Related: Political Issues, Politics

Voices of Trinity: Inauguration Edition Part 4 – 60’s and 70’s Alumnae Comments

 
 

1962 campaign groupAn alumna emailed me with some concern about our Trinity Straw Poll on the Presidential Inauguration, suggesting that maybe Trinity should avoid politics.  Good heavens.  Trinity Women have always been politically engaged!  Preparing women for leadership — and today alongside men in our graduate and professional programs — is a bedrock part of our mission.  Agree or disagree on the issues, promote one candidate or another, but be engaged!  That’s the Class of 1962 in that photo above, and other photos on this blog, doing their thing for Kennedy or Nixon circa the 1960 election…

As of 5 pm on Thursday, January 18, 585 Trinity alumnae and alumni from all decades from the 1940’s to the present, and from all academic schools, have answered the Trinity Straw Poll on the Presidential Inauguration.  Thank you!  Your responses are urgent, honest, electrifying, passionate, and across the spectrum of personal beliefs and political dispositions.  Yesterday, today and through the weekend, I’ll be summarizing the answers to the question about what you hope to hear in President Trump’s inauguration speech.  Next week I’ll summarize some of the other questions.  If you’d like to join the conversation you can add a comment below, or email me at president@trinitydc.edu and let me know if I can post your comments online.  Please check back on this blog every day because I’m updating it each morning.

Continuing the answers to this question:

Q4:  What do you hope President Trump will say in his Inauguration Address?  Please write a few sentences identifying the issues that are most important to you, and why.

 

Alumnae from the 1960s, (continued from yesterday’s blog)….

“Environmental protection, affordable health care, women’s right to be treated with equality and respect, diplomatic foreign relations, reduction of the excessive power of the super-rich, promotion and support for renewable energy–these are all important to me and I do not anticipate a positive outcome in any of these arenas from Trump.”

“Hoping without much hope that he will say something inclusive. Something that would indicate the divide this election has caused. Maybe if we were really lucky he’d say he was wrong. About refugees to our country of open doors and arms. About healthcare for all in the richest country. About equal rights for all. Something to indicate he’s read and understood our constitution and our history..Hoping that he can refrain from the trivial, the bickering, the slamming that he has exhibited before.”

“Fair policies and treatment of all US citizens Protection of voting rights Humane policies towards immigrants, legal and illegal Appropriate education for all children and adults A fair and livable minimum wage Respect for women Appointment of jurists not based on politics.”

“The issues I think are most critical are the assurance of a health care system that retains many of the benefits of the Affordable Care Act, action on climate control and international policy that honors our long standing Allies but does not pander to Russia. Investment in infrastructure and financial integrity are also top issues.”

“He needs to back off on his insulting tweets and speeches and behaviors on women,minorities, immigrants, Muslims, the disabled. He needs to support affordable healthcare for all Americans , environment free from pollution, drinkable water for all Americans , public lands and public spaces free from oil drilling , mining , and deforestation . He needs to support free public education with accountability to the public and not to profit-making institutions.”

“We will address additional ways to bring down Healthcare costs while assuring that all have access to care. We will maintain the progress we’ve made in clean air and water while incentivizing companies ‘ innovation to increase jobs in hardest hit areas. We will reach out to all communities across city and country and find local partners with great ideas and support them in strengthening our schools, providing a decent wage to our workers, and holding law enforcement to a higher standard so that all everyone can feel safe….”

1962 campaign 3From the decade of the 1970’s:

“…give concrete examples of how he will inspire and unify the country he has helped fracture with his divisive rhetoric – demonstrate humility at the responsibility he has just assumed and understanding that he cannot bully his adversaries (at home and abroad) into obedience – commit to respecting the office of the President by limiting his immature responses to any and all criticism – commit to releasing his tax forms!”

“I will work hard to be humble as I undertake my new endeavor; I will represent all people, and I will work diligently to bring together this divided nation; I will use my heart to guide me in making choices which truly benefit the greater good; I promise to listen to differing points of view with openness and not disparage individual opinions; I will open my eyes and see the people who are the true backbone of our great country and acknowledge their hard work, determination, and grit; I will use my heart to understand the strife of the many who have so little in this great country; I will honor the diversity and glory that make us great; I promise to right the wrongs and not let this country regress in the strides it has made over the past several decades; I swear to work honestly in all I do, focus fiercely on the needs of all, and swear to stop tweeting after I am sworn in. Believe me.” (Written with a heavy heart)

“Issues most important for me: Respect for women – we are your mothers, sisters, daughters Respect for immigrants – we are your parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, great grandparents, friends Respect for people of all abilities – we are your heart, soul, and best selves Respect for life – we are your unborn babies, families in poverty, peaceful nations, healthy planet Respect for dialogue and diverse perspectives – we are the heart and soul of a transformative civil society.”

“First and foremost President Trump must release his tax returns to show the doubting American public that he has no financial ties to the Soviet Union. He must re-evaluaate his position on healthcare for the American people, especially for the sick and the poor. I would like to hear from him support for the voting rights of all Americans. He and his family must live in the White House. This may seem like a minor thing, but to me it represent his lack of commitment and an arrogance to being the true President of the United States and not one simply seeking the power of the office. I would like to see a meaningful investment in strong public education in this country. I would like to see robust infrastructure spending. I would like to hear a message that could reach all American, and not just the wealthy few.”

“I would love him to say that his most important task as President is to heal this divided nation and to work hard for a better future for ALL Americans. I wish he would speak out forcefully against the hate and violence that has erupted since his candidacy and urge his supporters to show tolerance and compassion. It would be great to hear that he has had an epiphany and is now going to stop his constant lying and work on establishing a moral compass. Sadly, I do not believe he will say any of this.”

“I would like him to say that, having reconsidered the scientific evidence, he not only realizes that global warming is real and is facilitated by humans but also that this problem is of paramount importance and that he will absolutely support the Paris Agreement and go beyond it. I would like him to say that, since his election, he has had experiences that confirm to him that the strength in America lies in its diversity, and that his administration will work with immigrant groups to welcome them and to facilitate the path to citizenship if that’s what they wish. I would like him to say that he has suddenly become aware of the disparity between wealthy and poor in this country; and that he will be working to eliminate poverty and to close the ridiculous income gap. I would like him to say that, of the idea to “repeal and replace” the ACA, having a strong medical insurance program in place is the more important; and that he will not sign any bill repealing the ACA without simultaneously signing a bill with at least as strong a program, and as affordable a program, for health care. I would like him to say that he has spoken with his cabinet appointees and has come to realize that a group of (mostly) male businessmen will not give his administration the perspective on this country that any president needs to have. I would like to hear him acknowledge that we must be wary of Russian control of our political process–and to thank Hillary Clinton for running a strong campaign–and perhaps to announce that he plans to ask her to play a key role in his administration. Not likely, right?”

“I hope that President elect Trump will re-iterate his promise to dedicate all of his efforts to solving, with the help of an incredibly competent Cabinet, the many problems which have festered under the previous administration eg the failure to provide affordable healthcare for ALL Americans, a weak, anemic economy with record levels of unemployment (especially the record numbers who have stopped looking for work), the desperate lack of cyber security and national security and our badly broken immigration system.”

“I believe he will work harder than we have seen other presidents work in a long time, to improve our economy, protect our country at the border and in the cities, like Chicago. I believe and it’s being witnessed now that he will return even more jobs to our country to put our people to work and stop the rise of welfare. I believe he will work to eradicate ISIS. I want to continue to hear him talk about caring for our VETS and being a president for all people. I want to hear about him reducing the drug problem.”

“I hope he will say that he will resign immediately. I don’t think that will happen though. I hope he will say that all Americans deserve affordable heath care and that he has changed his mind about repealing the ACA. I hope he will say that he honors journalists for the incredibly hard work they do to bring truth to the public. I hope he will say that he will pay his outstanding debts to the workers to whom he owes money and that he will protect the rights of federal workers to do their jobs with integrity.”

“Respect our government, respect our citizens, respect our heritage of immigrant energy, ingenuity, and hard work, respect our Constitutional rights of freedom of religion, press, expression, respect our military, respect our allies, respect our workers of every economic stripe, respect our environment and the great inheritance of natural resources we hold for our children, respect the global village we have become in terms of industry and trade, respect science and the accomplishments of so many brilliant Americans in medicine, ecology and engineering, be welcoming!”

“I want him to say he will veto any bill limiting a women’s freedom in reproductive rights. He will not change Social Security and Medicare. He will protect the health rights of all Americans He will divest himself of all business interests and will only serve the US interests. He will protect the civil and voting rights of all Americans. He needs to say that he will not initiate a nuclear war. He will not build a wall across the southern border He will not create a list of Muslims living in the US or ban any more from entering the US.”

“I would like to hear him say anything that would lead me to believe he has read any of the Bill of Rights.”

1962 campaign againMore to come!  Watch this space every day for the next two weeks for updates on what Trinity Graduates and our students, faculty and staff are saying about the presidential inauguration and the issues we face as a nation!

Follow me on Twitter @TrinityPrez

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Patricia A. McGuire, President, Trinity, 125 Michigan Ave. NE, Washington, DC 20017
Phone: 202.884.9050   Email: president@trinitydc.edu