“I didn’t need to do this,” President Donald Trump said after declaring a national emergency last week over unauthorized immigration along America’s southwestern border. The proclamation opens the door for him to direct money toward building a border wall that Congress refused to fund.
But many Americans agree with Trump’s moment of honesty: The lack of a border wall isn’t a national emergency, they say, and he shouldn’t have declared it one just to defy legislators. HuffPost asked readers to share what they feel is a real national emergency facing the country. In hundreds of replies, readers spoke with urgency about various challenges America faces. We’ve shared some representative responses below.
Immigration/family separation
Gun Violence
Climate Change
Intolerance/Racism
Flint Water Crisis
Responses have been lightly edited for clarity and length.