An Open Letter to Anonymity

Dear Anonymity,

You are a powerful force.

In some ways, we are all anonymous. To the Trump Administration, American citizens are nothing more than nameless people who are repeatedly subjected to the whims of his decisions. Because our country is so divided, our individualism fades away into the masses of the right or the left.

From a historical perspective, anonymity has played a significant role. It has been a safe haven for individuals to come forward and share what they know. It has given Americans the bravery to talk about what no one else dared to mention. It has provided a voice to the voiceless.

This week, it has rattled the President.

On Wednesday, an explosive anonymous op-ed was published in the New York Times. Supposedly, it was written by a senior official within the Trump Administration. If you haven't read it yet, I highly recommend you check it out. You can find it here.

In summary, the anonymous author criticizes Trump for his "impetuous, adversarial, petty and ineffective" leadership style. Though the author admits that he/she views some of the 'achievements' of the Trump Administration (such as the tax reform and more military funding) as such, the overall tone of the article is incredibly negative. The author assures readers that "there are adults in the room" who "fully recognize what is happening," while also hurling decisive insults at the President.

This op-ed is completely and totally unprecedented. Never before in all of U.S. history has something like this EVER happened. Let me repeat that: THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE.

The fact that Trump's own senior officials not only view their boss as an untrustworthy child, but have also admitted to circumventing him to preserve the civility and sanity of the country is shocking.

Of course, Trump fired back, calling the op-ed "gutless." In a video he posted on Twitter, he boasted about the Administration's accomplishments in just two years and bragged about how much more he could achieve in the next 6 and a half.

Usually, when I see a video featuring Trump bragging about himself and his righteousness, I roll my eyes and keep scrolling. After reading this op-ed, however, I saw this particular video in a new way.

Mr. Trump is afraid.

I know he was insecure before, and I know that he tries to make up for his several short-comings with overflowing confidence. I'm sure he's a zealous endorser of the "fake it 'til you make it" philosophy.

In this video, there was a different aspect to his insecurity. Instead of what we normally see, there was a tinge of pure, unadulterated fear.

And, despite the applause that echoed in the background, it didn't change the look in his eyes. The look that even his closest advisors have turned against him.

Are these resistant senior officials praise-worthy heroes? No. At least not in my opinion. But, are they good people? I will choose to say yes. Even though I disagree with their political ideologies, we have a common enemy. And that is something to unite behind.

I'm not saying Democrats and Republicans have to start braiding each other's hair and holding hands. But maybe, and just maybe, this op-ed is a sign that there are people who are trying.

Anonymity isn't gutless. It's not weak. This brave individual is trying to comfort us, trying to re-assure us that this great democratic experiment isn't going to go down in fatal flames.

The author stands for something. He/she has conviction. To quote Lin-Manuel Miranda (as I often do), "If you stand for nothing, what do you fall for?" This op-ed reminded me of that line. Even if he/she didn't explicitly name his/herself, the author still put a lot on the line to take a stand. Whether it was to comfort us or to scare Trump, I don't know for sure. It could be a bit of both.

I'm not sure if comfort is exactly what I'm feeling. If I'm being honest, I don't really know how I feel. Since November 8th, 2016, all I've felt is a mix of disdain, frustration, and sadness. But maybe, today, there's something else, too.

Do I dare say that this article has given me a sliver of hope?

Yours truly,

P.S. BOOOOOO Brett Kavanaugh! BOOOOO! (This is all I am able to articulate at the moment because I am so unbelievably angry that this man is likely to become a Supreme Court Justice.)