The election of 2016 has left the country in disbelief. After the initial bewilderment subsided, many of us were lost and unaware of how to move forward. Anthony Formicola wrote a beautiful piece on his thoughts on the election and how international development can lead to a cohesive nation once again. Below is an excerpt from his article published in the Huntington News.
I suspect that many Northeastern students have been in a state of despondence since Tuesday’s results. Even if one is in agreement with the general philosophies of the Republican Party, it must be troubling to see conservative principles take a backseat to bullying, fear-mongering and a lack of interest in national policy. If one’s values are more progressive, there are a variety of horrifying implications that the impending Trump administration presents to this country. To me, one of the most upsetting potential consequences of Nov. 8 is that the Affordable Care Act might be repealed without any real replacement plan on the horizon. Regardless of your opinion or understanding of Obamacare, the prospect of 20 million Americans suddenly losing coverage must be disturbing.
But even in this dark moment, we must remember that the United States (as a rich and powerful nation) has the privilege of essentially being free from widespread preventable death. This is not the case in many developing nations. Even if they evade certain diseases that claim millions of lives every year (and are curable with simple drugs), many of our fellow citizens of the world die only because they are poor – and therefore have little access to clean water, sufficient nutrition or medical care. Every day, 830 women die in pregnancy or childbirth in ways that Americans never would. Every minute, 11 children die in the same ways…
At this crossroads for our country, we have the opportunity to remain divided and self-centered, or we have the opportunity to shift our focus and commit to compassion and generosity on the international stage. If we want to be great again, this is a perfect place to start.
The original publication from November 10, 2016 in the Huntington News can be seen here.