When Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. repeated the Oath of Office for President Donald Trump, when Trump placed his left hand on the Bible and his right hand in the air, when he repeated “I, Donald John Trump, do solemnly swear…” it all became real.  It was official: Donald Trump had become our 45th President.

Throughout this lengthy election process, America has seen the strongest divide ever in this nation’s history.  The ideological gap between excited, encouraged rural-area inhabitants of America and the concerned, unconfident metropolitan-area citizens has increased immensely.  Many rural residents are hoping that an outsider in the Oval Office will foment unprecedented action, bringing creative perspectives and washing out the mold of  “corrupt politicians.”  Their counterparts, mostly metropolitan dwellers, are hesitant to let a man infamous for his derogatory remarks towards women and minorities hold the prestigious position of President.

As The Daily Yonder, a rural news source, reports, Donald Trump won rural votes over Hillary Clinton by a huge margin [1].  As University of Maryland political scientist James Gimpel states, “From a geographic standpoint, the Trump-Clinton contest was more polarizing than Romney-Obama, with bigger gaps separating the most urban from the most rural locations.”  His notes about the large disparity between geographical-varying voters reveal the gap in interests and separation of preferences that exist when it comes to electing a president.

With the new President in office, all Americans are holding their breath, waiting for Trump to either prove his credibility or highlight his inaptitude.  The disparity between Trump’s believers and doubters has grown exponentially since the launch of Trump’s campaign, and has only seen increased separation in perspective.

Kavu Alapatu ’18 voices his opinion about the extreme division between the urban and rural points of view: “Both sides want two very different things, and I do not see how anything can be done to blend the sides together.  Rural area residents have different needs than city-people and so, honestly, I think there will always be a disconnect between the two groups: with new issues and different needs arising, the disparity is just going to keep growing.”

America, instead of opposing these factions, should embrace them.  The gap that characterizes regional discords in beliefs indicates America’s status as a democracy, a safe haven where people can voice their opinions. Divergent views are what embody America.  The differences in opinions, the countless perspectives, the different angles make America the great, diverse country it is.  Instead of trying to force people to convert to one belief or another, we should welcome and accept viewpoints that do not necessarily align with our own, using them to become more informed.

Navya Khattar ’20, shares her approval for differing opinions and, in fact, encourages them: “The fact that rural and urban residents have different opinions on Trump’s presidency is a good thing!  This gets President Trump to realize that not all of America is the same, and he is going to have to make policies that can apply and benefit most, if not all, Americans.”

In sum, the discrepancy between what rural residents and what metropolitan civilians want and view of Trump being elected as President of the United States of America is vital for America’s success.  The divide, the separation, the difference between the needs of both sets of people is imperative to Trump’s success as a President.  He must act accordingly, and do his best to facilitate the lives of both groups.  Each geographical group acts as a check on his priorities. So, when asked if anything should be done to discourage the separation of beliefs of Trump’s presidency between rural and urban residents, I say: Closing the gap is one bridge we cannot and should not cross.

[1] http://www.dailyyonder.com/rural-urban-voting-gap-widens/2016/11/10/16182/