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Modern Day “Pride and Prejudice”

Nov. 17, 2020 |   By Yan Mingyang

(Minghui.org) Pride and Prejudice, a masterpiece by Jane Austen in the early 1800s, described a love story that transcends time. Considered one of the most popular novels in English literature, it has inspired countless works in modern literature.

The novel depicts the courtship between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet. Elizabeth met Mr. Darcy at a ball and the latter refused to dance with her, saying that she was not attractive enough for him. His pride left a very poor first impression on her.

Mr. Darcy also looked down on Elizabeth's poor social standing, which deepened her misjudgment of and prejudice against him. It wasn't until after numerous obstacles that the two rid their pride and prejudice and came to appreciate each other's fine qualities.

The moral of the story is still thought provoking and relevant in today's society. It is very easy to form prejudices against others, especially when influenced by selective or even fake media reports. We should relinquish our notions so we are able to see people for what they really are.

President Trump is one such case that has been given various labels by and prejudiced against by many, including the media, when in fact he is much better than depicted. What he has done since taking office in 2016 is testament to his fine character.

Under the past administrations before Trump, the communism factors have gradually infiltrated various aspects of the American society, from media to Hollywood, and from politics to self-censored business.

It was not until Trump took office that concrete actions were taken to curb the communist devil's corrupting influences and propagation of its various forms, such as liberalism, progressivism, and socialism. Such actions are needed to counter communism's erosion of traditional values. But Trump's efforts have nonetheless met with intense resistance.

While one cannot find a true depiction of Trump in mainstream news media, his viewpoints can be seen from his commencement address at Liberty University in May 2017.

“Remember this, nothing worth doing ever, ever, ever came easy. Following your convictions means you must be willing to face criticism from those who lack the same courage to do what is right. And they know what is right, but they don’t have the courage or the guts or the stamina to take it and to do it. It’s called the road less traveled,” he remarked.

“I know that each of you will be a warrior for the truth, will be a warrior for our country and for your family. I know that each of you will do what is right, not what is the easy way, and that you will be true to yourself and your country and your beliefs,” he explained, “In my short time in Washington I’ve seen firsthand how the system is broken. A small group of failed voices who think they know everything and understand everyone want to tell everybody else how to live and what to do and how to think. But you aren’t going to let other people tell you what you believe, especially when you know that you’re right.”

Trump said those students had given half-a- million hours of charity last year. “In your hearts are inscribed the values of service, sacrifice, and devotion. Now you must go forth into the world and turn your hopes and dreams into action. America has always been the land of dreams because America is a nation of true believers.” He continued, “When the pilgrims landed at Plymouth they prayed. When the founders wrote the Declaration of Independence, they invoked our creator four times, because in America we don’t worship government, we worship God.”

“That is why our elected officials put their hands on the Bible and say, ‘so help me God’ as they take the oath of office. It is why our currency proudly declares, ‘in God we trust.’ And it’s why we proudly proclaim that we are one nation under God, every time we say the Pledge of Allegiance,” he added.

He encouraged students to do things with dignity and pride. “Demand the best from yourself and be totally unafraid to challenge entrenched interests and failed power structures. Does that sound familiar, by the way? The more people tell you it’s not possible, that it can’t be done, the more you should be absolutely determined to prove them wrong. Treat the word ‘impossible’ as nothing more than motivation.”

Close to the end, Trump reassured his strong support for freedom of belief. “America is better when people put their faith into action. As long as I am your president, no one is ever going to stop you from practicing your faith or from preaching what’s in your heart,” he said.