OPINION-EDI TORIAL
Cutting budgets for the arts will not make America great again alie wilkins
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ince Donald Trump’s presidency started 90 days ago, the United States has taken some serious blows. Besides the blatant racism, sexism and general ignorance that’s making a comeback, Trump has also attacked the funding for some of the country’s most beloved programs. With the country on the brink of war, the border wall possibly becoming a reality and the travel ban creating enemies for us around the world, cuts to arts funding might seem trivial. However, these cuts will not only affect millions of people whose professions and passions fall under the organizations being targeted, this will also affect the cultural identity of the U.S. Trump recently submitted his proposed budget for 2018, and it includes the elimination of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). Even if you think you have no reason to care about these organizations, I promise you do. Even if you’re an accounting major and you don’t have a passion for the arts. Even if this article is the first time you’ve ever heard of these
programs. Even if you voted for Donald Trump, you have a reason to care. The NEA and NEH are organizations that get a sum of money from the government (an endowment), which they then put back into arts and humanities programs around the country. That’s anything from specific schools offering courses and programs in these areas to galleries to independent groups that apply for grants. The Institute of Museum and Library Services helps libraries and museums stay innovative and keep people coming through their doors. The CPB, according to their website, is the single largest provider of funding for public television and radio. Would you want your kids to watch PBS when they grow up? Sesame Street could be gone if this budget gets approved. Funding for libraries, museums, public radio and art galleries will be gone. If you really need some motivation to feel upset about this, just look for the video of PBS explaining to Elmo why he won’t have a job next year. Funding cuts to the arts might not seem like the most important priorities right now, but in the midst of violence, protests and hate, issues like these give people passion and should be on the top of the list.
Not to mention the effects budget cuts nominated the secretary of education. Your new might have on students. Imagine you started boss is now a woman whose continued support your undergraduate degree four years ago in of the voucher system, and charter schools looks the arts because that’s what you loved, and now like a lot of bad news for the public school you’re being thrown out into this world. Maybe system. it’s your dream to become a music teacher The worst part of these cuts is that the or open your own pottery shop or have your money used to fund these programs that own show on National make our country so amazing is now being Public Radio. What if reallocated to defense spending, the that was your dream, border wall and the school voucher and two months before program. you were supposed to In the last 90 days, Trump has graduate, your president given a lot of people reason to be tried to not only cut your scared about the what the following funding, but eliminate 90 days will look like. He’s incited these programs entirely? fear and hatred, he’s proven we’re Or let’s say you went weaker when divided and with to school to be a teacher missile strikes and a bombing because you feel during his first three months, he’s like you were put put us on the brink of what many on this planet to people are calling World War III. shape the minds of And now he’s trying to take away the future. A profession the creativity and imagination that you chose to do despite Illustration by Katie Dobrydney make up so much of the culture and how little you’ll make and foundation of this country. If this is how much work you’ll what it looks like to “make America be expected to do for such little recognition. great again,” I don’t know why anyone would Imagine that was you, and Betsy DeVos was just want to be a part of it.
structured the way it is. I also believe Trump does as well (as a president, he would have to), but one thing I’ve realized is that, in an age when communication happens at an increasing rate and technology is evolving, our political model also needs to keep up. Obviously we don’t want a dictatorship, but using his executive power, Trump is hitting the reset button on this country in a big way. One of the hallmark examples of this is the “repeal and replace” action on the Affordable Care Act. This was a theme throughout the Trump campaign and, true to his word, he signed this into effect hours after being sworn in. However, the Republican majority Congress prevented its passage. This order would absolutely cause stress to citizens that rely on this coverage; however, unless more abrupt action is taken, a change in healthcare policy has the potential to be juggled around the political system for years where it would do no good to anyone. Trump’s other priority throughout his campaign was border security, which has been incredibly controversial. For years, illegal
immigration and the war on drugs has been a problem for the United States, but some people believe little was ever done to combat it effectively, and Trump went about bringing awareness to the problem in the only way he knows how: by being Trump. Keep in mind, there’s already a wall. It not a complete wall, with the usage of natural borders in some places and nothing at all in others. This legislation may take more time to process in the journey through our democracy, but, given his methods, you can bet Trump Illustration by alanna secrest will see this happens. The last point I want to highlight is by far the most discussed, yelled about, fought over and protested of all Trump’s initiatives: the immigration ban. The rejection and backlash from the nation over this executive order was staggering. Riots, protests
President Trump: A politician keeping his promises zach martin
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istorically, politicians have garnered a reputation centered around heavy use of rhetoric and empty promises. It’s impossible to please everyone, and in the game of politics, the ones who win must outsmart the competition by gathering support of those who share their views. Making promises is but one play in the campaign playbook, and President Donald Trump, like all candidates before him, made many promises. What sets him apart from the rest of the field is that, unlike his predecessors, those promises were not empty. That’s not to say past leaders of this country didn’t keep any of their promises, but in his first 90 days, Trump has completed more tasks and fulfilled more promises than any president in recent history. From the beginning Trump came out swinging hard and fast, giving the media plenty of juicy content to report on for months. After his election, he didn’t stop there. The list of executive orders he’s put into effect is by no means short. Being a citizen in a democratic country, I understand why our government is
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and unrest swept over the country and even the world as families were kept apart, and even some NAU students were affected by the restrictions. But instead of stepping back and really looking at what the Trump administration was looking to achieve, people went straight for the racism card. Sure, I can see how this order has a racist tone to it, only countries containing a certain demographic and in a certain part of the globe were included. But considering that the countries initially included in the ban were suspected to have a terrorist population, it makes sense that these countries were included. The only thing I could say to those who could be affected in the future by it: Don’t make plans to travel during the ban. Trump’s hard push to reform and change this country is harsh and even insensitive in some cases. He has upset millions of people and will probably continue to do so. The way I see it, he brings a third-party perspective to the table, given he is not a career politician. That is one of the reasons I voted for him. This is only one step toward making changes, and the more abruptly they happen, the faster a result can be reached. And I’m just fine with that!