Blog Stage Four

“Kick Trump Out”

By Alyson Valdez

“Citizens Must Remove Trump From Office,” by Wim Laven, is an article emphasizing the idea that we as citizens must take responsibility for the people in our office. Laven illustrates the negative effects elicited by Donald Trump by explaining what type of person he is, as well as the actions he has taken while in office. Laven’s main argument is that U.S citizens need to take action and exile these toxic influences before it is too late. 

Laven begins his defense with the reference of the currently popular hashtag “OutNow,” which ultimately stands for, “We refuse to accept a facist America!” He adds that protests are scheduled in support of this idea, stating that it is necessary for us to stand up when the system of checks and balances fail. Laven then expands on the abuse that continues to occur in the White House; for example, Trump paying people to keep his secrets, misdirecting military fights, altering weather maps, and convincing foriegn leaders to spread rumors about his opponents. “It is numbingly fraudulent and as corrupt as any banana republic ever was, the First American Kleptocracy” (Laven). 

Not only does Laven list some of Trump’s offenses, he also emphasizes how they put us in danger. He uses the entrapment of children at our Southern border and the slaughtered Kurdish children at the Turkish-Syrian border as two examples, and explains how Trump’s actions seem to reflect the support of Putin (and himself) rather than the country he is leading. Wim Laven further states that Trump and his foriegn allies have rigged the system, leading to the prevention of votes from the public as well as the Supreme Court! Laven pulls together his argument by saying, “The implications of such corruption exaggerating the demise of climate protections and demoratic institutions are a horror I do not want to imagine.” 

All in all, Wim Laven presents a decently strong argument as he advocates for citizens to stand up. His use of evidence illustrates the toxic behavior of our leader, as well as the effects that it has on the citizens of America. Furthermore, Laven reaches a significant audience (specifically those of the newer generations) by emphasizing the responsibility of citizens to take action and the genocides that will occur if we don’t.