This One Tweet Clapped Back At Trump's SOTU In Such An Inspiring Way
While Trump may have been a bit more controlled than any of us expected, what occurred after his first State of the Union address really stole the show. Following Trump's 2018 State of the Union, Massachusetts Representative Joe Kennedy III delivered an empowering speech to the nation. This tweet about the 2018 State of the Union says it all, and we need to hear it.
During his address, Trump discussed his intention to protect and foster the American people.
He said,
My duty, and the sacred duty of every elected official in this chamber, is to defend Americans, to protect their safety, their families, their communities, and their right to the American dream. Because Americans are dreamers, too.
While this statement was well received by a large majority of the audience, it sparked a fire inside some — most notably, Democrat Joseph Kennedy III, who delivered an address in response to Trump's State of the Union. Kennedy discussed the current tension within America, the importance of the #MeToo and Black Lives Matter movements, as well as the administration's specific standards in who exactly they are fighting for.
However, it was one statement that hit audiences right at home, and resulted in Twitter users standing up for their beliefs.
Twitter user Andrew Trevino specifically spoke out about Trump's "Americans are dreamers, too," with a view of his own. He said,
#POTUS said that “Americans are dreamers too” in the #SOTU and I respond to that with, “Dreamers are American too.” Dreamers are our neighbors, our co-workers, our friends, and our family. We all salute the same flag and love this country. That’s why we need a #DreamActNow
Yes. All yes.
During his address, the young Kennedy referenced the current political climate. He alluded to the Trump administration's lack of investment in younger voices, specifically diverse communities' lack of visibility and safety. He said,
It would be easy to dismiss the past year as chaos, as partisanship, as politics, but it's far bigger than that. This administration isn’t just targeting the laws that protect us, they are targeting the very idea that we are all worthy of protection.
Trump's decision to repeal the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, also known as DACA, has sparked huge backlash amongst numerous communities as well as fellow politicians. Former president Barack Obama openly voiced his disapproval at President Trump's decision through a statement on Facebook, calling it "cruel" and "self-defeating."
He said,
Let’s be clear: the action taken today isn’t required legally. It’s a political decision, and a moral question. Whatever concerns or complaints Americans may have about immigration in general, we shouldn’t threaten the future of this group of young people who are here through no fault of their own, who pose no threat, who are not taking away anything from the rest of us. They are that pitcher on our kid’s softball team, that first responder who helps out his community after a disaster, that cadet in ROTC who wants nothing more than to wear the uniform of the country that gave him a chance. Kicking them out won’t lower the unemployment rate, or lighten anyone’s taxes, or raise anybody’s wages...
What makes us American is not a question of what we look like, or where our names come from, or the way we pray. What makes us American is our fidelity to a set of ideals – that all of us are created equal; that all of us deserve the chance to make of our lives what we will; that all of us share an obligation to stand up, speak out, and secure our most cherished values for the next generation. That’s how America has traveled this far. That’s how, if we keep at it, we will ultimately reach that more perfect union.
No matter where you were born or where you may go, the American dream applies to all. Let's hope the the Trump administration opens an ear to other voices such as Andrew's.
