I know I'm a little bit late to the game, but I wanted to take my time and think through things before I posted a reaction to what happened. I had another post I was working on, but it will have to be put on hold because I think this is more important.
I remember when this whole process began. "Donald Trump running for president? Has to be a joke."
Over a year later, it is now our reality.
Sometimes I still have trouble believing it actually happened. Up to the election, most people thought the same as I did - there's no way he can win. Hillary has to win. There's no way an entire country can let a man like Trump win.
It still pains me to say that my country has let me down tremendously. I'm usually proud of where I come from, but for a while there I didn't feel so proud. Almost 50% of eligible citizens didn't vote. Half of the country decided it wasn't important for to choose who governs them. Many later confessed they didn't think Trump would win, and that kind of thinking is a big problem. 11,000 other people, who are an entirely different breed of idiot, decided to march themselves to the polls and throw away their vote on a dead gorilla.
I woke up at 5:30am that day and watched the remaining votes come in. I sat there in horror as the hours passed and Trump kept gaining electoral votes. When the final result came in around 7:30, I cried. I cried because America decided a misogynistic, racist, bigot was the person to represent them. I cried because while I am protected due to the color of my skin, my class, and my sexuality, thousands upon thousands of others are not, and many are now afraid for their very lives. I cried because for a while Britain was winning as the stupidest country, but America took back its crown.
I think Stephen Colbert put it best when he said that the "illusion" of a post-racial America was shattered. We had gotten to a point where most people were perfectly happy pretending that racism didn't exist, that we were all treated equally under the law. While this illusion was slowly being destroyed anyway due to all the events of this past year, Trump's victory was the last straw that broke that illusion, and I have a sinking feeling that, at least for a time, hate crimes of all forms will increase.
What's most unbelievable is some of the statistics from this election. Yes, more men than women voted for him. Yes, more uneducated than educated voted for him. Yes, more white people voted for him than any other race. But women voted for Trump. Educated Americans voted for him. Minorities voted for him. It is these statistics that scare me the most. Women voted for a man who is going on trial for sexual assault. Educated men and women voted for a man who made fun of a reporter with disabilities. Minorities voted for a man who was openly racists towards all races except his own. People are so fed up with the system and with the world that they willingly voted for a man like this to be considered the most powerful man in the world.
However, in light of this, I see a lot of good. People promoting the idea of uniting together, not lashing out but rather trying to create safe places for others. A friend said something brilliant - this is a turning point. It may seem like a low point, especially after a president as wonderful and successful as Obama, but drastic change has to begin somewhere. Something shocking always has to occur before people as a whole are motivated to make a change, and Trump's victory is definitely a shock that I think can cause good change. I believe that a lot of young people will be inspired by these events and grow up motivated to make a better tomorrow. Perhaps a young lady watching Hillary's speech that day, seeing her so composed (I still don't know how she did it), and be determined to become the first Madam President, or a young boy, listening to his immigrant parents cry and discuss their future, determined to become the Secretary of State.
This is where the end begins. This is where we can all work toward a change. We are stuck with Trump, and no articles boasting a "way out" will change that. Our future president, MY future president (sorry, while I get the idea behind #notmypresident, he still will be my president whether I want it or not), is a walking, talking yam that spews hate and essentially is now the poster boy for white supremacy. I still can't believe it, but it is what it is. I got a lot of sympathy the day following the elections, as everyone here couldn't believe it either. I don't think anyone in the world expected for America to actually be Trumped.
Honestly, I don't think there's much else to say. There's only so much that can be said, but so much more that can be done. 2016 may seem like the worst year ever. Our world is in chaos, and it seems like the shots just won't stop coming. It's time to stop wallowing in self-pity and it's time to take responsibility for what's been happening. Change is coming, and it starts with our own actions. Promote love, promote unity, promote change and hopefully this unbelievable event will actually make America great.
