As I hope we all know by now, America picked the 45th president on Tuesday night. And America chose none other than Donald Trump. Well, to be fair, the American people chose Hillary Clinton and the Electoral College chose Donald Trump. While I'm sure there are people who celebrated on Wednesday, I was not one of them. I cried five times and when it came time to actually go to class, I was just trying to hold it together. Some people may not understand why I was so distraught but I'm going to attempt to explain it here.
1. She worked so hard.
No, I was not a staunch Hillary supporter from the beginning. I was actually a converted Bernie supporter. But after the primaries, I saw what I was left with and I didn't really have any choice but to support Hillary. So while I was not completely on board, I must say I feel bad for her. She spent most of her life fighting for families and children of different ability levels and socioeconomic statuses. All this work as a public servant and this is how we repaid her? She was definitely the most qualified candidate for president we've ever encountered, yet she got no credit for that.
2. We're going backward.
All of the progressive legislation passed over the past eight years is about to be crushed and repealed in the next four. And I know everyone says, "He's not going to be able to do anything." But I fear that actually, he is. The House and Senate are now under Republican control. And this election has shown me that party is more important than values, therefore, I am thinking that Congress is going to let Trump do whatever he pleases in the White House. Not to mention, he gets to pick the next Supreme Court justice. So we can say goodbye to Obamacare, marriage equality and possibly Roe v. Wade. There's also no hope of free public higher education, paid family medical leave, equal pay, tax cuts for the middle class or LGBTQ+ rights.
3. I'm afraid.
Fear goes both ways . Fear is how Trump captured the presidency. The xenophobia, racism, sexism and Islamophobia Trump practiced in his campaign excited his followers and played on the fears they'd been holding inside for quite some time. The fear, however, has now shifted. The fear has shifted from the so-called "silent majority" to many minority groups. There have already been hate crimes committed against different minority groups. Many Muslims are now faced with deciding between their religion and their safety by not wearing their hijabs. There are hundreds of Hispanic youth that are now afraid of having their parents taken away from them. I woke up terrified to leave my room yesterday. I don't know what I'm going to have to endure from now on. I'm scared for the lives of my minority friends as well as my own life. I'm no longer sure whether it's 2016 or 1950.
If by now you don't get it, I'm not sure you will. I'm simply afraid that everyone I know that isn't male or white or Christian is in danger. Hate crimes have already happened. I don't know what I'm going to wake up to. I don't want to read about one of my friends online or get a text saying they're in danger. I feel as though America chose him over our rights. Yes, I've been upset over election results before in my life, but never have I been terrified. I'm simply dreading the day when I wake up and my -- and other minorities' -- rights have been stripped and we have no protection under the law from whatever may occur. It's sad to see people afraid to be themselves for fear that they'll be retaliated against. America has basically said that if you're at all gay, nonwhite, trans, a women and/or a Muslim that it doesn't value you as a person nor does it value your rights and your right to live.
