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In a nation burdened by soaring inflation, an overworked healthcare system and an underfunded education sector, elected United States officials must focus on policies that target our most pressing societal issues — not ones that perpetuate exclusive values we’ve tirelessly worked to move past.

Yet, President Donald Trump’s recent executive orders, ranging from reinstating plastic straws to banning transgender college athletes, seem less concerned with addressing systemic challenges and more with playing to the grievances of his specific voter base.

These policies, often framed as efforts to combat political correctness or restore “traditional” values, do little to solve the real struggles Americans face. In many cases, they create new ones.

Trump’s decision to bring back plastic straws is framed as a rejection of environmental regulations. Yet it does nothing to address America’s pressing climate challenges. The rollback of diversity, equity and inclusion programs is justified as a way to eliminate initiatives Trump sees as radical, but it undermines decades of progress toward workplace equity.

The ban on transgender athletes in NCAA sports is touted as protecting fairness in competition, yet it affects a relatively small number of athletes while ignoring the broader issues facing college sports, such as scholarship disparities, lack of funding for non-revenue sports, and the growing mental health crisis among student-athletes.

Most concerning is the administration’s defunding of scientific research. Slashing billions in grants for the National Institutes of Health and cutting funding for climate science weakens innovation, slows medical advancements and leaves the U.S. lagging behind global competitors. At a time when technological and medical progress should be a priority, this move threatens both economic growth and public health efficiency.

These policies, designed to appear distinctive and efficient, combine to represent a disturbing pattern of shifting attention away from pressing problems to distracting, hurtful and emotionally charged battles.

While these executive orders grab headlines, they exacerbate long-standing economic and social hardship, deepen divisions among Americans and divert resources from issues affecting the majority of our population. This approach to governance, focused on culture wars rather than meaningful reform, inflicts multiple layers of harm.

When the federal government defunds scientific research and dismantles DEI initiatives, the economy weakens. Research institutions that rely on NIH funding to study cancer treatments, drug development and public health are steeling themselves for potential layoffs, hiring freezes and stalled projects.

This not only impacts the scientific community, but also the industries that benefit from innovation, including biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and renewable energy.

Reversing plastic regulations, ignoring climate science and cutting funding for environmental research are more than symbolic decisions. They contribute to long-term health problems, natural disasters and increased costs for taxpayers.

Studies have already linked microplastic consumption to adverse health effects, yet the administration’s focus on cultural opposition to environmental regulations disregards the undeniable evidence of harm.

Meanwhile, climate change continues to manifest through record-breaking hurricanes, wildfires and droughts, all of which cost billions of dollars in federal disaster relief. Instead of investing in preventative measures, the Trump administration has chosen to undermine climate science, reducing the nation’s ability to respond to and mitigate environmental crises.

Outside of scientific fields, corporations that embraced diversity policies have seen tangible benefits, from higher employee retention to improved financial performance. Undoing these programs creates uncertainty in the workforce’s job security, sending a message that equity and inclusion are no longer priorities.

Trump’s plans to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education further complicate the currently struggling education system. Federal funding supports crucial programs for low-income students, special education and school infrastructure improvements. Removing federal oversight risks widening the growing gap between well-funded schools in affluent communities and underfunded schools in lower-income areas.

Beyond direct funding, policies that target DEI initiatives in education impact students’ opportunities. Many universities have used DEI programs to improve retention rates for first-generation college students, expand access to scholarships and support research into social inequalities. Eliminating these programs doesn’t level the playing field — it restricts opportunities for those who’re already worked uphill against systemic imbalances.

Policies that focus on eliminating DEI programs don’t just remove protections for marginalized groups — they actively increase social division. Instead of fostering constructive dialogue on complex issues, these policies encourage a binary, us-versus-them mentality that makes future bipartisan solutions feel even less likely. This strategy plays directly into the cycle of political polarization, in which each policy decision is framed as a victory for one side and a defeat for the other.

America doesn’t need more distractions. It doesn’t need leaders who manufacture outrage while sidestepping the crises that cause pain to millions of lives. This country needs policies and leadership that prioritize the well-being of all citizens, instead of focusing on the loudest voices in the room.

It’s time to push back against the idea that governance should be about scoring political points rather than improving lives, and reject policies that are designed for spectacle rather than substance.

The U.S. deserves better than divisive bans and symbolic gestures. It deserves leadership that takes its people’s livelihoods seriously. The question is whether we, as maturing citizens and student upstanders, will demand these rights we deserve.

Max Lancer is a junior majoring in chemistry, biochemistry and mathematics. His column appears weekly. He can be reached at mlancer@syr.edu.

Published on February 10, 2025 at 10:33 pm