"Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light." -Albus Dumbledore
I stumbled across this on my Facebook this morning. A clear sign from someone watching over me, telling me that it's going to be okay.
November 8th, 2016 will be written in history for our prosperity. And I know one day, my future child or grandchild will ask, "Why did such a horrible man win?" or "Who did you vote for?" and I will tell them the truth. I voted for Hillary Clinton, not only because I am a registered democrat, but because I feared a world with Donald Trump. He won because of the electoral college. He didn't win because of the people of the United States. We voted for Clinton.
I fear what my future brings. I fear the future for other minorities, for immigrants, gays, lesbians, transgender people, muslims. Anyone that could possibly be considered an other according the xenophobic, racist, sexist man that is now going to run our country.
As a millennial, I want change. I want peace and unity within our our country before we try to accomplish that with another country. If we don't get along with each other, how the hell are we going to get along with foreign place, containing people that probably hate us for many reasons? We won't.
As the child of a parent born in another country, who has been a US citizen for many years, I want people to have the same opportunities my father had, and my grandparents had, and everyone else before them.
As a hispanic, I want to be viewed as equal. I may not look the the stereotypical hispanic, but the Argentinean blood I have inherited from my father runs strong through my veins, as well as the German and Dutch from my mother's side. Last week at work, I was speaking Spanish with a customer. The man behind him on my line told me that he could "see the fear in our eyes" and that "Sp*cs like us should ]8have a lot fear once Trump becomes the President". I walked away from my register. People like this are the reason I fear Trump. They are the reason I am afraid to speak a language I love. The reason I fear openly admitting that I am hispanic. I shouldn't have to live in a world like this. NO ONE SHOULD.
As a woman, I have always feared walking places alone. I can face the cruelty of a man or another woman at any given point in time. But now that fear is no longer irrational. A man that has openly admitted to sexual assault, it going to be our president. Many men now think that "grabbing women by the p**sy" is a totally acceptable action. Not in my country. If you want to touch me, you need consent. If a cheery "yes" or "I want you to do this..." isn't coming out if my mouth, you have no permission to touch any part of my body. I have the right to feel safe and not want to be touched or grouped by others. Anyone that violates that should suffer in jail.
But I will not let this fear keep me from fighting. I am still going to stand tall and defend my rights. I will be a nasty woman until someone I see fit enters the White House. I will fight, not because I hate Donald Trump, but because America deserves better. We deserve equality, not the upbringing of racism and sexism. The KKK should not be coming out if hiding to celebrate our nation's leader. There really shouldn't be a KKK at all, but that would mean we are a post-racial society. Which clearly isn't true.
We need to keep fighting for what is right. Not fight with the people we believe are wrong.
So with that, I leave you with a great quote from our dear friend J.K. Rowling
"It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends." - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
