*Disclaimer: The following is not intended to sway anyone’s opinions or beliefs. It is however, intended to sway your feelings. If you take offense to any of the following, I don’t give a fuck. Grow up.
I pride myself on political apathy. I have never acted upon my right to vote, but I also do not complain about the results. Apathetic, sure, but hypocrite, no. This time around is no different. I will not complain about the results but rather the reaction of all these people who believed in the system. It seems the whole country, maybe even other countries are so shocked by these results. I am not though. I would like to think I see this “great” country in a different light than others. I knew from the beginning of this circus that the only person who might be able to beat Trump would have been a Kardashian.
I, like many others, was hoping that once the election was over, we would finally see an end of the ridiculous behavior from both sides. It would appear my hopes have been crushed. It is quite possible that things are worse now, and it’s not Trump’s fault. Surprise!
I am saying all of this as a member of a minority whose rights may now be at risk, but then again, nothing in this life should be taken for granted. I know it has been pointed out by some already, but we do need to realize that in other parts of this world, there are many people who have it far worse than we do. Americans do have this sense of entitlement which has gone on for far too long.
That being said, Trump hasn’t even taken office, but his foes have already taken the offense. Do I think that he is going to “make America great again?” No. But maybe we should give the guy a chance since he will be leading this nation for at least four years. Unless he decides to grab the wrong pussy and gets impeached.
If there is one thing we have learned from his campaign, it’s that there is a lot of hate in this country. So, what has been the major reaction to his election? More hate. This is definitely not the answer by any means. We don’t have to like him, but we also shouldn’t hate him. We shouldn’t fear him either. There has been a lot of work in past years to put everyone on an even playing field. So much work, that it will take time to dismantle it if that is the path the new administration plans to take. And they will win, if we fight fear and hatred with fear and hatred.
People are spending so much time worrying about what could be and forgetting to live in the moment. I could end up being gunned down by a homophobe three weeks from now or a stack of books could collapse upon me tomorrow trapping me until I take my last breath. I don’t care, because I live in the now and enjoy the things that matter. My family, my friends, my cat, my bird, The Walking Dead. Happiness is not determined by who sits in the oval office. Could that person make it harder to be happy? Sure. But I know for a fact that no matter what is taken from me, love is one thing that cannot be taken. Choose to love, not to hate.
Autumn Siders 