What Have You Done?

I had originally titled this post What Have We Done? but realized that I wanted to take no blame for the election of Donald Trump.  As you know I voted for Hillary Clinton.  Not because she’s a woman - that would have been the icing on the cake.  I voted for her because she is brilliant, she is a diplomat, she is a leader and an incredible role model for my children.  I voted for her because she wants to bring people together, not cut us off from the world and each other.  I voted for her because I believe she would have made all of our lives better.  I voted for her because she isn’t Donald Trump.

If you voted for Donald Trump then I want you to read the rest of this post carefully.  I am speaking directly to you.

If the fact that Trump says he “loves the uneducated” and polls have shown that Americans with college degrees overwhelmingly voted for Hillary doesn’t make you think that maybe those who spent blood, sweat, and tears to better themselves are onto something, then you should probably go back to school.

If you voted for him because you don’t want gay people to marry or women to have abortions or a whole host of other issues that will probably never affect you directly then you should think about why you want to control strangers’ lives and bodies and mind your own business.

If you think you can’t find a job because undocumented immigrants are taking them all, then you should probably admit that you were never going to work in a field picking strawberries for five dollars a day anyway.

If you're angry that these same undocumented people are using our services without paying for them, then you should know that most of them pay more in taxes than Donald Trump.  And he still expects firemen to keep his properties from burning down and police to keep him safe.

If you lost your job at the factory then you need to realize that you just elected a businessman who has all of his goods manufactured overseas in countries with no labor laws where workers are exploited all so he can make more money.

If your response to ‘black lives matter’ is ‘all lives matter’ then you don’t get that there isn't a silent "more" at the end of that statement.  There's a silent "too".  Black lives matter TOO and have been undervalued for too long.  Please read up on white privilege.  I don’t have time to explain it to you here.  But if you’re white then you have it, regardless of how poor you are.  We aren’t all beginning the race at the same start line.

If you have called Hillary a criminal or crooked, or shouted, “Lock her up!” then please show me evidence of a single crime she’s been found guilty of because no one has been more scrutinized or closely investigated than she.  And yet no crimes have ever been found.

If you think climate change isn’t real then please show me your advanced degree in science.  Or explain to me why your ego allows you to think that you know more about the planet than millions of scientists.

If you think we should keep an entire religion out of our country then you need to read up on American history, world history.  And pray that your religion isn’t next.

If you voted for Trump because of your “Christian values” then you need to listen to the tape where he brags about sexually assaulting women.  Listen to it over and over again.  And then you need to admit that you aren’t a very good Christian.

If you are willing to throw millions of Americans under the bus because a woman hurt your feelings, then you really are deplorable.

Yes, I’m angry.  The schoolyard bully won.  Love didn’t trump hate.  They say he won because the country is angry and wants change but they’re angry at the wrong people.  Your life isn’t hard because of Democrats or immigrants or gay people or black people or Muslims or intellectuals.  You need to look in the mirror.  You need to spend some time at the library reading history books and science books and frankly any goddamn book at all.  Stop being spoon-fed your information from the TV while sitting on your Lazy Boy.  Reality TV isn't real.  Pundits aren't journalists.  Opinion isn't fact.  The con-man isn't going to fix your problems.

I am purposefully raising my kids in an urban environment so that they are constantly being exposed to people who look different, speak differently, pray differently.  I am teaching them that the “other” isn’t someone to fear or demonize but to learn from.  I am going to continue to teach my daughter that women can do anything and that they can and should control their own bodies.  I am going to continue to teach my son that women are to be respected and valued, not prized and rated.  I will raise two open-minded, respectful, curious, hard working, intelligent human beings.

I will do these things because Hillary was right.  We are stronger together.