Donald Trump has been elected to the U.S. presidential office.
If you have read my previous post, you’ll know how I feel about this result. Needless to say, I am frustrated, sickened, and scared.
There are many people who feel just as scared and just as frustrated. In the past twelve hours, I have seen social media flooded with cries of “you betrayed our country by voting for X” and “if you voted for X candidate, defriend me immediately.” There is a lot of hatred and blame being thrown around.
But there are good ways of attributing blame, and there are bad ways. My nation, our nation, has systemic issues. Actions and political feelings don’t happen overnight—they are fostered by years of cultural pressures. The votes that were cast for Trump were not cast on a whim. If there is anyone or anything to blame, it is the greed, racism, and sexism that still pervade American society today. And nothing will change if we don’t tackle the roots of all of the issues that led to Trump’s election. Hatred only fractures us. And pointing fingers without acknowledging that there are also larger forces at work does nothing for progress.
So, I am determined not to fall into the pitfalls of despair or hatred. I am determined to keep moving forward.
There is a lot of work to be done. Let us remember our collective humanity. Let us continue standing up for the rights of our fellow human beings, regardless of citizenship, gender, sexuality, class, or race, and work towards positive change together.
I love you all. Stay safe.
—S. (a.k.a. AMisplacedPen)
Misplaced Pen 