A friend, Julie, posted on Facebook that she could not accept the message to get along with the people who supported the winner of the 2016 Presidential election. Her reasoning is that to do so is to embrace those people who in “Supporting him means they think it’s ok to mock the disabled, molest women, hate minorities, bully, cheat, lie, and tear down others, among many repulsive characteristics he has so loudly and proudly shown us.” I shared her post and wrote that I stand with her.
It’s not an easy time. The election not only demonstrated how divided we are as a country, but forced us to look at family and friends in a different light and ask ourselves hard questions. Who are these people that we have known for years and thought we knew? What matters most to us: our beliefs or our family and friends? The answer is not so simple. For if we choose family and friends, then what about our beliefs?
How can we reach out to those people who voted for someone who stands for everything we oppose? How do we not believe that if not outwardly in words and deeds then somewhere deep inside, they stand for the same things as their candidate? “Oh the election is over now,” we are told. “Time to accept and move on and let it go,” we hear. But sometimes that is just not possible.
What about all the women who have been sexually assaulted who now see being violated in such a personal way as being made acceptable because that did not disqualify a presidential candidate? What about people with disabilities who witnessed the mocking of a disabled reporter and that was not enough to disqualify a presidential candidate? What about every person who has been bullied or lost a loved one because he or she could no longer deal with being tormented and believed suicide was the only way to end the bullying and witnessed a presidential candidate use a social media tool to bully those who opposed his views and that was not enough to disqualify the candidate? What about minorities who have been targeted and made to seem like they were the enemy while the crowd cheered and that was not enough to disqualify a presidential candidate? How do they just disregard everything that was said and everything that happened when every horrible and horrific memory has been triggered and replayed?
How do we move on if we care about those people as much as we say we do? How do we if we believe in the equality and justice we profess to believe? How do we if we believe that as far as we have come as a country, we know we still have far to go? We find ways without compromising our beliefs, without betraying our ideals, without betraying those we say we care about and without those who supported what we oppose.
Moderately liberal, liberally moderate, American flag waving Democrat! Bachelor of Arts in History with concentration in Early American History and Abraham Lincoln
Graduate student pursuing a Master of Arts Degree online in American History at Southern New Hampshire University