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PolySci: A Teenager Ponders Policy

Kayla Mulligan
Basim Blunt
/
WYSO
Kayla Mulligan

Teenagers watch the news and are affected by the sometimes harsh and divisive political debate in our country. Kayla Mulligan is a senior at Thurgood Marshall STEM High School. She watches CNN and other political shows on TV, and she's learning about politics in America. In today's essay, Kayla shares her opinion about President Trump's efforts to build a wall along the Mexican border.

My story is how I feel about Donald Trump building the wall. I've been trying to wrap my head around the idea of it.  I spoke to some of the students and teachers at my school and asked them what they thought about the border wall. They said:

"If people [are] trying to leave their country to better themselves, they will find a way into this country if that's how they see their lives getting better."

"I don't see them as much of a threat. So what's the point of building a wall to guard something that isn't a threat?"

"The wall's never gonna stop the tunneling, and really the wall is just more of a monument to himself I feel like."

Here are a few facts about the wall that Donald Trump is trying to build. The wall will be 1,933 miles and will stretch from western California to eastern Texas. I know for sure that the reason why Trump wants this wall is for no one to be able to get into our country. It was very painful to see familes getting separated at the border trying to come into the U.S., young children wondering why they are sadly taken away from their parents. Trump imprisoned the adults of the families and sent their children to stay in unstable, unlivable conditions.

Is this America? How dare you separate the children from their parents. You hold these kids in a custody building, let alone these are little kids who more than likely felt scared worrying about their parents and other family members. It is not okay to put any children through that. Is this America?

My story is about me. The story is also about how I feel that Donald Trump is the worst president we ever had. I hope my story inspires teenagers to speak the truth. It's time for us to get out there and it's time to stop keeping our mouth shut. We need to do better as a country, as a community, and as local people in the area. We can do better overall, epecially if it's about our world, our community, our school anything. We all have a voice for a reason. 

Kayla Mulligan is a senior at Thurgood Marshall STEM High School. Special thanks to Nathan Shields and Mary McKnight. Learn more at the school's website: https://www.dps.k12.oh.us/thurgood/  Support for Dayton Youth Radio comes from the Virginia W. Kettering Foundation and the Ohio Arts Council.

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