This election season has been pretty wild, and I know that many people have been dissatisfied the whole way through. I also know that few, even on Trump’s staff, thought this might be the outcome. President-elect Donald Trump has shown his true colors in the last two years as he campaigned for office. I really thought that meant that America wouldn’t let him close to the White House. What’s disheartening is that I know a lot of Trump voters saw a lot of flaws in him but were willing to throw some people under the bus in order to get his economic policies. So, as I watched Trump take the stage and talk to his supporters about what kind of president he would be, I cried.
I cried for the black lives who are now going to face an even more overpowered police force with “a few bad eggs” instead of one with more training and accountability.
I cried for the transgender children and adults wondering if they’ll ever see progress to anyone recognizing them for who they are in their (statistically short) lifetimes.
I cried for the victims of sexual assault, both past and future, who have to face that the judicial system will sooner put an accused rapist in the White House than behind bars.
I cried for the girl who will now have to look the President in the eyes as she describes in court how he allegedly raped her when she was 13.
I cried for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and other non-straight people wondering if they will lose their marriages or their jobs thanks to others’ religious freedom.
I cried for the Latino lives who will at best face daily bigotry or at worst lose everything they’ve worked for as they leave this country.
I cried for the women who have never been taken seriously in the work place and have been judged for their looks and now never will get mercy because their president won’t even take them seriously.
I cried for the disabled people who watched the president-elect mock what they’ve been trying to convince people isn’t something that makes them lesser—what makes them different.
I cried for the soldiers with PTSD who were told by their president-elect that they weren’t strong enough.
I cried for the Muslim lives wondering if they’ll be considered Americans or terrorists from now on.
This is not my America. This is not the America chosen by the young voters, not even one chosen by the most voters. But, through a complicated system, this is the America we’ll have to wake up to for the next four years. So, before telling anyone that they need to be positive, let them grieve. They may have just learned that their country hates them.