By Shannon Reardon

As a journalist I have, not only the right, but the responsibility to present the facts that are made available to me without interjecting my feelings or my personal biases.

With the inauguration having just passed, an influx of emotions have surfaced, and rather than using The Communitarian to spew the abundance of thoughts that circulate in my own head, there is merit in looking to the other side of this debate.

Clearly, there were enough people in the country who voted for Donald J. Trump.

But why?

Part of the reason stems from Trump’s promise to bring jobs back to America.

Having lived through a fight to keep the house my family lived in from being foreclosed on in high school, I understand the need for more better paying jobs.

I also work, sometimes more than 40 hours a week. As a waitress, I make $2.83 an hour to cover the taxes against our tips; most servers never see a paycheck.

But fighting to make rent, while it can be extremely taxing at times, makes me appreciate every cent earned.

Another issue that was brought to the table was gun reform, because as soon as a Democratic politician runs for office, opponents say, “they’re coming to take our guns.’

No, they aren’t.

I go target shooting for fun and have never felt fear that a government official is going to come and take the rifle out of my hand as I’m lining up for my next shot.

The worst that may come out of gun reform would be stricter gun laws, which would just help to eliminate the number of sociopaths wielding automatic weapons.

The list of issues that follow Trump’s newfound presidency fall under a category of “too personal.” I will agree to disagree with anyone who wants to talk with me about the human rights that are being flipped, twisted, and reversed.

As outraged as many are by the outcome of this election, it is worth noting that this movement was not an accident or the cause of the Russian government hacking us to influence votes.

The votes that President Trump received came as an outcry from a frustrated, underpaid, and overworked middle and working-class who were tired of being overlooked.

These same voters fear that the jobs that are already sparsely available are going to either be moved overseas to alleviate tax burdens in the United States, or taken by illegal immigrants who would be willing to make lower wages, thereby making Trump’s campaign promise to harden borders against incoming immigrants sound like the most promising for economic growth.

And while the outspoken may dispute his presidency, we have to remember that some of our family members, friends, coworkers, classmates, and those within our communities voted for this man; so while I may not respect the president, I respect those who voted for him.

Contact Shannon Reardon at communitarian@mail.dccc.edu