Thank you, Mr. Trump.
There is very, very little good that has come out of Donald Trump’s presidential run. He’s given America’s radical minority a face, delegitimized what it means to run for the country’s highest office and has brought the public’s perception of politics to a new low. However, if there is one benefit Trump has given America, it is making the entire study of history a leading role in society once again. In a country that prioritizes technology development, history was taking a backseat to other disciplines that seemed to be more useful today, but history needs to be learned and remembered now more than ever.
Everyone remembers that kid in history class. Either when learning about the Shakers of the 19th century or the Carter administration, this fellow classmate would always find it humorous to raise his hand and ask how learning about the past has any relevance to today and the future. Those teachers now have an answer.
The whole reason we learn history is to keep things like Mr. Trump from happening. An election like 2016 couldn’t have happened any other year. Before President Barack Obama, the U.S. still had troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the 2008 financial crisis brought America’s economy to historic lows. Critics can say what they want, but Americans today have become complacent in a time where they don’t have to worry about troubles as serious as wars and economic crashes.
History classes teach wars so the lessons that can be learned from them are understood without having to be reminded by another war. The Great Depression and the financial crisis in 2008 are supposed to raise awareness of the fragility of economic systems. At the very least, people should realize the common denominator of almost all historic events are rooted at decisions made from leaders. When it comes to the U.S., those leaders have been presidents. George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Donald Trump have led this country in its most delicate times. Well, one of those names doesn’t fit.
Donald Trump is nothing new. He is a man who leads a campaign fueled by hatred and discrimination towards certain demographics? That sounds familiar. There have been people like him before, and there will be more alike to come. Trumps are even present in countries with weaker political institutions than the U.S., except they’re called tyrants. Yes, Americans before us have spent more than 200 years to establish a democratic system that could stand the test of time. Wars have been fought, blood has been shed and sacrifices have been made. Instead of contemporary Americans repaying the efforts of generations that came before them, it seemed like a good idea to mock the system to see how close Americans can get to Trump becoming president of the U.S.
This weekend is about more than just barbecue and a day off from school. Memorial Day is a day to remember those who died when serving this country’s armed forces. Remember them by not forgetting the consequences of their sacrifices, and what would have happened if some of the pivotal events in America’s history didn’t turn out the way they did. History is to be remembered, not thrown to the wind as time moves on. Sadly, 20 years from now, high school students in their history classes will learn of when we were given the chance to play a role in the continuing history of this country, the 2016 presidential election was used to give Donald Trump multiple pages in American History books.
Joshua Udvardy is a UF mechanical engineering sophomore. His column appears on Thursdays.
