I think this Election Day has been an emotional one for all Americans. Whether it was anger that your candidate lost or the other candidate won. Sadness because the results told you something you didn't want verified about America. Fear because of your race, gender, identity, or citizenship. Or happiness because of the results. Whatever it was, I think we can all agree it has been emotional.
I know I cannot argue with that point. I woke up the morning after election night in a state of shock. It was like my worst fears had come true. Yes. I voted for Hillary. And I can say that with pride. While I may not have agreed with all of her decisions, I felt, and still do, that what she stood for was an America I wanted to be a part of. And none of that was based upon her gender. I stood and still do stand behind the Democratic party. But somehow I never fully considered that this is how the results would turn out. The results taught me a few things about myself, my position, and this country.
1. For the first time in my life I recognize and understand my white privilege. As a white woman, I have always been aware it existed. I know there are things I could do that wouldn't be thought about twice. But I hade never actually checked my privilege or been so aware of it. November 9th changed that all for me. For the first time in my entire life I woke up afraid to be a citizen of my own country. For the first time in my life I felt so disenfranchised and a part of an unheard majority. I don't come to this realization with pride. I pride myself on being socially aware, but somehow this revelation struck me to my core. I know there are people in America who live with this fear every single day. I can never pretend to fully understand that. I never will. But I want to make it clear that I am aware, even if it's only to a small degree, how you feel. These results have allowed me to minutely experience that fear. I want everyone who is afraid right now, for whatever reason(s): I will stand by you and with you. I understand your fear and share it.
2. As a woman in this country, my place was reaffirmed for me. So many girls, especially in my generation, grew up being told we could do and be whatever we wanted to be. Well, the curtain has been ripped off. The facade is gone. The glass ceiling still exists. The fluff-filled niceties we were fed as girls are all lies. This isn't what is so disappointing to me though. I didn't have any false hope that the act of Hillary getting elected would change our patriarchal government overnight. I know women are still behind in this country, and even though I don't like it, it's going to take time for that to change. What I am upset is the people who reaffirmed these lies to me. People in my family, both immediate and extended. People I love and care about deeply. While I support everyone's right to vote and express their views, as that is the way of our democratic society, I can't help but be hurt. On a political level, I understand. I know a majority of voters, on both sides, felt they didn't completely agree with everything either candidate said. I understand that you may only agree with certain tenants of Trump's platform and abhor his hate speech as much as I do. But your vote for him hurt's me, and so many others. I would never ask someone to change their vote or their views just for my sake. But I do feel that in some ways, my hurt is justified. So many people in my family, male and female, have shared their support for Trump through this election and after the results were announced. Whatever your reasons for that support, though, at the end of the day, the hate and bigotry Trump awakened in this country is something I cannot ignore. I cannot ignore the fact that you voted for a candidate who has so candidly and unapologetically degraded women, openly spewed racist stereotypes, dishonored military members and their families, and ridiculed mentally disabled people. I cannot ignore that. And while they do not all affect me, much of my fear from these results is based in the fact that I am a woman. I am your daughter, cousin, niece, and your family and you voted for a man who does not value my mind or my body. Trump has taught the boys and young men in our society that these behaviors are acceptable. His election only furthers this affirmation. So no, I do not hate you. I can't. But I am hurt. Your vote is your own. It is your right. I can not and will never infringe upon that. You are entitled to your political opinion. But I also want to remind all voters, that your vote affects more than just you. It affects those in this country who can't vote. It affects your children who have no voice in our political system yet. So though this election is over. I implore you to remember that your voice and vote matters, but it also is so much bigger than just you.
3. America is not a post-racial society. Racism didn't end with the Civil Rights Movement. It is still alive and well in this country. This election has only fostered that. But that's not the issue I want to dwell on. To fix a problem, you must first recognize it. America will never be capable of becoming a post-racial society until we address the fact that racism still exists. This is not an issue that can be ignored. Especially when I feel this election has only brought about deep-seeded prejudice and rage in many Americans that hasn't been so visible in decades. There are preconceived ideas and notions formed about people before dialogue can ever happen. My skin color and gender do not determine my worth, just as they don't determine any other person's worth. I know many of the views are deeply ingrained in the American psyche and political system. I know change isn't going to be swift or all encompassing. But through cooperation and acceptance, we can work towards that. This issue isn't one of "us vs. them." It has never been. Rather it is an issue of the country we want to live in. Personally, that is one where my voice and the voices of all other minorities can hold the same weight as a white males.
As for those emotions, whatever yours may be or have been, you have the right to express those. It is your right as an American citizen and no one can infringe upon that. So I encourage you to express those. But do so with respect to others. Everyone has the right to free speech, but remember that just as you have that right, so does everyone else. Your right does not hold a higher pertinence than yours. Remember above all else that your rights only go to the extent that they do not infringe upon anyone else's. So talk about this election, the results, your fears, your happiness, your anger, etc. But let's do it without causing any more division and while recognizing that even though we may hurt, that doesn't mean our hurt is more important than anyone else's. At the end of the day, though I have my own fears, I am still so concerned about so many of my friends and peers.
Lastly, there is a lot of tension in America right now. It's palpable. We are all coming to grips with our current reality, whether that's through sadness, anger, or joy. Whatever your reaction may be, I implore you to be there for your fellow human. Not man or woman, gay or straight, Democrat or Republican. Just your fellow human. There have been a lot of harsh words and sentiments tossed around this election, by both sides. Those wounds aren't going to heal overnight and we shouldn't expect them to. But we also must realize by remaining divided and continuing to choose hate, we will never heal as a society. Even if we are deeply divided, these wounds cannot heal unless we remember, above all else, our humanity. We don't have to agree politically. But we do have to take a step back and realize that this election hurt us all in some way. And just as it hurt us, it hurt others. Be there for each other just as you would be there for yourself.
