Essay: Would Athena make a good President of the United States?

Pallas Athena, famously known as Athena, is the Goddess of wisdom, courage, civilization,  warfare strategy, law and justice. She is the daughter of Zeus and the Titan Oceanus’ daughter Metis. However, her birth is special in that Athena is born from Zeus’ forehead, as Zeus swallows her mother, Metis, because someone tells him that the child who Metis bears will be smarter than him. However, later on, Athena is actually Zeus’ favorite child. She is the companion of heroes and is the patron goddess of heroic effort. Athena’s appearance marks her powerful strength: “a stately woman armed with a shield and spear, and wearing a long robe, crested helm, and the famed aigis–a snake-trimmed cape adorned with the monstrous visage of the Gorgon Medusa” (Philostratus the Younger, Imagines 8). Athena, as the next President of the United States, will focus her changes on the tough social issues, specifically gun control, immigration issues, and management of the United States’ involvement in the foreign forces.
Athena is the goddess of the city, responsible for protecting the citizens’ lives, thus she always makes sensible choice to better the living quality of her people. There is once when the first king of Athens, Cecrops has to find a patron deity for the city state of Athens. Poseidon and Athena both join the contest, presenting to Cecrops a valuable gift to Athens. While Poseidon struck the earth powerfully and creates a well with his trident, making the water shot forward, which is salty but not useful for the population, Athena plants an olive tree, as a symbolization of peace and prosperity on earth. In the end, Athena, with the useful and meaningful gift, impresses Cecrops, and he claims the city Athens after her. The contest with Poseidon clearly shows Athena’s strong belief in peace and the development of her city. Therefore, as the President of the United States, she definitely makes way for people to come and help America flourish. America, for a long time, is the destination for foreigners, consisting of a large percentage of immigrants worldwide. However, the remaining problem is that many of the immigrants are undocumented. Athena, in her office, will focus on boosting the living quality of the United States citizens, open ways for immigrants, but through a legal process, in order to maintain stability and restrain chaos and confusion. Another social issues that concern the stability of her people is gun control. In America, the shootings on the public appear more often. The mass shootings incidents in Orlando, in San Bernadino, Connecticut in the past year, raise great social concern and anxiety to the population. Athena, the protectress of the city, will discover and solve the illegal gun purchases system, be stricter on buying guns, and also, find ways to better the conditions of living of American, because not only gun legislation, but the problem also lies in the mental health of the Americans. Indeed, just as Homeric Hymn 11 depicts Athena, guardian of the city, as “who saves the people as they go to war and come back” and “give [her people] good fortune and happiness”, so too it shows that Athena will make reasonable decisions on social issues for the people in the United States, especially caring for their liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Athena is also a genius in law, justice, and warfare strategy. Athena is known for her temperament and consciousness in warfare. She was fierce and brave in battle, but she only participates in wars that defends the nation from outside enemies. In the past few years, it seems like the United States involve in many foreign conflicts, such as the battle against ISIS and other terrorists, wars in Iraq, Syria or Afghanistan. Thus, Athena is a suitable person for the President’s chair, as she is a master in warfare strategies, military and wisdom, so that she understands the purposes, so as the upcoming moves of warfare, and will thoughtfully make the most beneficial decision for the United States. On the major issue of defending the country from the threat of the Islamic State, Athena may boost the military campaigns against ISIS in Iraq and Syria. At the same time, she will also make plans to improve the current military state of the United States, maintaining its as the most powerful army in the world. Athena, with the skills of her warfare strategy will make sure to balance the amount of  pressure America should put on foreign issues, and keep a watchful eyes for its own borders’ protection.
Athena is known to be the bravest goddess, and is willing to stand up for the heroic deeds. She is the supporter of many heroes that eventually succeed in their missions, and thus they can contribute a lot to the country. In her history, Athena supports Perseus in his quest to kill Medusa. Athena gives Perseus a shield so that he can see Medusa like in the mirror, which prevents him from looking directly at Medusa, and would not be turned into stone. Another hero who receives Athena’s aid is Hercules. In Pseudo-Hyginus, Fabulae 30, it is written that “under Minerva’s [Athena’s] instructions he [Herakles] killed her [the Hydra], disembowelled her, and dipped his arrows in her gall; and so whatever later he hit with his arrows did not escape death.” She is not only the protectress of the heroes, but she also receive great support from other gods, such as Nike, goddess of victory, her best friend, and her father, Zeus, who claims that Athena is his most favorite child, and even trusts her to use his lightning bolts. Having great heroes and companions support her in her time in office further guarantees Athena’s success in solving the social, military problems inside and outside the countries.
In all, Athena, with her wise knowledge, experience in war, and her powerful strength, will make just decisions to solve the social concerns in the United States, specifically the undocumented immigrants, gun control, foreign policy on wars with the Middle East countries, and protection of the nation’s border. As the goddess of the city, and the next President of the United States, Athena will prioritize her people’s safety, prosperity, and will make wise decision on how much America should involve in foreign issues so as to maintain its position as a superpower in the world, but still can prevent damages and sufferings to the nation.