While social media has been relentless in turning their dislike of President Donald Trump into a meme before, during and after the presidential election and inauguration, the degrading comments and jokes have turned on his family as well. Personally, I will not defend Donald Trump, and if someone wants to use their freedom of speech to fuel their meme page with jokes about him, I will not protest extensively. But when the comments begin to extend to degrading his wife or family members without reason, I feel the need to protest. I think that people have been using their social media to take their anger at, or hatred of, President Trump out in the form of insulting, debasing comments of Melania, Ivanka, Barron and the other members of the Trump family. This is unacceptable. I can understand disagreeing with, disliking or even hating President Trump, but what has his 10 year old son done to deserve social media outcasting and public shaming? 

I am referencing a recent tweet concerning the boy.  In it, Katie Rich, a “Saturday Night Live” writer and actress, calls Barron Trump “this country’s first homeschool shooter.” 

Rich was suspended indefinitely after the responses to her tweet were less than agreeable. This woman made a nasty comment and was penalized for it, but what about the hundreds of anonymous or public social media accounts that say worse things than this and are accredited with being funny, or receiving positive responses? People such as this are posting memes about the new presidential family. 

One such instance that occurred before the election was when Ivanka Trump released her fashion line and a picture of her went relatively viral, comparing her to Sid from Ice Age due to her eye makeup and facial expressions in this one photo. Coming from the same social media platforms that try to tell every woman, girl and person that they are beautiful and loved, this screams hypocrisy. How can you tell someone that they are worthy of love no matter what they look like and that it is what’s on the inside that counts just to then turn around and bash someone because of an unflattering picture? This is not even counting the endless derogatory and frankly disgusting memes that resulted from her father’s comments. There is no excuse for the wretched depictions of her and her father’s relationship. While someone may be aiming to degrade President Trump, they need to realize that he is not the only one that could be hurt and his reputation is not the only one that is being dragged through the mud. Imagine if someone held you accountable for every word or action your parents, siblings or guardians made. Would that be just? I think not. Ivanka Trump is blatantly sexualized and then bashed for no other reason than being President Trump’s daughter.

This is similar to Melania Trump’s situation. There are countless depictions of Melania being referred to as President Trump’s sugar-baby, and how she regrets her marriage to him, or even that she hates the current American president. Whether any rumors or comments could be true or not, it is indecent for these kinds of demeaning portrayals of any human being to be flaunted with the wide response they are garnering. 

As decent human beings with any semblance of morality or ability to empathize with someone else who is being ostracized simply because of their associations, we need to revolt against this kind of negative thinking as it has and will poison thoughts against someone that we do not even know. Like it or not, President Trump is currently our president. Agree with his politics and personal views or not, his family does not deserve the extensive hate they are receiving as a result of the presidential campaigns, elections or inauguration. Instead of amusing yourself with the crude humor that is presented at the expense of a member of the presidential family, realize that these are living, thinking human beings capable of human emotions the same as you and that they would probably be just as hurt as you would be if you were dragged through the social media mud the same way that Melania, Ivanka or Barron are with the exception of the simple depressing fact that the first family members are probably used to this type of treatment. You and I make up the “society” that is blamed at every turn for inaccurate portrayals of people and so we must make the change we want to see. 

Let’s start with defending the innocent, the ones that cannot respond to the hateful comments made against them without more media backlash. With social media platforms, such as Instagram or Snapchat, we may not be personally posting this kind of hate, but we certainly have access to promoting it or demoting it. Make your choice as to whether you are going to spread rumors that are mostly unfounded and ‘like’ memes that only serve the purpose to humiliate, or if you will refuse to contribute to the “society’s” ignorant backlash to someone who is undeserving, such as a ten year old boy that is being homeschooled, or a woman is capable of making and standing by her choices, whether you agree with their family and personal beliefs or not. Make the changes you want to see in our social media.