Todd stating that Spicer had given ‘alternative facts’.

“Alternative facts are not facts,” Todd responded. “They’re falsehoods.”

Using a phrase such as ‘alternative facts’ seems appropriate since in 2016 it seemed we didn’t care about the facts anymore– think post-truth.

What is clear, is that what Trump has promised he will achieve in his presidency and the discourse he has used in his campaign has gone against the moral grain of many. This is highlighted by the number of anti-trump protests over the weekend.

In Isaiah 1:17 God says, “…learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.”

This sentiment was shared in the largest anti-trump protest, the Women’s March. Yesterday millions of women and men from all over the world joined in solidarity to march for equality and women’s rights. It was a stand against the Trump rhetoric with marcher’s holding signs that shouted, ‘Love Trumps Hate’, ‘Choose Kindness’, ‘Women’s rights is Human Rights’ and much more.

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The recent US political environment has been a world shake-up. Maybe, it’s one that we needed to remind us not to be passive and as Jesus showed us, to be present, be the change and have empathy for humanity.

Image: Women’s March in Sydney over the weekend (AAP: Dan Himbrechts).

Melissa Stewart