Shame on you America! I am an immigrant, a veteran, a father, and a teacher. You spat all those identities. Shame on you! You elected the person who exemplifies the worst of you, your prejudices, your fears, your bigotry, and your dark heart. You have chosen, for the highest office of the land, someone who would have banned your parents and grandparents from coming to these same lands. In this sick reality TV show that you watched for months, you were the spectator and the jury. You were supposed to save the most qualified survivor, the one who did the homework, watered the garden of the island, and fed the kids in the morning. But you did not like the way that she laughs and you gave the million-dollar price to The Con Man. He is so humorous and politically incorrect!
Shame on you America! You elected the one who offended and mocked veterans and soldiers, women and the disabled; and you made him the Commander in Chief. I really don't know how this happened. I did not realize, until today, that our democracy was so fragile and you were so vain. Nowadays, when I wake up in the morning, I cry. Literally, I cry. Factually, I cry. I cry, and I am not alone. I want to get out from the most unimaginable horror, but the dream became nightmare and the dawn turned out to be darkness. Shame on you immigrants, veterans, parents, and teachers who did not vote; you said it was "boring", "not exciting", or "the lesser of two evils". It never was between two equal propositions, it was plain good and plain evil. You knew it and chose the evil.
Shame on you America! From now on, you deprived our schools from their most admired role model. Now, we have to tell kids, our students--our children for God's sakes! -- that a bully and a bigot, a hypocrite and a misogynist; a racist, a liar, a fraud, is their president, and that somehow, it's okay. Shame on you because in the last trial, when your verdict was due and you had the chance to make a real difference, when you could have kept building on progress and embrace the best of yourself--stronger, together, the only way you move forward-- you decided to live your darkest hour. Two millennia of regret and reflection did not teach you, America. Once again, confronted with the same choice, you crucified the good one and saved Barabbas. Shame on you!
Carlos Lazo is a US army decorated veteran from the Iraq war. Lazo is also a secondary teacher in Bothell, WA. He holds two Masters degrees, in Teaching, and Hispanic Culture. He is currently working in completing a Doctoral Degree in Education. Carlos is Cuban-American and immigrated to the USA 25 years ago.