The unspeakable happened and Donald Trump has been elected as the 45th President of these United States. While this may seem like a nightmare or even a confusing haze, this is a reality. This is our reality. We took a few steps forward only to be sent 60 years back. It’s infuriating to witness the amount of support for a campaign that was led by pure hatred and disgust for a large portion of society. Its infuriating to hear Black people say they didn’t vote at all or that Black people don’t have any power in this country because of an institutionally corrupt system. It’s infuriating to know that Trump supporters are now silently questioning the SEVERITY of what they just did.
Navigating our way through the next four years is going to be a very trying time in our lives. In a Trump America, minorities will be second-class citizens. Women will be second-class citizens. LGBTQ rights will be stripped away. Our Commander-in-Chief is a Twitter-happy businessman, during a time where foreign image of America is questioned. The House and Senate are controlled by the Republican Party which will ensure that the Democrats will be met with constant gridlock. A foundation of Trump’s campaign was that he intended to run our country like a business. A business lacking an HR representative to whom we can anonymously voice our concerns about harassment and discrimination. Those are a few of the negatives.
Even with all of this uncertainty of what is to come, I remain hopeful in the American people. Those of us that truly understand the hope and aspiration for this country. “We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal,” and that is the message that will hold true as long as we have something to believe in. As the dust settles around us, we are immersed in the sentiments by outspoken Americans, and in that conversation, a common message rests in the belief that “we the people” have work to do. America has gotten lazy and America has become more selfish. That needs to change if we expect the next four years to be tolerable.
While we have seen the hatred that is coming from Trump supporters and the reality that there are people in this world that are still very racist and sexist, we will stand strong and unite. If you are a Clinton supporter and proclaimed #Imwithher, then stay with her. Support her message that we are in fact stronger together. The sad and quite frankly annoying sentiments from those that lack political efficacy or belief that we can evoke social change will hinder the process but this is where we all need to be steadfast in our goals. Change will not come easy and it will not come swiftly. But in order to Dump Trump’s apparent great America, we have to stand united. We have to stand strong and we have to stand on the backs of those that gave their lives so that we could have a better tomorrow.
Power To The People.
