My speech from Nov 21 — First meeting of the Liberal Women for (Hillary) Clinton & Cocktails meeting. Midlothian, VA
I’m Kim Drew Wright. I’ve lived in Midlothian for about 10 years now with my husband and 3 children. I started this group because, like all of you, I was disgusted by the election results. I was shocked that my country could vote such a vile man into the presidency. I woke up on Election Day excited, with confidence, to see the first woman president after 228 years of men in that coveted position. I mean, how could she not win, right? An educated, experienced, well-spoken woman with the slogan stronger together, running against a man who spewed hatred and disrespect – with everything that came out of his mouth literally an SNL skit – a joke. I mean, he offended everybody.
But despite all that, he won the election. And since that night I’ve been cycling through shock, anger, and grief. In the first 48 hours after the results came in, I had friends frantically messaging me. Some from offices saying they wanted to punch the smug faces of their Republican coworkers, a friend who works in an elementary school had to call in sick she was so distraught, my sister – a middle school counselor – had black students asking her if they were going to get sent back to Africa, another friend’s husband voted for Trump and she was crying in a closet because their kids are scared they’re going to get divorced.
We are hurting. This is tearing our families and friends apart. I can’t go home for Thanksgiving because my parents voted for that man. The same people who told me my entire childhood that integrity was the most important trait a person could have. People with three daughters and biracial grandchildren voted for that man. I do not understand.
At first it felt like 9/11 all over again – a complete shock. I was in disbelief that this could actually happen. I didn’t feel safe in my own community and felt surrounded by people I could not trust. Then, it felt like someone I loved had died – and people were mocking me for it.
So, I started this group thinking I’d have a handful of liberal friends, where we could sit and talk over drinks and not feel attacked. But guess what? I found out lots of people feel just like I do – like you do. I saw it as the requests to join this group came flooding in. I hear it in our stories on Pantsuit Nation and see it in your faces tonight. I feel it in the consolatory hugs I’ve been given and the friends who will flat-out tell someone harassing me on social media to leave me the fuck alone.
I hate that man with the white-hot passion of a billion suns – but hate will only get us so far. It galvanized us and got us in this room tonight and that is a good start, because the only good thing that I’ve seen come out of this election is that it’s making us realize that, yes, we actually are stronger together – It’s not just a campaign slogan. It’s helping me to see clearer the concerns of others in our community and I’ve learned a couple of new words – like ableism, which means the discrimination of handicapped people, because Trump mocked a handicapped reporter. Who does that? I mean have we all been transported back to 1980 as fifth graders? Who does that? The next president of the United States – he does.
On the sign-in sheet I asked you to list your biggest concern for a Trump presidency. It may be because you or someone you love is gay, or transgender, an immigrant, black, handicapped, Muslim, Hispanic, an environmentalist, overweight, a woman, or any other historically disenfranchised group in America. But here is the deal –
EACH of our causes is ALL of our causes. We need to stand united because we really are stronger together, and because NONE of our causes is that man’s cause. None. This is a safe place to feel heard and supported. Please connect with others in the group and know that you are not alone. None of us are alone.
