I haven’t written about the election because it’s given me too much anxiety to be coherent, but I should have forced myself into coherency much sooner.
It boggles my mind that Trump was nominated, let alone taken seriously as a candidate, let alone elected. There is something fundamentally broken in our system that allows a narcissistic personality to hold one of the most powerful positions in the world.
For Trump’s supporters, I’ve tried to be empathetic, but I associate Trump with racist, misogynistic actions that threaten our civil rights and freedoms. It’s difficult for me to separate the two — the friendly, neighborly people I interact with, and their support for a candidate whose ideology I abhor.
The thought that Donald Trump will do anything to help the people who clamored to get him elected is laughable, because the man has no regard for anyone but himself.
It’s not about being a Democrat or a liberal — it’s about wanting my kids to grow up in a world where climate change is recognized and treated as a threat, where my daughters have autonomy over their bodies, where I can send them to school without fear of them being grabbed (!) or harassed, where basic healthcare is a right and not a privilege, where complex international matters are handled with the consideration they deserve, where human beings are treated with respect regardless of race, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, or creed.
Those aren’t “liberal” ideals — they’re human ideals, and ones that will be ignored or attacked by the upcoming Presidential administration, if their past actions are any indication.
I’m scared; not necessarily for myself, because I recognize my privilege as a white, middle-class woman allows me to stay mostly out of harm’s way. I’m scared for friends who don’t have that privilege, though, and I’m scared for what my kids will have to deal with when it’s said and done.
I can hide under a blanket for the next four years, or I can speak out. For now, that means donating to organizations that support at-risk minority groups, contacting my senators constantly, and becoming more aware and active in politics.
Feeling helpless? Here’s a list of things you can do now to help keep Trump’s administration in check and here is a spreadsheet with contact information for your Senators and House Representatives, with handy scripts for some of the most pressing concerns.
And if my Twitter and Facebook accounts are a constant stream of political information, well, now you know why.