I haven't felt the need for this space in a long time, but I have a feeling it will become ever more important to me in the next four years. I am still sorting out the feelings of depression, disappointment, fear, and anger that are all jumbled together in my heart today. Below are my initial thoughts in the hours following the 2016 Presidential Election. I reserve the right to expand upon them later...or not. This is just how I cope with devastation: I write.
I cannot find any words to say to Donald Trump or his supporters that are anything more than the vitriolic, divisive verbal diarrhea that they've been spewing since the beginning of the campaign. So, to them, I say nothing for now. While that sort of behavior is, apparently, effective in winning elections now, that is not the kind of person I want to be or plan to become. I resolve for myself, to go high.
When George W. Bush was elected in 2004, I had just begun studying at Douglass College, an all women's college. I didn't fully understand the importance of a women's college at the time and, actually, I may only be understanding its importance right now. I had begun college assuming I'd become a communications/journalism major, but that year and that election changed my path. I studied political science instead, with a particular interest in political theory.
After the 2004 election, as students and young Americans, we were so hurt and disheartened. We felt like our country was turning its back on us. We felt scared. (Sound about right?) But it inspired some of us to learn about the system we have, learn about our options, and become active and informed citizens. We elected Barack Obama. That former despair, eventually, brought about the most historic presidency in American history to this point.
Therefore, the silver lining I see in the aftermath of the 2016 election is that, with any luck, it will inspire another generation of people to educate themselves and become passionate about something other than themselves. Perhaps we became complacent during a time of relative stability, but that time is clearly over.
So, for those among us who agree that diplomacy, patience, and intelligence are still values we should hold dear and are still qualities we will require of our leaders, all I can say is: don't let this turn you around or change your minds. Do not become disillusioned. Mourn, but do not fall on your swords. Lead by example. Learn. Act. Vote (in every election, not just the big ones.) We are strong and resilient. We cannot let divisive and anti-intellectual policies prevail. There is more at stake than our little lives. There is an entire planet. Other people exist. There has never been a more important time during which to seek out our own empathetic sides.
If you believe, as I do, that Americans ARE black, brown, white, men, women, non-binary, Muslim, Jewish, Christian, atheist, disabled, chronically ill, gay, straight, wealthy, poor, somewhere in the middle, or some other glorious denomination (and any combination thereof), then you CANNOT argue that Donald Trump is a patriot. He has been working to set us against ourselves and we cannot take the bait. In addition to lacking any actual plans for anything, this is why Donald Trump is particularly dangerous. He views our differences as hindrances when, really, they are advantages. It is our responsibility - as it always has been - to express our love for our country through our love of each other and ourselves actively, passionately, loudly, and relentlessly.
Lastly, this was a particularly hard defeat for women in this country. I can tell you that; I am one. The country has now shown the world that we will accept a racist, sexist (possibly-sex offending), narcissistic, unintelligent man as a leader just so long as...he's not a woman. I do not mean to be hyperbolic; I don't see any other way of interpreting this election. Mrs. Clinton's flaws simply to not equal Mr. Trump's in magnitude. Sexism in this country is a quiet killer (both literally and figuratively) about which we need to start talking. On both the right and the left, what people don't like about Hillary Clinton is that she played the boys' game and she played it well. Nothing she did has been deemed criminal and that has been shown to us over and over again over decades; that is what some of us call a fact. So, drop that bullshit right here and right now. She's fallible, just as we all are, but she doesn't quit. She's brilliant. She does her homework. She plays hardball. She knows the answers or seeks them out. She has the strength and the temperament.
But she wears funny pantsuits and has such a "harsh" voice.
I can tell you this: I voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016 and that is something I will be able to say proudly for the rest of my life.
So, to my fellow American women, I beg you, do not lose hope and hold on tightly to your pussies. There is work to be done...hard work...women's work...and there is no one more qualified to do this work than we. (Feminists of all genders, I'm looking at you too!) We have come so far since Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, and - my girl - Victoria Woodhull fought so hard so that we could vote today. Revolution does not happen over night. Be inspired by our progress while paving the next trail.
Yanno, I just figured one thing to say to Mr. Trump and his friends: thank you for creating a new generation of nasty women. We're here and we're about to get a hell of a lot nastier.
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For a wee bit of optimism:
More Americans Voted for Hillary Clinton Than Donald Trump
Please consider donating to any of the wonderful organization featured in this article:
For a wee bit of optimism:
More Americans Voted for Hillary Clinton Than Donald Trump
Please consider donating to any of the wonderful organization featured in this article:
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