The Politics of a Dinner Party by Sydney

The Politics of a Dinner Party by Sydney - October 2017 Scholarship Essay

Politics have always been an incredibly important piece of society in the United States. After all, the country was founded on the idea that people should be politically free and equal. However, in today’s society, the question of whether or not Americans are actually regarded as being equal is frequently being raised--and rightfully so. As incidents such as the shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, an act of terrorism against LGBT+ individuals, continue to happen far too frequently, it is more important now than ever to realize that the United States is not, in fact, equal.
It is extremely tempting to say that I would have dinner with Barack Obama if I were able to. I have to admire Mr. Obama for a large number of reasons--he paved the way for the legalization of same-sex marriage in the United States, openly supported the feminist movement and fought against gender inequality, and created a healthcare system which would allow Americans of all races, genders, and economic standings to receive health care. However, despite the fact that, in my opinion, Mr. Obama is an incredible and well respected man, I would have to choose another President to have dinner with. Thus, if I were to have dinner with any president, dead or alive, I would dine with President Donald Trump.
As a liberal woman attending a liberal college and proudly identifying as a feminist, I am surprising myself by stating that I would have dinner with Donald Trump. However, this decision was not made based on the idea of agreeing with the President. In fact, the decision was made based on the idea of blatantly and whole-heartedly not agreeing with the President. As a Journalism major, and perhaps more importantly, as a human and an American citizen, I have followed Donald Trump’s climb to presidency from the very beginning, when it was almost impossible to even believe that the man was actually running for president--and succeeding. Among my friends and family, it is no secret that I do not harbor the best feelings towards Mr. Trump. I openly protest much of what he says, and believe that Mr. Trump is incredibly misinformed on many important topics in government right now. However, this is what would make the dinner interesting.
Being in the journalism field, one of my biggest goals is to be able to effectively communicate with people and change the way closed-minded people think, and speaking with Mr. Trump would grant me an opportunity to practice effectively communicating new ideas to a person who is notorious for disagreeing with new ideas. President Trump does not support the feminist movement. He wants to repeal the ability for women to seek abortions, has done nothing to work towards erasing the gender pay gap, and has, on many occasions, openly insulted women around the world with incredibly vile statements such as “women...you gotta treat ‘em like sh**” (Trump). Additionally, Mr. Trump does not believe that children brought to the United States as minors have great value to the country; he proved this when he decided to implement a plan which could deport Dreamers, or people brought to the United States illegally as children and raised here. Even though these people have built lives in the United States; even though they hold jobs and contribute greatly to this country, Mr. Trump believes that they do not have a place here. So, I would like to talk about it, and every other issue which Mr. Trump deems unimportant.
Perhaps one of the most relevant subjects which President Trump deems as unimportant is journalism. Countless times, the President has argued that any story reporting something undesirable he has done or said is “fake news.” Mr. Trump is in the news constantly, since anything the President does is considered news, and therefore, there is much for him to regard as “fake news.” However, what Trump does not realize is that journalism is an incredibly important piece of democracy. In order for democracy to work effectively, there must be people who are able to keep those in powerful positions in check, and this is where journalism comes into play. Journalists are the ones who keep a close eye on those in high places, and then report information to the public in order to keep them informed. If Donald Trump does not believe that journalism is important, then I would like to educate him as to why it is, and to debate with him why so many other issues are important and relevant.
Sometimes, those in positions of power are unable to hear both sides of a story--they understand what they would like to understand, and simply sweep the rest of the information under the rug. As a journalist, and as a communicator, I believe it is incredibly important for people to be aware of both sides of a situation any time there is a situation. This is why, if I could have dinner with any president, I would choose Donald Trump; if there is anyone in the world who needs to be informed of all sides of a situation, it is him.