Over a week has passed since we learned the results of the 2016 election. Yet, even this much time has not been enough to ease the shock and devastation I have felt since 11:30 P.M. Tuesday November 8 when the results were becoming more and more clear and my candidate was going to lose. I have supported candidates in the past who lost the election, including Al Gore and John Kerry as well as Hillary Clinton in 2008. But none of those election losses ever struck me as deeply or as painfully as this one has.
I have always had a deep love for the United States and study my country’s history with a passion. I am a flag waver, say the Pledge of Allegiance, stand with my hand on my heart for the National Anthem person. I have never been a “my country right or wrong” or a “my country can do no wrong” person. I believe we must acknowledge the flaws and mistakes of our past so the we can move forward.
But this election has made me wonder if I really know this country I love at all. Mr. Trump seems to be the candidate that the Southern States would have wanted elected in 1860 instead of Abraham Lincoln. How could that happen in 2016? How could we still be so divided and how could we allow such divisiveness to win?
What happened to the declaration that all are created equal? What happened to “government of the people, by the people and for the people”? What happened to the Statue of Liberty who lifts her “lamp beside the golden door”? What happened to fighting for equality and equal rights under the law for everyone? Have all those who lost their lives throughout our country’s history defending the principles of democracy died in vain? Have we really failed to respond to President Lincoln’s call at Gettysburg to rededicate ourselves to ensuring that our government and country remains united so that those who gave their lives in the Civil War did not die in vain?
Two hundred forty years after we declared independence, two hundred twenty-eight years after the Constitution was ratified, one hundred sixty-eight years after the Women’s Rights movement began, one hundred fifty-one years after the Civil War ended, one hundred thirty years after the Statue of Liberty was dedicated, ninety-six years after women won the right to vote, sixty-two years after the Civil Rights movement began and one year after same-sex marriage became legal in every State, we must ask ourselves how far have we come? The answer based on the election results is not very far.
I can take comfort in knowing that Hillary Clinton won the popular vote. That in this divided country more people chose to vote against hate than for it. But that is little consolation when so many others chose to vote for third party candidates or not vote at all. The stakes could not have been higher and the differences could not have been clearer or starker. The future of our citizens, our country, our world, our planet were all on the line in a way they had never been. Yet people chose to allow Mr. Trump to win. People chose to allow hate to overcome unity and now we must all deal with the aftermath because we will all be affected by what happened Tuesday November 8 2016..
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