“This isn’t just any election” —Reaction #211

By Dawson McNamara-Bloom

  “To me, this isn’t just any election. This election was unusual in the sense that it wasn’t decided on which candidate would create more jobs, grow the economy, handle international incidents better, combat poverty at home, deal with entitlement programs, or even really which candidate had the best temperament to serve as president. Watching those results trickle in from the states I was overcome with a feeling of helplessness that I had never experienced before in my life. Previously, I thought my country had the mental capacity to understand the rising threat of climate change. We don’t. I thought my country would rise up and reject the overt discriminatory policies advocated for by him. We didn’t. I prayed that my country would elect a president who comprehends the complex foreign policy issues facing us today. Those prayers went unanswered.
  As someone who is proud to identify as a queerspawn (child of an LGBT couple), I am left in fear of what the President-Elect’s policies are going to do to my family. The Vice President-Elect has been one of the most vehement opponents of the Gay rights movement and the fact that he is a heartbeat away from the presidency is quite frightening to me, to say the least. His backward support for Indiana’s religious “freedom” laws and fervent support for conversion therapy coupled with his newfound ranking in the White House has made him the single greatest threat to the LGBTQ community.     
  Sadly, the LGBTQ community is nowhere close to being the only community marginalized by the President-Elect. Immigrants, Muslims, Hispanics, and Women have all been the target of his offensive rhetoric. Hate groups such as the Klu Klux Klan recognize him as the candidate who is going to bring America back to being a “White Christian Republic”. And that is why I am so fearful because contrary to the election results America already is great. We are great because of who we are, together. I want to live in an America with people of every race, religion, and ethnicity. One where everyone is recognized as an equal. I can empathize with those who feel harmed by the incoming administration.

  Last night in an attempt to feel better I went to a protest. At its peak, there were over 5000 people there. They showed me that despite my state going red there is a vast amount of people ready to take to the streets, peacefully, to denounce this bigotry. And that gave me some hope for the next 4 years. It showed that yes he may be the President-Elect, the incoming leader of the free world, but he does not represent us. The people who don’t condone his bigoted attacks. The people who have sympathy towards the refugees needing a country. So yes, he will be the President, but these four years are going to be marked by grassroots efforts to prevent this man from carrying out his disastrous plans.”

Published on November 13th, 2016 on The Huffington Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/58292bc9e4b02b1f5257a59d?timestamp=1479093230618
​