Opinion | What I learned from my first Trump rally
Jasmin Sani, Editor-in-Chief
I attended my first Trump Rally on July 25.
Well, let me clarify. I was boating on a lake in Dallas, Texas, when all of a sudden, I looked up and saw a cavalcade of red, white and blue speeding across the water in every which way.
Casually waving at strangers across a distance, whether it be on the sidewalk, from car to car, or from boat to boat isn’t an uncharacteristic greeting for Texans. In fact, we like to call it a part of our Southern hospitality.
But I felt some extremely complicated emotions as my brother and I found ourselves sticking out like sore thumbs in a 22,000-acre lake. Its surface seemed to all but sparkle with patriotic colors on a rather hot and humid summer’s day.
We were the only ones without a “Trump 2020” flag to don our boat. As cruisers, deck boats and even jet skis passed us by, it became evidently clearer that we did not receive the memo. But that didn’t seem to matter.
While feeling slightly incriminated by the looks from passerby, one man pulled his jet ski near us and asked if we wanted an extra flag. I shot my older sibling a quick “What do we do” look. The jet ski’s pilot decided for us, as he pulled out a matching pair of “Make America Great Again” lawn flags from his drawstring backpack and lobbed it onto our deck – that is, before driving off and performing a trick on another boat’s wake. A smooth exit, to say the least.
The rally itself seemed harmless, as it was more of a support showcase for Trump rather than an organized event with a scheduled itinerary. But one component that ticked me off was the sheer number of partygoers on the lake, reaching upwards of 300.
“In the middle of a pandemic?” has become my go-to response for almost any suggestion of an activity that would involve me leaving the comfort of my home. So when I saw at least 40 different boats anchored and aligned in a crisp horizontal fashion, I was appalled by the flashy monokinis and salmon pink trunks that paraded between boats without a single mask in sight, like there wasn’t a care in the world. Not only was the pandemic not having an effect on boat-hopping culture, but I was informed that the calm waters in the area has made it known as “Party Cove.”
And I won’t lie; the first thing that crossed my mind was, “Oh, typical Texans not practicing social distancing.” But then I thought back to the number of instances I’ve seen my Californian friends on social media gather in large groups and not feel even the least bit of remorse in documenting the party on their Instagram stories; those same friends who, a few months ago, were judging their peers for doing the same thing.
And I get it, we all want to return to our original lifestyles. But if you’re not actively working against the problem, you’re abetting it. So my only request while a vaccine is still being developed – and it’s really not that difficult, I promise – is to wear a mask, wash your hands and please stay home for the next few months.
This plea isn’t directed at one political party over another. This wish doesn’t apply to a certain demographic. The goal to minimize COVID-19 cases and get back to our normal lives is a universal one we should all feel responsible for working toward.
So, I can now say the Trump rally I attended did teach me something after all: Do your part because people won’t do it for you.