It's D-Day in America. The world is now spiraling out of control, and it's only downhill from here...
Donald Trump is our President-Elect.
God, It disgusts me to even type that out. We were doing so well. So many good things were happening. Change was progressing, WE, AMERICA, were progressing. And now I feel like that's all at a standstill. I feel like all the progress we have worked for now means nothing. I am currently devastated. I'm sick to my stomach. I am honestly horrified.
I knew voting for Bernie was a long shot, but I did believe. I knew Hillary wasn't my first choice, but I believed in what she could do as well. And here I was- 20 years old, voting in my first election... And I ended up with a racist, sexist, old money businessman with a bad weave who looks like he bathes in Cheeto dust. One for the history books. And now I guess it's historic, yes because it was a BIG upset, but that's not the history I wanted. I was so ready to make a change- I mean, a black, queer, woman in the world today isn't unheard of, but I believe there is still merit to my struggle and others around me. Of course, I can "laugh it off," like telling my parents I'm renouncing my Missouri citizenship or saying that I can tell my grandkids that I was alive during a presidential assassination- But that still doesn't really fix a problem. I asked some of my fellow Woodbury Students and friends how they felt. These were some of their responses:
"My grandma tried to vote in her hometown in Mississippi in the 1950s and she couldn't even do that because she was black, this is all so f****d up - like nice to know the country we live in still has the mentality of a cis white middle-aged male in the 1950s. Incredible."
-Marley Montez
"MAKE SURE TO VOTE DURING MIDTERMS!"
-Bennet Cariaga
"I cried while holding my girlfriend this morning. I cry because we just won the right to get married and that decision, with new members of SCOTUS, can be easily overturned. I cry because my community is in fear as are so many others. This isn't just a difference in "opinion" for me, this is my life and who I am."
-Katee MacEnulty
"I'm basically going to blast FDT for the next 4 years everywhere I go."
-Brody Angeles
"ON THE ELECTIONS OF 2016: To those of you complaining about the turnout for the elections all I can say is this...move on. Asking why our fellow citizens voted the way they did will not change anything. Trump may have offended people and will make it tough for a number of different sociopolitical groups, but now more than ever we must face adversity with conviction and resilience. Despite what we wished for the case to be, simply accept this as a fact...Trump has won. We can only accept this as a fact and work around it. Some of us will face a heavier hand. Some of us will be subjected to be the focus and be under the scrutiny of his presidency. Complaining will do us no good, we must work beyond our own feelings in the hopes of reaching some level of noticeable progress despite the fact that some of us may believe this to be a step back.complaining on social media will advance no cause, nor change the results. Some of us will not agree but at this point all we can do is move forward, accept his presidency and face the fact that, if we are indeed in for tough times, when the time comes, we will act righteously and in the defense of what we ourselves consider to be precious in the system this country has, will emerge to defend it. #KeepYourHeadUp2016"
-Andy Barrales
"Gonna need a "he ain't my president" teeshirt."
-Sashae Long
"If there's one thing I learned last night, is that ANYTHING can happen.
So in that case...YEEZY 2020!!"
-Juan Hernandez
"Just so you know this "nightmare " you're experiencing is basically what us minorities have been feeling all along you privileged pieces of garbage"
-Sailem
"Don't ask me how I am. Should be obvious."
- Brittani Savage
What's wrong with Americans? WHAT DID WE DO?! I MEAN I'M OKAY BECAUSE BARRY HASN'T LEFT JUST YET BUT I'M PANICKING- WWIII IS NIGH -THIS IS GONNA BE WORSE THAN BUSH JR ON SO MANY LEVELS!
-Angelique Jacobs
As you can see, people definitely have a lot to say- and are definitely scared for our future. I'm not saying that the next 4 years are going to be all bad, but I do think that there's a big storm coming on the horizon...