Protect That Right! (Unless You’re a Public Official…)

President Trump seems to have already moved on to his next target.Senator Elizabeth Warren sits in the hot seat as Trump continuously mocks her for claiming to be of Native American descent. If you remember back to last year, Trump was heard referring to Warren as “Pocahontas” during an event at the White House held to honor Native American veterans. The infamous racial slur was also used several times against Warren during the 2016 Presidential campaign and again more recently this week when Trump asked Warren to reveal the truth behind her ethnicity with a DNA test. As Americans, we have a right to privacy. But, it doesn’t seem that way for some especially when they are public figures.

Seeing Elizabeth Warren as a potential threat for the 2020 election, Trump has once again brought attention to his concern about Warren’s heritage. He has forced Warren to release the results of a DNA test in order to prove her Native American roots should any controversy rise during the campaign. Warren has gone ahead and released these results, but as private citizens, we know that personal identifiers such as race and age are and should be kept private. When you apply for a job in the United States, the application clearly states that an applicant will not be discriminated against based on race and age, so why should Senator Warren have to reveal these very intimate details about herself? Because, she is a public official.

Public officials such as Senator Warren must always be available for the public eye. The public has special interest in and pay special attention to those who have a hand in making policy. As a democracy, the public has and shares opinions therefore granting them the right to peer into the lives of the people who make those very important decisions.