Stop It

         Listen, being unhappy with the results of the election does not make you anti- or un- American. It doesn't make you lazy, it doesn't make you a sore loser, and it doesn't mean that many of us do not have fair grievances for what happened last night. Just like if you voted for Donald Trump it doesn't necessarily mean you are a racist, or a misogynist. It probably means that you just wanted change, despite not much change happening in the senate or the congress, but that is a conversation for another day. Just like I can recognize that not all Donald Trump supporters are as mentioned above, racist or misogynist, people need to understand that for many of us, Donald Trumps message of change did NOT resonate louder than his, well, "other" message. What I wanted from this election is.....

            I want to live in a nation where it is okay to be Muslim, or Jewish, just as much as it is okay to be Catholic or Episcopalian. The real and threatening language that has been directed towards those groups deserves to be addressed and not swept under the rug because people on Facebook want this to be "over." The very real fear that has been instilled in both groups is undeserved and for many preserving their daily life felt dependent on this election, and they are still living in uncertainty. People of different faiths deserve to live their lives in peace in this country.

            I want to live in a nation where journalist can cover events without fear of retribution. Where journalist, even if they lean right or left, are respected and allowed to be included in the conversations that shape this nation. I want the press room in the White House to always be full, I want newspapers to always have the scoop, I want the network anchors to always be able to tell the story without the threat of censorship. We deserve to have a strong and active press corp who upholds and reflects our right to free speech, always.

            I want to live in a nation where LGBT kids are not threatened with bogus conversion therapy. Because, for one it is not a real thing, and two, there is nothing wrong with them. I want my friends and family who are married to partners of the same sex be able to be by their side in times of need. To always be recognized as who they are, live every other married couple living their lives. I do not want them to fear that the sanctity of their unions can be wiped away. People in this country deserve the right to love who they love without question. They have a right be treated with equality and respect.

           I want to live in a nation where my life is not threatened by an non-viable pregnancy. I do not want women to be punished, physically, mentally, or emotionally for making a choice about her health and body. Even one woman who dies because of abortion bans is too many. When women are dying in places like Italy, Ireland, and Poland despite having amazing medical care, but the inability to have a life saving abortion performed, and American's continue to avoid that part of the discussion, I and many other women will live in fear. No one has a right to my body but me, when that is taken away what will we as women have left?

          I want to live in a nation that recognizes it was founded by immigrants and continues to be welcoming to immigrants. Our immigrant community, be it Somali, Syrian, Hmong, or any other nation, contribute to our vibrant country. They deserve our compassion and kindness, not our hatred or disgust of another. I do not want people fleeing from war, hunger, or political strife to have to carry that fear with them here. It does not seem right that children of immigrants fear being sent back. My heart broke last night when my seven year old nephew asked if he is going to have to live in Pakistan now. No one should ever have to feel like they are unwanted despite being citizens.

       I am willing to give the benefit of the doubt to the new President-elect that he can govern for everyone like he promised this morning. But, these are very real issues to very real Americans. Things have been said, innuendo has been made and in some cases action unfortunately has been taken. A little empathy could go a long way with "healing the divide" that everyone talks about. If we as a nation are unwilling to even acknowledge this, to discuss that what went down, too many people will be living the next four years in fear. You many of voted for him in an effort for change, but many did not vote for him out of fear that they will not be able to go about their daily lives. The travesty remains that people do not want to talk about this, or think we should sweep it under the rugs. Again, I am not going to remain silent about it. I do hope for change, I hope that these fears are unfounded, but I cannot and will not remain silent.

Word

   

So, when I was in high school and undergrad I loved those class discussions about World War II. They always fascinated me and the older and more studied I became there was always something about the events and circumstances that I just could not understand and it always stemmed from the same idea that has ruminated in my head since I first thought it in eight grade. So it was with that idea rattling around in my brain that I went about studying the subject. It was with great relief when I realized in my first graduate seminar on the topic, that it was an actual academic issue that colored many scholar's study of the Holocaust more specifically than just World War II. That issue being, who was at fault. The German government or the whole country, every person. What always fascinated me in earlier classes was how quickly other students would feign disgust at the idea that people could so idly sit by while their neighbors were being massacred. And I always refrained from giving my opinion on it, because there are many circumstances involved and the one thing you cannot ever do use hindsight as justification in determining your moral fiber. The honest truth is that no one knows what they would have done in 1933 Germany, 1937 Germany, 1944 Germany and so on and so forth. We can be disgusted about what happened, we can question why opposition was so low, (Gestapo was effective, people ratted out their neighbors, as American's we do not give enough credit to resistance fighters because it takes away from our own narrative as the hero, and so on and so forth) and we most certainly can be abhorred that people participated. But, there is one thing no one can say with certainty and that is, "Well, I would never have stood for/done/accepted/participated.....in said event." The only thing that you will ever know is what you are doing in the present and what you personally did in the past.


That being said, we are on the last day of our current presidential election cycle and for me, speaking out against someone I think is truly dangerous, not only to my family, but to our democracy, to our history, to our rights, and to our freedoms is pretty damn important. I keep seeing people on Facebook being upset that people are vocal about this election. That politics is just politics and people need to relax. And yes, that is usually true every four years and in all honesty the president actually has relatively little bearing on your every day world. However, and this is a giant HOWEVER, we have never had a presidential candidate so close to winning that continues insult women, demonize Muslims, harass immigrants, debase handicap people, threaten the future family of our LGBT citizens. At the very least this person will represent the American people to the world, and I for one am appalled that this rhetoric is accepted by one of the most influential political parties in the country. I am appalled that now, not one but two or the world's most popular religions are being insulted, since the Jewish community has been added to the list. We are a country with freedom of religion. I am appalled that the journalist of this country are being threatened, despite our freedom of the press which is our assurance that we will be informed, and that our government HAS to be transparent. I am personally angered for my Muslim family members, my immigrant friends, and anyone else who has been treated as a second class citizen by Mr. Trump. This is the time to speak out and it is my right. Sorry, but this is more important that showing pictures of my dog, food, husband, or whatever non-important thing I did last Saturday.


If you think it is OK because Mr. Trump is anti-establishment, think again. He has continually benefited from being a white, rich male. There is nothing anti-establishment about that, zero. He has never been on the outside looking in. He has benefited greatly from our political system, tax system, justice system, economic system, and popular culture form of entertainment. We do not get to throw human decency out the window because we feel like we are getting screwed by a government your friends and neighbors voted for 2, 4, or 6 years ago. But what I can tell you, what is an immediate threat for me, is this nugget of knowledge that effects me personally EVERY DAMN DAY. It is why I feel the need to speak out and it is why many others do as well.


             "The Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino, found at least 260 hate crimes targeting Muslims in 2015 ― nearly an 80 percent rise from 2014, and the greatest number of such crimes in any year since 2001.

              Researchers in that report also found an 87.5% increase in hate crimes against Muslims in the days directly following Trumps proposal to ban Muslims from entering the U.S."


*(http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/lawyers-blame-alt-right-for-clients-death-threats-against-muslims_us_581c9e9be4b0e80b02c93e24)


What bothers me immediately is that despite being 2016, we still live in a nation that still espouses a certain type of rape culture where men feel permitted to even comment on a woman's body. (ahem Harvard Soccer team) To the point where it is just peachy keen that we have a presidential candidate who does it on a regular basis and it is dismissed as nothing but a boys will be boys mentality. A mentality that makes it A-okay for rape victims to be blamed or dismissed because, "they drank too much," or "wore slutty cloths."


Because, here is the deal. WORDS HAVE POWER. Words have the power to vilify, words have the power to shame, and worst of all words have the power to act as agency in the expression of anger, real or manufactured. A shift in our culture is not a license to suspend the rights of minorities, religious or color of skin or sexual orientation. A shift in our demographic population does not give us a right to harden our hearts against our fellow citizens casting aside a group of people as second class citizens. The only person who made this election personal is the one on the ballot tomorrow. So yes, with so much at stake, I will speak out. I will post about it on Facebook. You should feel uncomfortable with him, we all should feel uncomfortable with this. Listen, we need a working Republican/Conservative Party. That is not the issue here. This is not about being a conservative or a liberal. I am disgusted for my die hard Republican friends who are suffering through the agony of this election cycle knowing they cannot vote for this man. At this point it is about human decency. What is the issue is the fact that right now a narcissistic demagogue is the face of that party. We cannot allow any more hate to permeate our great experiment. We cannot let this man become the suicide of our democracy. My family deserves better and so does yours. And I can live with myself in 2016 and the fact that I did speak out against Donald Trump's hatred. I know where I stand today in the face of someone threatening my family, friends, and fellow citizens.