Wave American Flags at Anti-Trump Demonstrations

Newton's Third Law states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. It seems also that for every Donald Trump rally, there is an equal and opposite counter-rally. Lately, the Presumptive Republican Nominee's raucous rallies have been met with equally energized protesters outside of (and even within) venue doors. When these demonstrators come into contact with rally-goers, confrontations ensue. The extent to which the controversial candidate has divided this country can be seen in the many heated exchanges and physical altercations between Trump supporters and Trump protesters. If you watch footage of these skirmishes, you'd think you were watching war. This is so not only because of the size of the conflicts, but also because the opposing sides wave different flags. Indeed, the Mexican flag has become an anti-Trump symbol, while the American flag has become a pro-Trump signature.
As I do not believe Donald Trump has the right temperament to lead a world power nor the right message for a society struggling to find its identity, I sympathize with the protesters. And as a supporter of their cause, I feel it is unwise to rally around the Mexican flag.
When Trump protesters demonstrate, they ought to ask themselves what they are trying to accomplish. Is the ultimate goal to express their displeasure with the politician's remarks about Mexican immigrants? Or is it to open the country's eyes to the fact that xenophobia is quite un-American, and perhaps stop the boorish candidate from becoming president. Anyone frightened by Mr. Trump's message would agree that impeding his campaign of hatred is the primary objective. This being the case, waving Mexican flags at Trump protests is entirely unproductive. Despite what he claims, Trump is no threat to win the Latino vote in November, so using Mexican flags to inspire those of Mexican heritage to vote against him isn't necessary. And non-Mexican voters unsure of who to support in the general election certainly won't be swayed by displays of Mexican pride. In fact, if anything is accomplished by the association of Mexico and anti-Trumpness, it's the creation of more Trump fans. Mr. Trump paints an image of an America that has been overrun internally by illegal immigrants, and beaten externally by other nations. He preaches an "us against them" mentality, and it has resonated with people who feel insecure about their position in the country and world. Thus, images like the one above play right into his hands. Flying a Mexican bandera against an American flag heightens the fears white America already has that immigrants are out to get them. Such a gesture sends the message that Mexican immigrants are competitors instead of actual Americans. To certain voters, it all gives the appearance that Donald Trump is battling on behalf of America while his detractors are fighting for someone else. All told, Mexican flags at Trump protests project immigrants as enemies, and a multitude of xenophobic voters favors Trump in November.
Despite all this, I'm not saying that Mexican-Americans should assimilate just to lose an election for a right-wing candidate. After all, the whole point of voting against Mr. Trump is to champion tolerance. So Latino Trump protesters should continue to show pride in their heritage. But although the message shouldn't change, the flag representing it must. To generate sympathy for their cause and to make a more profound statement, Latino protesters ought to wave American flags at their demonstrations. Instead of pitching themselves as a minority group defending its pride, they must emphasize that they are Americans; Americans who embody our nation's ideal of hard work and are here as a result of the generous spirit our country takes pride in. For it is the values represented by the spirit and presence of immigrants - equality, liberty, and inclusivity - that our flag represents. It is not meant to be a symbol of hatred. Minorities waving American flags will remind nostalgic Americans susceptible to Trumpian promises of restoration that this is the great land that lends its hand to the world's huddled masses, not the country that shuts its doors out of fear. They can restore proper meaning to the flag when it's needed most.