Story by Elizabeth Schoof, Staff Writer

Some people are afraid of clowns. Some people are afraid of snakes. I myself am afraid of spiders…and also nuclear war. Although I would like to focus on the positive aspects of modern technology, each time I hear a plane I get a little bit worried. I know it seems a little ridiculous, I mean we live in Grand Rapids. There are a lot of planes flying over us trying to get to the airport. Regardless, I feel a sense of dread at the mere mention of Trump and Kim Jong Un interacting. Unfortunately for me, their interactions are as common as a plane flying overhead.

From the beginning of Trump’s presidency, I have been nervous about the rising tension between the United States and North Korea. I mean, I recognize that this tension was there during previous presidencies. You know, the Vietnam War was a thing.  Regardless, things are different in this day and age. Our president no longer has to send telegrams to far away destinations, he can literally subtweet another world leader.

I firmly believe that social media is an amazing tool when used appropriately, but the fact that we have very high tensions with other countries to begin with makes me worried about the tweets being presented.

“Why would Kim Jong-un insult me by calling me “old,” when I would NEVER call him “short and fat??” Oh well, I try so hard to be his friend – and maybe someday that will happen!”

-Donald Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 12 November 2017

As if the twitter war wasn’t bad enough, the relationship with them is very wishy washy. There are times that Trump has been very open about the concept of negotiation, but when he tweets thing such as those presented above or mentions that he has a “bigger and more powerful” button than his friend the “Little Rocket Man”, it stresses me out. I feel like I’m watching a bad reality show each time I decide to scroll through twitter, and quite frankly I am sick of it. Learning about the Cold War in history class was stressful, but I really don’t want to experience it firsthand. Especially not through a twitter war.

I guess what I’m saying, is that anyone who is in charge of a country and potentially has a “bigger and more powerful button” should take into account that millions of people are impacted by each decision he makes. Whether it’s pushing a button or simply insulting foreign leaders, every action has an impact. This isn’t a middle school popularity contest. This is real life. Lives are at stake, and it’s important for all leaders to recognize that even the smallest of negative impacts has the potential to blow things up. Literally.

About the writer: Elizabeth Schoof is a sophomore at Aquinas studying English and Communications. She loves reading, writing, photography, and laughing at her own jokes.