Over the last 48 hours, I've been afflicted with a welter of emotions, as have a lot of people. I'm going to come right out and admit this, and to hell if it appears weak: I am scared. I've never been so afraid in my entire life of what's to come. No other republican candidate has ever inspired such rampant terror in my heart as this man. Had any of the other candidates been elected, I could have dealt with it. I voted against George Bush. He won anyway, and I was annoyed. I disliked his policies, but I never questioned whether or not he was fit for the office. Had any other republican been elected, I could cope. But not this man.
I am horrified that so many people bought into-- nay, encouraged-- the racist, sexist, fascist vitriol that he has spewed for months. He has contradicted himself on multiple occasions on national television, and his followers ate it up like the giant bag of cheetos he comes from. Over the past year, minorities (myself included), Muslims, Hispanics, and immigrants of all types have been harassed, insulted, threatened, and assaulted by his followers-- which includes the KKK-- people who now feel justified in committing atrocities against their fellow human beings. Within two days of his being the president elect, the violence and harassment has spiked.
I am so very afraid-- for myself, for minorities, for immigrants, for Muslims, and for the LGBT community. I'm frustrated that we as a country seem bound and determined to take one step forward and two steps back.
We have now collectively decided that we should have a man in office with zero knowledge of politics or foreign relations. Oh, and let's not forget a lack ethics and morals.
Over the last 48 hours, I have heard two basic responses to my fears. 1. You're overreacting; things will not change that much. And 2. Get over it.
To all the people in Category 1, I say this to you: You are very wrong. Perhaps you have good reasons for voting for Donald "I'm King of the Oompa Loompas" Trump. I'm not so cynical to assume that all the people who voted for him are racist, bigoted, homophobic twats; hell, I doubt most of you are. But whether you realize it or not, you have voted into office a candidate who believes it is okay to grope women because he's famous, who believes that Muslims should be required to register-- which happened to another group of people fairly recently in history-- who has questioned and insulted the intelligence of Black Americans, who has called overweight women "dogs" and "pigs"...
I've also heard that many voted for him because of their beliefs or their ethics, to which I am forced to question just what those are, if you support someone who has done what I have just described-- on national television in full view of thousands. If you believe in and agree with Donald "Dog Shit in an Orange Bag" Trump, then I am disgusted and insulted in having associated with you, and you can fuck off.
Because actions speak louder than words, and his followers have demonstrated what they will do now that someone just as disgusting as them is in power. The masses that are terrified of this saggy sack of awful are more than justified in their fear, because violence and harassment have been instigated at an ever increasing rate.
To those in Category 2, I say to you: Go to Fucking Hell. He may have won the election, much to the chagrin and outrage to more than half the country, but we don't have to "deal with it." Telling us to "get over it" is no different than saying "get over it" to a rape victim; and before I am accused of hyperbole, I will remind you all that this is a man who condones the groping of women, who admits to doing it himself, who believes that women are objects. Sexual assault is not funny, and whether you call it "locker room talk" or not changes nothing. It is not at all far fetched to include the potential for rape along with all the Muslim prison camps that are bound to spring up once they get registered and tattooed.
And I'd like to add how humorously hypocritical it is that the same people who tell us to "get over it" and "deal with it" are the same douches who rioted in the streets with guns because President Obama was elected. It's funny how easy it is to take the high ground and when you are already on top.
And speaking of the high ground, another trend I've seen over the last couple of days are the same paranoid rednecks scrambling to horde their guns cause "Obama is gon' take'em" suddenly acting reasonable and magnanimous. "We need to heal the divide," they say with smug sanctimonious expressions. "Let's come together as a country." Now that their candidate won, they can suddenly sit back and act confused that people are protesting, as if they themselves weren't doing the exact same thing four years ago, except more violently. Suddenly the time has come to be reasonable.
Sorry, Hillbilly Hank. No.
Because what they truly mean is, "You need to settle down and let us have our way, because we won and you lost. Suck it up and join our fascist regime." You can preach "healing the divide" all you want, but you aren't fooling anyone with this sympathy game; it's nothing but verbal judo designed to make those who are rightly outraged feel foolish for not feeling the same way you do. Well, fuck you very much, because it isn't going to work. Because it is obvious that you don't care about how the losing side feels. Why would you? You get your way regardless.
So to both groups, you are wrong. Civil rights are going to be infringed, healthcare will be yanked from millions of Americans, and the environment will be trashed. Things will not be okay, nor will we just stand back and deal with it. You can try to pretend to be the reasonable side all you want, but you have let a festering heap of corruption become arguably the most powerful man in the world, and his actions are on your head.
In summation, we will be lead by a wrinkled old oompa loompa who is bound and determined to become Hitler 2.0, a vice president who believes you can electrocute the gay out of people, and a house and senate who will let them get away with it.
Congrats.
Signed,
One of those Uppity Colored Boys
