*This is a reaction piece. The article below is based off of raw, real emotion. I do not wish to offend anyone.*
Well, here we are America. The election is over and the people have spoken. Somehow the “vast majority” of Americans stood behind a misogynistic, racist, bigot. This might be Trump’s America but it is not my America. I believe in an America where women, minorities, the LGBTQ community, people of color, and Muslim Americans are able to feel safe and accepted. Not in an America where women fear being inappropriately touched, minorities are attacked for being different, poc must fear for their lives, the people of the LGBTQ community feel the need to hide who they are, and Muslim Americans no longer feel safe wearing their hijab. How is that an America that you can support?
Not only have we elected a president that had his Twitter privileges revoked the week before the election because “he couldn’t be trusted” but we have elected a president that will be on trial for child rape next month. We have elected a president that has openly bragged about grabbing women by the p****. We have elected a president that has said all Mexicans are rapists. We have elected a president that has openly mocked a disabled man. This is the America we live in now.
Several straight white cis-males have told me that nothing is going to change. That the outcome really won’t be as terrible as everyone thinks and that there’s absolutely no reason for minorities to be fearful. Let me just tell you something, there is a reason to be fearful. Today my friend watched a man get out of his truck and hang a Confederate Flag on the back. We now have a Vice President who believes in conversion therapy. The country is divided and anyone who believes otherwise needs to open their eyes.
Today I have bounced back and forth between being consumed by anger and wallowing in sadness. I am currently grieving for our country. I am grieving for those around the United States who no longer feel safe in their own country. The Republican Party now has control of the House, the Senate, and the Presidency. This is something that hasn’t occurred since 1928 under the Herbert Hoover administration. Now, this isn’t to say that all Republicans support the racist beliefs that have been brought forward during this election. However, with Republicans in control I fear that rather than moving forward our country will move backwards. We have taken great strides over the past few years and Hillary Clinton, despite losing the election, has made history. When I was a child my grandmother always told me that one day Hillary Clinton would run for president and I am genuinely proud to say I was able to vote for her in my first presidential election. In other words, today I grieve; tomorrow I fight. I will leave you with this, in the wise words of Michelle Obama, “When they go low, we go high.”
