My daughter’s expression of her feelings from the election last night:
In Need of Repair
I don’t want words of hope.
There is no bright side to the results of the vote.
There is only hatred.
Only the gnawing of what we have done.
The realization that for the next four years,
and many more to come,
We will be struggling to fix the results.
The results of this election.
Trump’s America is not my America.
Trump’s America is not the poor man’s America.
Trump’s America is not the muslim’s America
Trump’s America is not the latino’s America
Trump’s America is not a woman’s America.
Trump’s America is the Rich man’s, the Racist’s, the Misogynist’s
The Bigot’s America,
and we just gave it to them.
Now we have to deal with the consequences.
After the initial shock,
the dull aching pain and depression,
we must acknowledge what we’ve done.
We don’t need to revolt, but we must fight.
Fight to have our voices heard,
to say we don’t subscribe to this tainted view of America.
To demand change.
To fix this mess we’ve brought upon ourselves.
I don’t want your apologies.
I don’t need your consoling.
I need to hear that you are with me.
In pulling humanity out of the rubble,
and rebuilding America's foundation on a new set of values,
so that we are not a nation known for our deep-seated racism and bigotry,
but a nation of love.
Of acceptance.
Of compassion.
I know it seems impossible in our current state.
In the wake of this colossal mistake.
How can we, the minority,
Make a difference in a world that seems so bleak?
We must not lose faith.
We must not give up on each other.
Now is when we need each other most.
We need to stand together,
and let our displeasure with the system be heard.
We must fight for our beliefs.
Our brothers and sisters.
Our very lives.
If it takes the lens of a disaster to get people to see what matters,
so be it.
Just don’t tell me I need to be happy about how the change will take place.
I’m not.
I’m devastated.
This is a trainwreck,
But I believe that there are those who want to help me piece this back together again.
Because that is the only hope I have left.
