Advice to the next president: Put equality first

President Obama’s second term is coming to an end, and it is time for a new president to take office. The dust is still settling from Tuesday’s election, one of the ugliest in history, but no matter the winner, we hope all students eligible on this campus voted.
Voting is an American right that became legal for every gender and race on Aug. 18, 1920. This gave citizens freedom to be heard and a sense of equality for all. Ignoring this right only allows the politicians to ignore us, particularly the people of color who make up so much of Cal State Dominguez Hills.
The idea of equality in America, as stated in the Declaration of Independence, is that “all men are created equal,” but this country continues to be hampered by inequality. It is time for America to treat all genders and races equally, and this is something we must demand from our new president. This country was built on racism and sexism; it has not showed empathy for all cultures, races and genders that represent today’s America.
At this writing, we don’t know whether Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump will win, but all we ask the next president to do is truly make this country equal for all. There are laws set in place for that to happen; our new leader must act on them.
Minorities may feel they do not have the same rights as the majority in America. There have been social movements from minorities that have taken place over the years, such as Black Lives Matter, and the LGBTQ community.
People have lost their lives without getting the proper justice. Others are not getting treated fairly because of their sexual orientation.
An incident took place on Feb. 26, 2012 when Sanford, Fla., neighborhood watch captain George Zimmerman killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin walking home from the store. Zimmerman reported that it was self-defense.
Zimmerman was instructed to stay away from Martin by 911 as he reported Martin looked like a “suspicious person.” The jury said Zimmerman was not guilty.
This is just one occurrence of injustice in a country that has not showed true equality for all. And it’s hardly the only one. Same-sex couples still are not treated equally. They still have to go through trouble just to get a marriage license in some locations, even though gay marriage is the law of the land.
America is the land of all people, but it sometimes fails to appreciate the unique diverse cultures in this country. We can make America great by actually making America equal — for once.