Why

Two days ago, my faith in humanity was shaken to the core. The entire time Trump was running for president all I could think was, "There is no way anyone is gonna elect this asshole." I think a lot of us thought this. So much so that I really never even considered the possibility that people would. And when people did... I have no words to describe the emotion I felt at that moment. When I woke up and logged onto facebook, my entire feed was filled with worry, sadness, anger, shock... and gloating. So much tactless, rude, unbelievably prejudiced gloating.

After I unfriended a person or two, I lashed out with something along the lines of "If this is what America wants then we deserve the bad shit that's gonna happen." Not my finest moment and not, exactly, what I was really going for. But in that moment I felt so betrayed by my fellow Americans and so disgusted at the lack of empathy they seemed to have for one another.

I feel the need to explain myself. First off, let me say that I don't hate all people who voted Trump. There were two people running who both had a long list of negatives and a short list of positives. As most elections go, one represented one side of a lot of core issues and one represented the other. Naturally those with more conservative values are going to choose the side that fits with those values. Unfortunately for America, Trump most closely represented that. So again, I don't hate. But... Trump also represents a side of America that should not exist. Whether intentionally or not, he has given voice to the bigots of the country.

The racists who were once too cowardly to publicly act are now emboldened by the President-elect's words that he will build a wall and deport and watch people based on the color of their skin or the religion they follow. The idea that this group of people are now brave enough to display their true feelings of hate has my stomach churning. It's not that I'm anti-Trump (although, in all honesty, he is not even a little bit what I want for a leader), it's that I'm anti-hate. One might even say that I hate hate. Hate divides and by now Americans should know better: Together we are strong.

Already I've heard of derogatory comments being said to non-white people. Violence and harassment against minorities has increased. The confederate flag (another example of something that has been taken and used for bigots as a way to display their hatred) has made a resurgence among teenagers - kids too young and stupid to really understand what it is they're saying, only thinking it "funny" or appropriate based off how they were raised. Reports of random strangers trying to remove hijabs from Muslim women, people being beaten for no reason other than they look or speak differently.

The violence goes both ways. A white man in NYC was beaten for voting for Trump by two black men. It's no excuse, but I do think the motive of that beating was fear. Spurred by the hate and vitriol spewed by Trump and his supporters, I can only imagine the worry and fear felt by minorities.

As a woman and the mother of two young girls, I can say that the comments Trump has made about women has me fearful that sexism will also grow stronger and more prevalent. That rape and sexual harassment will become an even bigger problem than it already is.

I hope that I'm wrong. I hope my fears will go unrealized and that, just maybe, the Trump administration will surprise me. I won't say things like "he's not my president," because that's the same crap people pulled with Obama and it pissed me off. He is my president (or will be). The country chose him and I must come to terms with it and continue to do my part in society. I'll tolerate the changes in policy and grin and bear whatever other alterations he makes to our country - hoping all the while that they're temporary. But I will never tolerate hate.

And now here are some cute animals.

Big Deal

For the first time ever a woman has a chance at becoming the president of the United States. This is a big deal. Not even a century ago women weren't allowed to vote for who would become president of this country. Their opinions were not worthy enough; their lives not important enough; their judgment not keen enough.
I get it... emails and national security. I get it. I get it and I don't get a flying fuck about it. It takes not one iota of magnitude from the degree of BIG DEAL this is for me; for women.
Did you miss the first part? For the first time ever a woman has a chance at becoming the president of the United States. All the arguments against her may be valid, but fuck you for implying this is not a big fucking deal for women in this country.
For every woman who has ever been sexually assaulted or harassed. For every woman who has ever been told she wasn't good enough. For every woman who has ever felt inadequate. For every woman who has been beaten, put down, or made to feel ashamed. For every woman. Win or lose. This is a BIG DEAL. 


I found this comment on a Facebook post and wanted to share because it is exactly what I'm getting at here!

 "I  hovered my finger over the button just for a minute, and let it sink in that I actually was going to get to vote for the first woman president....and I lived to see the day. When I was told in the 70's that the secretarial pool was the highest job any woman would ever have in the Fortune 100 company I was employed by, I pretty much thought it would take a thousand years. And look how things have gotten so much better in this country since then, for so many people who were second-class citizens in my youth."
See? It's a BFD, you guys!