I stopped writing this blog over six months ago because I was out of the country, and then I got a job — a good job, with nice people and fulfilling work. A writing job, which meant my extracurricular writing fell to the wayside. And then, a funny thing happened. Donald Trump was re-elected to the White House, and suddenly there was this undefinable sadness. And unimpeachable rage.
To those who voted to put Trump, once again, in the highest office in the country (in the world) after his bumbling of the COVID-19 pandemic, toxic rhetoric, and generally embarrassing performance as President: what happens in the next four years, is on you. When gas prices continue to rise, when you have to pay more in taxes so billionaires can pay less, when the cost of living and groceries is unchanged, just know, it could have been avoided.
To those who didn’t vote or voted for Trump because of some misguided belief that he will be better for the Palestinian people than Vice President Harris: You are wrong. Trump has been vocal about his devotion to Israel, about his disdain for the Arab world, about his willingness to allow Netanyahu to continue his bombing campaign. He doesn’t just support it, he encourages it. You have done nothing for the Palestinian people but sign their death certificates.
To Men (who voted overwhelmingly in favor of Trump): Your hatred towards women is clear. Clearer than it has ever been. We see you for what you are. Hateful of what you believe is beneath you, salivating for control of our bodies and our future. We are not yours. Nor will we ever be. When your girlfriends dump you, when your sisters stop speaking to you, when your mothers look at you with disappointment, know that you hurt them. That you voted to strip them of their freedoms. That you have said loud and clear, “I do not care about you, at all, never have.” And we will not forget it.
To women (mostly white) who voted for Trump: Your lack of awareness is terrifying. To not understand that you are voting against your own interests is saddening and worrisome. Your sisters will continue to fight in your name, even as you let them down time and time again. This Republican party does not care about you, nor do Republican men see you as equal. Trump does not care about you. He never will.
To the Republican Party: to allow this man to run your party with an iron fist, turning a once lauded assemblage into a Christan extremist fascist proponent is not only disappointing, it’s un-American. You have drifted so far from the ideals this country was founded on, you are no longer recognizable. To allow him to operate with unchecked power is irresponsible. And to allow him to enact his selfish whims upon the American people is a disgrace. Your party has a history of upstanding stability and deep care for the American people. Of patriotism and respect. Where have the good days gone?
To Women: I feel your pain. We have been told, very definitively, that America does not care for our well-being, nor do they care that we be entitled to the same rights as every other citizen. But we are not weak, or less than, and the fight is not over. We are not defined by this, we are defined by those who came before us and those who come after. Women who fight for their place in this world.
To LGBTQIA+ People (specifically children and young adults): The anxiety and fear you are feeling now is understandable. Hateful rhetoric has been spewed your way, from candidates and politicians who seek to dismantle the great work for equality that has been done in the past few decades. Transgender healthcare is at stake, there are states where already children are losing the access to healthcare they need. No one has a right to legislate who you are or who you love. Our movement is one that has faced death, oppression, and hate, once. We will do it again. And to those young LGBTQIA+ people, terrified in their bedrooms, with no place to turn and no one to confide in, there are resources out there for you. You are not alone.
And, to Kamala Harris: Thank you for the platform of joy and hope you ran on. For reminding us what it is to feel proud of a nominee. A good president speaks with honor, truth — holds their words and power in high esteem, as you would have. We are sorry we could not do better.
And lastly, to the American people. Times ahead are challenging — this presidency will not be the gift you hope it might. My hope is we learn from our mistakes, we remember to love each other, we remember our country’s founding principles. And we strive to be better.
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