Dear Mr.Trump/Mr.Pence

Dear Mr.Trump and Mr. Pence,

I have one thing to thank you for – you’ve made me uncomfortable. Under Obama’s calm, steady and mostly well-intended hand I became lackadaisical in thought and lethargic in action. I took for granted what having a President who respected his people and in turn was respected by the world felt like. I took for granted the progress this country was making towards meeting the rest of the world in health reform and other social programs. I misinterpreted my circle of progressive liberal friends to be indicative of the rest of the country. I was comfortable in thinking our country was moving towards a better and brighter day.

 

Both of you have taken that sense of contentment away. You’ve replaced my sense of hope with trepidation. You’ve taken my love for this country and made me question if that affection is warranted. My sense of optimism has wilted, and I fear for the future. The results of this election have shown me that a vast number of Americans will accept racism, misogyny, rape culture, misinformation, hate, fear, ignorance, and the possibility of war if it comes from the biggest bully in the yard.

 

I saw this coming on Super Tuesday when the Democratic Party failed to nominate the one man (Bernie Sanders) that might have had a chance to stop you, and I wept. I wept again on November 8^th and well into the next night. I fear for my future children, and indeed, now question if I ever want to raise children in America. The reasons for your rise are numerous and terrifying. It reminds me far too much of another time, when a nation feeling the economic pinch decided to blame large groups of minorities for their problems. If we follow that pattern our future is grim, and the thought keeps me up at night.

 

The ugly parts of this country that I thought were receding are instead, clearly, going to be front and center for the next four years. I don’t know what damage you’ll do in that time; I only hope whatever damage is done is reversible.

 

You might think that this complete collapse of my sense of faith and security in the USA would be disheartening, and it is. But I have to thank you for the new sense of dismay, because it’s lit a fire in me.

 

I can’t control what you will do, but I do know what I can do. I can become the most educated, vocal, and civically engaged citizen I can be. I can hold you accountable for every action. I can use my freedom of speech to express my discontent. I will not stand for a government that promotes white supremacy, denies climate change, has questionable ties to foreign dictators, and continues to seek the removal of citizen’s access to healthcare (among many, many other issues). Neither of you represent my America, nor do you represent the majority of this country’s America (popular vote, ahem). We haven’t even reached the inauguration yet and you have already made me ashamed of my own skin, flirted with nuclear war and continued to action like a toddler throwing a temper tantrum through your narcissistic tweets.

 

You have done nothing to earn my respect and you will not have it. My respect, admiration and hope will rest with all the groups you have marginalized. It will remain with people like the Standing Rock protesters who fought peacefully for the betterment of this land.

 

I’ll say it again – I can’t control what you will do, but I’m done letting you control me. I won’t shed anymore tears because of you. I will educate and mobilize myself. I consider it my duty to be a thorn in your sides for however long you remain in power. So congratulations gentlemen you may have taken my comfort, hope and progress – but you’ve made an activist out of me, and I intend to be damn good at it. This begins on January 21^st where I will march on D.C with hundreds of thousands of my fellow women. Our voices will be heard. We will stand with all those you have attacked, and we will fight for a better tomorrow,

 

See you there,

Sincerely,

Grace Hatton

 

P.S – Featured image taken from BuzzFeed article ’24 Signs from Trump Protests that will make you feel a little better’ (https://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/yes-to-pancakes?utm_term=.osKRvA62oW#.bqpmYL6AdX) 

 

Post-Election

I wept last night, around 3:30 a.m, and no matter how hard I try to stop the tears they have been flowing ever since. This country, a country that has stood as a beacon of hope for so long, has given into fear, hate and prejudice.

I’m crying for my fellow women – who have been told with these results that its okay to be talked down to, be considered valuable only for our bodies, and to be sexually assaulted.

I’m crying for my fellow immigrants – who have be deemed less than and cast as villains with these results.

I’m crying for minorities who have been painfully reminded that racism is running wild.

I’m crying for the LGBT community – who have been told that there is something evil about them that can be ‘converted’ out of them with these results.

I’m crying for our planet – which will now endure four more years of irreversible abuse at the hands of this country.

I’m crying for every little girl that now knows that she may be smarter, more qualified and 100% more prepared for something she wants, but a loud, obnoxious white boy will most likely get that thing she wants anyway.

I’m crying for my future children who have to see this result in the history books.

I’m crying for everyone (including myself and my parents) who are covered by Obamacare and are now wondering if our ability to heal is going to be taken away.

I’m crying for every victim of gun violence that will now have to wait for basic prementative measures to be put in place.

I’m weeping for the very soul of this country.

I’m heartbroken and in a haze right now. I’m afraid of this future. I’m not going to point fingers at anyone as far as how this happened. I have no intention of spreading more division. But please take stock of this moment. Don’t brush it aside as a horrific election season with a disappointing result. Don’t say it’s only politics. This will have ramifications for years to come, and it is in this moment of confusion, anger and disallusion we have to look at ourselves. Our action or inaction in part created this. We are all responsible.

For myself, I know I need to process and to somehow find hope to move forward. Thus I will be stepping away from social media for a little bit to give myself some air.

Again, I don’t know where we’re going. I wish I did. I only know that in this moment, I’m taking stock and I’m mourning. However, when I come through the other side I fully intend to be an ally and a friend to every group that feels attacked, marginalized and less than because of these results.