As a person with no experience in politics or real concept of foreign policy, I feel that I would make a better president than Donald Trump, you know, since I'm a person who believes all people are equal regardless of race, gender, or religion. I feel that this makes me distinctly more qualified.
So as someone who feels like this, it should be easy to understand that I had trouble accepting that everyone else in my family plans on voting for Trump. Therefore, I’m going to apply the five stages of grief to my problem and see how that works.
1. Denial
Clearly this is a joke. No one I know can actually be voting for that man-child. No one is that crazy. Really, come November this is all just going to be revealed as a big joke.
2. Anger
How can anyone possibly vote for that man? All he does is teach hatred and inspire bigotry. The idea that a man, that reduces half the population of the nation to objects, can be President is insane.
3. Bargaining
I promise to go to Church every Sunday if you just show these poor misguided people the way! I’ll even go twice on Easter.
4. Depression
I just do not understand how anyone can vote for him. This is a man who belittles women, who wants to build a wall to keep people out. This is a man who invites hostile nations to come spy on us. A man who seems to think we should not take him at his word. How can someone I respect, someone that I love, not take these things into account? How can someone that I love be alright with such blatant racism and inspiration of violence? How can they vote for someone whose Vice President has consistently voted to approve laws that limit women’s rights? How do I get over this? How do I move on? How did I not know that you felt like this?
5. Acceptance (Still a work in progress)
The great thing about this country is that we have the freedom to make our own choices. I have to accept that and realize that not everyone is going to see things the way that I am. That it is alright to agree to disagree and move on. That does not mean I have to stop trying to show them the way. I know that they feel the same way about me and my choice as well. Sometimes it is really hard being the only person in my family who is not voting for him. But I can’t. He honestly terrifies me.
It has definitely been a challenge to see that people I love are not only accepting but embracing Donald Trump’s vitriol. Someone voting for Trump might not be a racist, but casting your vote in his direction means that not only are you accepting blatant racism you’re enabling it. Every vote cast in his favor sets us further and further back. Rather than separating and segregating we need to come together and be unified.
Somewhere along the lines we started convincing ourselves that it was OK to be alright with someone else's racism as long as we personally didn't feel that way ourselves. We didn't have to hold others to a moral standard. We didn't have to confront it because nowadays everything is better than it used to be. While it might be a bit better it's not where it needs to be it. We make ourselves part of the problem when we just sit back doing nothing. Do we not have a moral obligation to help those less fortunate than ourselves? Should we not do something when we have the opportunity to make a difference? When something as simple as making a comment to someone saying their behavior is unacceptable? Even something as small as that can help make a change. We do not give ourselves enough credit for the change that we can make in this world. If we have the opportunity and power to combat racism and sexism and pretty much any other-ism is it not our moral responsibility to do so? So I guess in 20 or 30 years when everyone looks back on all of this mess that we’ve got going on right now, are you going to be able to see you on the right side of history? Or will you sit there and be ashamed to tell your children and grandchildren about the things you thought and the things you said.
