An Open Letter To The Next Alt-Right Candidate Who’ll Rise After Donald Trump
This election, for as nasty and crude as it has become, is invaluable in holding a mirror up to all of us, and trust me, the reflection is not as pleasing as we'd like to think.
To Whom it May (Greatly Concern Me):
Good afternoon and I hope this letter finds you in an open frame of mind. As you may have heard, we are mercifully about two weeks away from the conclusion of this divisive presidential election and potentially two weeks away from protested election results. Not sure how you feel about the latest rigged-election conspiracy theory, but I can assure you, that openly questioning the legitimacy of free elections that define our democracy is quite the slippery slope. Or a “suspenseful” one, as your buddy might have mentioned in a locker room at some point.
I’m writing to you today because I’d rather have this discussion with you now, rather than in 2020, when it may be quite ironic that a large portion of former Trump supporters still won’t be seeing straight. I get it, four years is a lifetime in this ever-changing (dare I say advancing?) society of ours. I’m keeping this correspondence eloquent and civil because I’m afraid you possess those qualities as well. Taking that assumption a step further, I am even more concerned that you are so well-spoken and worldly, that you may pull all the wool over our collective eyes and we will fail to see the same divisiveness behind the new window dressing. You know, the one that doesn’t smell like ranch and believes in evolution.
Sir/Ma’am, let us examine some of the ways your blustering hero has proposed to make our nation great (again?)…or maybe let’s just begin with that slogan.
If you do choose to run in the next election, maybe you can answer some of these questions because I’m afraid your insecure, orange hombre has failed to offer concrete answers outside of a concrete wall. So I ask you, when was our country greater than it is now? Post WWII, rose-tinted nostalgic America? Outside of being a straight white male, it was a pretty not-so-great country for everyone else. Even presently it is not so peachy keen if you are a woman or any minority, but at least that ocean of inequality is now more of a lake.
Will your platform also include mass deportations, registries for religious groups, massive tax cuts for the 1%, and a lack of empathy? If so, I’m glad we are beginning this dialogue at this juncture.
This election, for as nasty and crude as it has become, is invaluable in holding a mirror up to all of us, and trust me, the reflection is not as pleasing as we’d like to think.
We’ve seen all the warts and blemishes in high definition, or as some of your supporters may say, in beautiful technicolor. We are a hypocritical society at times, blustering about freedom when we restrict the rights of some of our citizens.
Boasting about being the best while refusing to accept Syrian immigrants.
Bragging about being a world leader while squabbling over universal healthcare.
It’s a confusing time to be an American, especially when some of us sacrifice our own morals to support a candidate with a glaring lack of them.
Most important, however, is that these last 18 months have taught us that we can be better, that we should be better, and that it starts with understanding what a true leader should be:
An individual that aims to unite us, not create divisions. To possess empathy and have respect for all people you seek to represent. A leader who recognizes that we are a nation founded by intellectuals and innovators. A candidate who understands the dichotomy of being so technologically connected as a civilization, yet so metaphorically disconnected as people. So dear sir or ma’am of the Alt-Right, if you choose to run in our next election, I humbly ask that you resist the urge and keep any conspiracy theories to yourself, no matter how polished you seem. 
