To people who voted Trump
To people who voted Trump:
Yesterday, I posted shaming everyone who for voted for Trump. My general takeaway stands, and I'll get to that, but I was being an asshole about it and I'm sorry for being an asshole. I was sad and disgusted and angry that so many people chose such a vile man with vile policies that will literally kill people, and you're complicit in those deaths.
But to be fair, we're all complicit in America's murders - the bombs we drop overseas, the genocide in gaza, the governments we've overthrown, the anti-vaccine propaganda campaign our Pentagon conducted during COVID, the patents on COVID vaccines, the sanctions on poor nations, the subjugation of the global south for American consumerism. We should all be this angry all the time every day. We should not be living our "normal" lives and accepting the atrocities of our government and our corporations. And yet I'm posting to Facebook instead of organizing for radical change so I too am complicit. It all feels too big and I feel too powerless, plus I'm disabled. And I know everybody else has their own shit too - work, kids to raise, their own health struggles.
Back to Trump.
If you didn't do your homework and you're not aware of how bad he and his plans are, that's incredibly disappointing and you need to do better as an American, as a patriot who believes in freedom, democracy, truth, and progress.
If you did your homework, and you're aware of his policy positions and his rhetoric, then well that is shameful and you should reflect on your values and consider the ways in which you've betrayed your fellow Americans, family members, neighbors, community members - anyone who believes in truth, anyone who believes in protecting people from powerful corporations, anyone who is queer, anyone who is poor or disabled, anyone who is a woman, anyone who's black or brown. Though he's not good for poor white men either. Also I know its not just white people or men who voted for Trump.
Unfortunately, the effect of not doing your homework is the same as voting with hate in your heart. Trump is our President-to-be. My feelings on this are the same whether you're in a blue state or not. Your vote is personal and it effects your neighbors and friends and family, and we owe better to each other than to vote for this man.
To those of you who didn't do your homework, I'm disappointed and I forgive you, but please do better. To those of you with hate in your heart, please listen to people who are angry and hurt and upset. Please learn and grow.
To those of you cutting off friends, family, being angry and hateful... I don't know if that'll change things for the country or the world, but I get it & understand how hard it can be to look someone in the eye knowing they've betrayed you.
For me, I'm going to move forward with forgiveness, with compassion, with love and understanding. But I also hope that I'll be more courageous to stand up for my values, speak frankly, and communicate honestly.
Everyone who voted for Trump should held accountable for that terrible decision. But that accountability does not have to be shame or hate. For me, it will be communicating honestly that I'm devastated by this result.