Nah, He’s Not THAT bad?!?

That’s my mood at this time.

There’s so much going on that I can honestly admit it has drained me. Not just the pandemic, but also the racial tension and unnecessary violence occurring in our nation. This division between us is heartbreaking.

However, in my opinion, he’s not worse than Andrew Johnson, America’s 17th president.

Again, this is my perspective.

If I can be brutally honest, Johnson essentially set in motion the push that allowed racism to gain momentum (we all know the catalyst). Because of the executive order he signed, it led to many of the experiences we face today as a nation.

I truly believe that if Johnson had not signed that order, the United States would look very different. We might have less national debt, stronger relationships between different ethnic groups, and a more unified country overall.

Our economy could be thriving beyond what we imagine. We could all take pride in building something together.

What Johnson did didn’t just affect African Americans—it affected the entire nation.

Now, I understand that what the current president is doing can also feel divisive. The difference, to me, is that Trump still has the opportunity to correct the damage he has caused.

Don’t get me wrong—I’m not giving him a pass in any way, shape, or form. What I am saying is that he has been placed in this moment in history because of what came before him.

Our nation is filled with fear, and that is something that must be addressed.

With every problem, there is a solution.

We can find better ways to do things without creating more division or fear. And as a nation, we cannot look at the president as being “one of us.” President Trump has always lived an upper-class lifestyle. He cannot relate to those of us who make significantly less.

There’s a disconnect.

I do believe change is possible—but it would take something major to shift things in a meaningful way.

So, until he surpasses what Andrew Johnson set into motion, he’s still not that bad… I think.