Following the Election

I didn't intend to write a blog post following the election -- discussing politics in public forums is generally something I shy away from. Being upset after the election though, I let down my guard and shared my dismay for the results, and as social media often does, I was challenged on my thoughts. I was told that the election was never about hate and that it was the result of media hype and that these results have proven we can break down the system. Opinions that I don't personally agree with, but that many others in our country do.

While it's easy to snap back with name calling or telling people their opinions are wrong -- as I know we've all witnessed throughout the election. I think now more than ever, we need to understand each other. So I took a few minutes to really put my thoughts into words that I felt were respectful but also expressed my raw emotion about the results. While I definitely didn't write this with the intent on sharing, so many said the message resonated with them so I thought it was worth reposting on my platform in case any others could relate.

"I respectively disagree. I feel as though the hatred that has been spewed throughout this election season will be hard to reverse -- hatred towards other religions, hatred towards immigrants and refugees, hatred toward our allies and our current president. Those words don't simply go away and truthfully I believe many in this country are very misinformed and have used hatred to mask their fear.

As someone who believes in equal rights for everyone no matter their race, sexual orientation, age or gender, the results of the election pain me. I understand the realities and beliefs of everyone are very diverse, which is part of the reason America is great, but in 2016 I just cannot wrap my head around why we would want to take a step back on all that we have achieved. 

I've lived in small towns, medium-sized cities, and the largest city in America -- all of which have given me different perspectives on the world. As someone who now lives in New York City, someone who encounters more cultures in a subway car than many encounter in months, the rhetoric of this campaign terrifies me. And if as a white female I feel that fear, I can only imagine what the woman standing to the right of me wearing a hijab feels like, whose entire religion has been told they're not welcome in America. To the child on my left whose parents may have immigrated to America illegally but who was born in America and may now fear being deported to a country he's never been to. To the African American man sitting across from me who is already living in times with high racial tensions and could face racial profiling because of the re-emergence of policies like stop-and-frisk. To the woman in the corner of the train who has been subjected by advances from her boss, but is afraid to pursue action because similar behavior from our President-Elect has been deemed "locker room talk" and she's afraid of losing her job. These are real and valid concerns I have, none of which were a product of media propaganda.

It's more than just the change of leadership. I don't need to align on every policy, issue or statement of a candidate. We are blessed to live in a country where no one person has the power to implement change simply on their behalf. What I do need is to feel a sense of respect for our leader and the trajectory that they will put forth for our country, and that's where I falter. This is more than just a shake-up in the system and the lack of experience, knowledge, and temperament that Trump has exhibited is concerning. But this is where we're at. Democracy has spoken and we must accept the outcome for the sake of the country and I truly hope my fears are wrong. 

I hope that he will be a president for all of the people and not just for the white working class. I hope he acknowledges that Global Warming is not some sham by the Chinese but a real concern that we need to do whatever we can to deter. I hope that he will focus on progressive immigration reform implementing steps to fix a broken system rather than building walls. I hope that he focuses on actual steps to fight terrorism instead of just saying he'll "bomb the shit out them". I hope that our markets will remain stable during this transition. As an entrepreneur, my business relies on economic stability and growth and I have worked too hard for those dreams to be washed away. In a day where I truly feel as though our country has lost a sense of hope, I hope I'm wrong. He proved many of us wrong by winning this election and I truly hope his administration can prove that all of my fears are simply that, fears because I can't fathom the contrary."