Growing up, I remember watching Donald Trump on his popular show The Apprentice. I used to watch this show with my mother. I knew Donald Trump only as the "mean guy" that told entertaining, washed-up celebrities the famous line, "You're Fired." This younger version of me had no clue who Donald Trump really was and that he would run for President of the country I live in.
Every one of you by now knows the outcome of the 2016 Presidential Election. You already know that Donald Trump will be the next President of the United States. I was extremely shocked by the outcome of the election. Despite her flaws, I was supporting Hillary Clinton, as I believe she was most qualified to fill the position. I was still shocked when Mike Pence followed by Trump himself came out to talk to their supporters. I could not believe that Donald Trump had just locked up the election to become our next President.
I don't know exactly how to describe the feeling, but I would say it was gloomy. It seemed darker and colder than normal. I was unable to sleep for several hours after the conclusion of the election coverage. When I woke up, I wanted to pretend that I had had a terrible nightmare. But I knew I had to face reality at some point, and I carried on with my day. I tried to tune out the blatantly uneducated banter I heard that day, but I just was not able to. It was not a one-sided affair to make this clearer. Both Trump and Hillary supporters I heard talk that day proved to me they had not done their duty in making an educated decision when casting their votes. I managed to make it through the day without snapping. Since I feel writing is my only true voice, I got right to work. These are things I consider myself when I think about the results of this horrendous Presidential Election.
I am disappointed.
I am disappointed in the entirety of this election. I am disappointed that the Democratic and Republican parties left us with two candidates that made the American people feel was "voting for the lesser of two evils." I am disappointed in the Democratic Party for not treating Bernie Sanders fairly. And the use of words I choose there are quite mild when you think about what happened to Sanders.
There are emails that have been released that suggest the DNC decided Bernie's fate for him. Therefore, I am disappointed that members of our Government lied to us and participated in a corrupt election. I am disappointed in the people who did not exercise their right to vote, which is a right that many less fortunate people do not have. I am disappointed in the people who made a mockery of their right to vote and made use of the write-in section of their ballot. I saw data on Twitter that stated at least 11,000 people voted for Harambe, the gorilla that was killed at the Cincinnati Zoo. Lastly, I am disappointed in the people who did not educate themselves about the election but blindly voted for a candidate, whether that be Trump, Clinton, or Johnson.
I am worried.
I am worried for many people. I am worried for women, as Donald Trump has said some horrific things about them. Not only that, his statements suggest that he has acted multiple times on his misogynistic ways. Our women are infinitely important in our society and should only be treated with the utmost respect, kindness, and gratefulness. I have several women in my life I love dearly and I am saddened to think there is a chance female oppression might grow.
I am disgusted by Donald Trump saying he grabs women by their private parts and kisses them without asking. Also, it is so frightening that Donald Trump had a rape lawsuit on his hands. He was accused of raping a 13 year-old girl in the 1990's. However, this woman (name not identified) dropped the lawsuit after claiming she was receiving too many death threats. I hope that some day we can live in a world where women are not afraid for themselves simply because a man is elected President.
Secondly, I am worried for our minorities in America. I am worried for Mexicans in America and Mexico. After all Trump said himself that Mexico doesn't send "us" their best people, they send people with drugs and people who are rapists. No worries though, Trump assumes that "some" of the Mexicans are actually good people. I am worried for the Mexicans living in America that are terrified of losing their homes and being deported back to Mexico. I am worried for the Mexicans that are terrified of Donald Trump sending people to "build the wall" and forcing the Mexican Government to pay for it. I am worried for Muslims in general as Trump previously proposed a complete ban of them from the United States. He has lessened this proposal to what he calls a "heavy vetting" instead of a ban.
However, there is still a large amount of Muslim people terrified that they will be discriminated against because of their Muslim faith. I am worried for lesbian, gay, transgender and bisexual people across America. I am worried that with the election of Donald Trump, their push for more rights will be completely halted. In this case I am much more afraid of Mike Pence because he is a known supporter of conversion therapy. Conversion therapy is the effort of trying to change a gay person into a straight person through forceful and traumatic means. Conversion therapy is inhumane, ineffective, and banned in 5 states. It has been known to lead to depression, drug use, homelessness, and suicide. Let that sink in. The future Vice President advocated for conversion therapy in Indiana.
I am still hopeful.
I believe in the people. I am hopeful that we can still manage to come together as a nation and we can spread love rather than hate. I am hopeful that minorities will stand together and not let themselves be afraid. No one person could ever be bigger than the entirety of a nation. I am hopeful that LGBT people will still see their rights handed to them and not continue to be oppressed in this country. I am hopeful that we as a people will continue to participate in our democracy, not just once every four years. I am hopeful that some day we can have a woman as President of the United States. I am hopeful that we can still be good people regardless of our political differences. I am hopeful that somehow our country can manage to succeed even with Donald Trump as our President. I am hopeful because I still believe we can create a better world for everyone.