No Rest for the Weary, Time to March On

So I had avoided getting political here leading up to the election (my personal facebook page was another thing entirely!), but can't help unloading here a bit now the the votes have been tallied and the dust has settled. I won't say that things are calm, but at least "the people have spoken?" (Sort of, don't get me started about popular vote vs. electoral college... grrrr.)

I'm pretty sure without even saying anything, you can fancy a guess at who I was voting for?! At first, I was definitely a Bernie girl, but when Bernie conceded, I didn't feel torn about putting my energies and support behind the nasty woman! It must be pretty obvious then that the results hurt.

[Here's where I'm going to let a little frustration out. A little disclaimer, I know that not all Trump voters are racist or misogynistic or homophobic... ] I'm not going to lie when I say that this feels like a step back. It feels like a giant f*ck you to anyone who is not a straight, white, rich male. While not all of his voters are any of the things I mentioned above, an all too vocal some of them are. And more importantly, he very clearly is, and so a vote for him was - intentionally or not - also a vote for all of the hateful things he said. And his appointments so far, have only driven those beliefs home.

Placed on their car in NC.

"Can't wait until your 'marriage' is overturned by a real president. Gay families = burn in hell. Trump 2016" pic.twitter.com/jyBjUSS2TI

— Shaun King (@ShaunKing) November 10, 2016

Maybe it was just me and my own hyped up emotions this time around, maybe it was getting older and being aware of it all, or maybe its that 4 years is just long enough to block it all from my mind, but this race seemed angrier, more explosive, more divisive then any that I had personally gone through. I'm sad and scared. I woke up the morning after the election feeling like I didn't know or understand my country anymore. This is not the country I thought I lived it, one that still had its issues with race and religion to work through, but was generally moving in the right direction.

I'm still struggling with finding hope in the situation, but from the ground up, we will continue to work for positive change, to fight for what is right. [I greatly appreciated Elizabeth Warren's thoughts on this.] I will continue to teach Gwen that LOVE is the way. I will continue to model inclusiveness, tolerance, and respect to her. I will teach her that she can do anything; that having a vagina doesn't change that. I will teach her that a person's value is not determined by their race, religion, sexual orientation, gender, country of origin, or the number of zeros at the end of their paycheck.

I will fight to make this country the country that Gwen deserves, and I hope you will too.

It is my wish that with all of the ugliness of the race behind us we can hit the ground running, start some very conscientious dialog, and really hear what each other are saying. We all have our own hopes and fears: for me I feel our country needs to be striding towards equality in all forms. I'm afraid we're going to lose strides in equality, that we're going to forget our open, inviting roots, and that we're going to take major steps back in our care of the environment. I know that a lot of Trump votes were ones for economic policies that people hope will help them support their families better. I also fear though, that a all too real amount of people were voting for Trump because of a fear of the loss of some "good ole days" that we as an evolved people don't actually want to return to. Growth and change can be hard and scary, and when you've had certain rights for a long time, then equality can feel like giving up something. When you've struggled in your own life it can sometimes feel like helping those that don't look like you means less for you. But helping someone doesn't have to mean less for you, and when we lift each other up, then we all benefit.

I think that's what it needs to come down to; we all stand up to those who are aiming to promote hate, no matter their political party alignment, and we all try to work to make this country one that allows the average family to find economic stability.

I'd love to hear your constructive comments. I'd love to hear your hopes and concerns and fears. I want to start this dialog.

In the meantime, I have found some comfort by doing what I can: reaching out to my Reps and Senators to oppose the appointment of Stephen Bannon; donations (one time or monthly) to Planned Parenthood, the Trevor Project, Free Syria Foundation, HIAS, ACC, and a renewal of my Sierra Club membership. I donated to Feeding America as well, because I hear those fears and they matter to me too. I'm also looking for local organizations I can support through volunteer hours, in addition to the volunteer doula program that I'm already a part of.

I encourage you to take action as well. Whether you voted for Trump or not, now is the time to band together and make sure we are acting out of love.