Something incredible happened on Inauguration Day. It wasn’t just that America swore in the former host of “Celebrity Apprentice” as its commander in chief. Nor was it that America has again had a peaceful transfer of power from one party to another.
Instead, it was the fact that President Trump’s most passionate supporters, who traveled across the country to see his swearing in, were able to peacefully interact and mutually benefit from people who almost certainly don’t support him.
When the final votes in Washington, D.C., were calculated, Trump finished with only 4.1 percent. So the chances of running into someone who supported Trump in the district are slim at best.
Yet, after getting off the Metro to attend the inauguration, I was immediately offered a “Make America Great Again Hat” for the “low, low price” of 20 dollars. Having promised some of my family members political memorabilia I did what any good believer in free markets would have done and negotiated the price down. During the entire exchange, I was never asked whether or how I supported Trump, nor was I chastised.
As I continued to make my way to the Capitol, I saw the same interaction I had taking place dozens of times over. It seemed less of a divisive political event and more like the Chicago Cubs’ World Series celebration I had attended just a few months before (which, by the way, was bigger than any inauguration ever. But I digress).
After the actual ceremony, I foolishly attempted to make my way through the mass of humanity and attend the inauguration parade. This is where I encountered my first protesters, who seemed content to exercise their First Amendment rights without causing much of an inconvenience to anyone.
However, as I got closer to the parade route, the protesters became less content with simply protesting and more concerned about causing trouble for Trump supporters. Despite the contentious crowd, those selling Trump memorabilia were undeterred. One entrepreneurial young person was even seen selling pro-Trump merchandise to one group while having anti-Trump merchandise for protesters. Now that’s customer focus!
Unfortunately, not all vendors were treated so kindly. I tried to encourage one woman who had buttons knocked off her stand by protesters, only to have them picked up by some helpful strangers. Likely, the political opinions of those who knocked off the buttons were closer to the vendors’ than those who helped pick them up.
That, in a nutshell, is the magic of capitalism.
People with different political and cultural beliefs can cooperate and provide mutual benefit. You might not agree with the beliefs of Chick-fil-a’s late founder, but when you want a delicious chicken sandwich and courteous service, they are there for you (except on Sundays). You might not agree with the policies of our 45th president, but that doesn’t stop you from selling his face on everything imaginable for a tidy profit and giving his supporters something to remember inauguration day.
For thousands of years, trade from vastly different groups has made the world more prosperous and improved people’s lives dramatically. It would be a mistake to turn our back on something that has worked so remarkably, for so many people, for so many years.
So while the peaceful transfer of power obviously represents something amazing, so does buying an overpriced Trump T-shirt in Washington, D.C.
Eric Peterson (@IllinoisEric89) is a policy analyst at Americans for Prosperity. Thinking of submitting an op-ed to the Washington Examiner? Be sure to read our guidelines on submissions.
