I don’t know what else to say except except, WOW.
I think many of us just assumed we were going to have our forward thinking, tolerant, empathetic, loving, inclusive, and progressive attitudes displayed as the victor of this sobering election.
Sadly this wasn’t the case.
We watched our country, a great country, get painted one big red stop sign as state after state went to the opposing candidate. Yes, red seems to have become the symbolic color of this election for many reasons, but as the people have spoken, red seems to be the ultimate symbol of halting change.
It seems so many people want to stop progress from happening, and this was made beyond evident by the way our country voted. America, the country that ranks first internationally for confidence, but doesn’t even make it into the top 30 for science and math.
Should we be surprised that the majority of our population wants to stop people from having basic human rights?
Should we be shocked that “Americans,” want the “American Family” to be a white heteronormative group compromised of the WASPs?
Should we be befuddled that our country seems to think the government should control our bodies, how we use them, who we use them with, and whether or not we are allowed to, or should be forced to have a baby?
Should we be dumbfounded that over-privileged-white males thought it was cool to gay bash, sexually violate women, and physically harm anyone that was different than them?
Should we be confused that Latinos, Jews, gays, people of color, immigrants, Muslims, and women were all considered a problem?
To be honest, I don’t think we should be so surprised. Yes, my quest for love and positivity pushed me to want more, and to think more highly or our country and its citizens, but the truth is we’re at a collective low.
We fought hard to go high, and we shall continue to do so, but right now our country has been taken down many notches by people that like to hit below the belt.
We’ve forgotten to take care of our souls, and in doing so, our country’s collective soul, and this is what happens.
We have become so obsessed with quick, fast, cheap, and easy that we overlooked the real damage being done. The long term effects felt so far away, but here we stand, staring face to face with those long term effects, or rather one large affect.
We no longer can talk about the day to come when climate change is going to ruin us, that war is ahead of us, and that a superpower will begin to decline because it is our present circumstance. No longer can we look at movies like the Hunger Games and Divergent as futuristic fantasy. This is now the reality we head towards.
Our political arena this season became a form of entertainment, and we forget to truly educate the masses. Yes, we tried, but obviously didn’t try hard enough. We allowed Trump's lies to be spewed across media outlets as if they were facts to create a “fair” Democracy, but what we really allowed was a Democrazy, and those lies became peoples’ truths. Those truths became peoples' votes. Those votes became this harsh reality.
To be frank, the end is here. Not the physical, apocalyptic end, but an end of what we knew America to be, and that’s what a lot of people wanted. They voted, they got it, and now we shall see where this takes us.
We have allowed a a fake, a phony, a fraud reality TV star into the most coveted house and position in America. Someone whose own family is the thing he preaches against, is very likely going to be our Commander in Chief. A foreign First Lady, a collection of family members that don’t hold respect for others, and a man, whose ego truly trumps no others will be the family that represents us the US, to the world.
It’s ironic, it’s poetic, it’s simply sad.
I truly hope we all take this day to reflect. To think about how we can actually make change, how we can actually use our voices, and how we can keep the progress moving while we have someone fighting to stop it.
We need to stop looking outward, we need to stop blaming others, we simply need to STOP, and have one long day of silence.
September 21st was the international day of peace, and here in NY, nothing was officially organized for it. I think that speaks to what’s lacking amongst all of us. We have a parade to celebrate our pride for so many different attributes that set us apart from one another, yet not one for a mindful union of unity. I think more than ever it’s apparent that it’s time for things to change.
Business shouldn’t go on as usual because this is completely unusual, and we shouldn’t act as if nothing has happened because something historic has happened.
It’s not just here in America, it’s happening all over the world, and it’s time we started to look at countries like Sweden and Norway that have their shit together. I know there populations are much smaller, and everyone wants to make it out like they are some anomaly, but if we stopped looking at them like that, then maybe, just maybe, we would all start to get it right.
I want to educate the masses, so they can truly understand what their futures could be like.
I want to expose all of America to different cultures, so they can see the beauty that is added with diversity.
I want to show our country that no one wants to take away your ideas, we just want to expand on them in a constructive way that helps us find a collective ideal.
Right now the dust has not settled, and a lot of us are feeling like all hope is gone, but it isn’t, and if you think it is, then you’re letting them win.
We must take this sobering situation, and let it marinate into ever ounce of our beings, so that we never forget how hard it was to watch love be stomped on. Like a bad break up, it will take time to heal these deep wounds, and to restore faith in the idea that love will find us again, but till then look for beauty in the small things, fight with all of your creativity to strengthen your inclusive beliefs, and never let anyone take away your own love for what you know to be humanly right.
I said I wouldn't quit, and I meant it, so lets keep this momentum rolling.
I thank you all for your support, and remember, love will continue to trump hate.