The weather is finally cold and autumn like. It’s wonderful to be able to see my own breath in the darkness of early night and in the rising sun of early morning. It was cold Friday morning at midnight. The moon was out, not quiet full. I walked around my campus in the cold and dark, enjoying the silence and the chill of late autumn air. I made my way, faster and faster, towards our track on the other side of campus. Without the light pollution from campus, Orion was clear and the thousands of other little stars came out twinkling. It was beautiful. I did a lap around the track. I ran more than I have in a long time. I relished this. I relished my breath pluming in the air and relished the feel of my pounding heart and my rapid breathing. I relished the darkness, I relished the silence, and I relished the solitude of the darkness. Yet, there are millions of people who cannot do this. There are millions of women who feel like they will be attacked, raped, or assaulted if they are alone at night, even on a college campus (maybe even especially so). There are millions of Latinx, African Americans, and LGBTQ+ people who feel unsafe, even in the daylight. Perhaps, under a Donald Trump presidency, these late night strolls will become impossible for the vast majority of people. Their days will be dark and filled with fear. Their nights will be even darker.
I am taking part in National Novel Writing Month. Since Tuesday I have scarcely written a word. This piece is the most I have written, without a looming deadline I doubt I doubt I would even be ding this. This is a piece that, truth be told, I do not want to be writing this week. There has been little I have wanted to do this week. School and homework have been a struggle, concentrating on anything has been an equal struggle. I have not wanted to be alone, spending time with the people on my floor, I have not wanted to be trapped with my own thoughts and my own feelings. For once, the introvert in me needed and fed off other people.
I write this piece to understand what happened Wednesday morning. I write this piece to try and figure out what my future and what our futures will be like. I write this piece because I am scared and frightened, uncertain, angry, and reeling. I hope this will not ramble on too terribly much and I hope it is not overly incoherent. This is something I need to do, feel free to stop reading here, I will never know. If you need this as much as I do then, by all means, continue.
This article illustrates, in pictures and screenshots of tweets and posts, the ramifications for the minorities in this country of a Trump presidency. Already, hate has blossomed. Already, people are terrified for their lives and their futures, for their children and families. Already this is painting a grim picture for the next four years and the man has not even taken the office yet.
On my walk that night I worked through emotions I had yet to work through from election night. I talked to myself, walking through the reasoning through Trump’s unexpected win. I want to take you back to the primary season, back to when Donald Trump was just a joke. Do you remember that? I do. I never considered him to be a joke. I never saw him as less than he was, a populist who would pander to American nationalists with fear and anger. I watched as my peers and the media suggested he drop out, guessed when he would tire of this ‘game’ he was pretending to partake in. I watched as he swept the Republican field, watched as even more people guessed he would drop out. I watched as relentless jokes were said about his hair, the color of his skin (there’s an irony in that), his words and actions. His campaign was a joke and his entire being was a joke to the country and to the media.
Donald Trump is no longer a joke. He has very real and very dangerous power within his grasp. I do not need to remind you of this, I am sure. Still, however, I see people who claim he will tire of power and will step down from the presidency. Has he shown us nothing of his resolve and his influence?
Republicans, know this, I know you are not all racists and misogynists and xenophobes. I know a lot of you, especially the working middle class, are scared and angry with the government. You are angry, and that is alright, be angry. I am angry too. Republicans now control the legislative, elective, and soon the judicial. Republicans and right wing extremists alike now have almost unilateral and complete control over the fate of this country. It is now your job to mold this country as you deem fit and not let hate and fear ruin it. It is now your job to unite this country, divided as it has not been since the civil war.
I am very much opposed to republicans. I do not understand nor do I believe what they believe. I believe the federal government is the best tool for peace, a better future, and a better country. Republicans, obviously, do not. I prefer federal government to business. This is the difference between the two parties. The means to the end are different, not the end. I will try to understand you, as I have always tried to understand those opposed to me. I will try to converse peacefully and will always denounce violence, from either side.
Democrats and progressives, this is a blow to all of us. We do not know what this means and the future is very unclear. Know this too, however, I vowed on my walk that night that I would fight this new regime. I would fight like mad against any injustice, inequality, hate, or violence acted out against any of our fellow Americans. We cannot sit on our hands and pretend we have no power. We must stand up as one and fight this.
The country is divided and fractured. We are hurt and scared and angry. Some of America, the fringe groups, have decided that pointing fingers and calling people names is the best approach to solving our issues. They have decided violence and hate will be their answer. Let us never fall to that level. Let us always love unconditionally and fully. Let us show each other compassion and empathy. Let us stand untied against hate and together in love.
Love knows no political aisles. Love know no boundaries. If we all, Republican or Democrat, Progressive or Conservative, stand together and love everyone and everything we can, and will, get through this.
As this article pointed out, Mourn our losses. Then organize.
