What Now?
It's been almost a week since the election.
If you went out and voted your conscience, not the lesser of two evils but your conscience, I cannot find fault with that. If you genuinely felt Hillary would make a terrible president and thoughtfully turned to Jill Stein or Gary Johnson, I respect that.
However, what is beyond my grasp to comprehend is how anyone could vote his or her conscience and cast that vote for Donald Trump. His own words vilified his integrity. I'm confused, and yet...
We have elected a tangerine-tinted buffoon.
There are two things about that last sentence for which I take full responsibility:
1) I have resorted to name-calling. This is the only derogatory phrase I will use against this president. And I'm sorry I just can't help it. Have you seen Bridget Jones's Diary? Julian, the guy Bridget's mum has a fling with? Tell me there is no resemblance.
My apologies, Mr. Barlow. The only comparison I intend between you and the U.S. President-elect is that of your character, Julian (the original tangerine-tinted buffoon), in Bridget Jones's Diary from 2001.
By the way, if at any point in the future I use words like racist or misogynist to describe President-elect Trump, know that these are descriptive labels that he has earned through his own words and deeds. That's not name calling. That's calling it as I see it.
2) I said, "We have elected..." We are all responsible for this. No matter where you cast your ballot or for whom, those of us who are not satisfied with this result are ultimately to blame. We didn't do enough. We didn't believe it could happen. So we didn't pay attention to the possibility he could win.
I have friends who were very active. And I listened and agreed. But I did nothing. No, not completely true. I voted my conscience.
It wasn't enough.
So what do we do now?
After what looked like the most uncomfortable meeting ever, and I'm sure the Oval Office has seen its share, President-elect Trump came away not ready to completely gut Obamacare. So maybe, just maybe, there is a ray of light.
But we can't let that be enough, just hoping.
I've never been motivated by politics. I'll be honest; to me it looks like a giant mush pot of ego. Partisanship makes me ill. Then again, so does the thought of anyone attacking the First Amendment or women's rights. Blatant racism, misogyny, and a general disregard for human rights cannot be seen as acceptable at any level, but certainly not from the highest office in the greatest country in the world.
And this is the greatest country in the world. There is no "Make America Great Again." We're already there. This election proves it. The tangerine-tinted buffoon proves it. Proves that we all have the right to vote and that, even when exercised, things still don't always go your way. And the protests against this election result prove it. We have the right to speak our mind and spread our message.
So what is the message you will spread? President-elect Trump campaigned on fear. Set aside the hate, hate is born of fear. President-elect Trump scared people into voting for him. Make room for understanding and to be understood and that fear can be overcome. I have to believe that. Maybe I'm naive.
“Despite everything, I believe that people are really good at heart.”
I have so much fear myself. I'm, oddly I suppose, not afraid of people. Not as such. My fear is much more abstract. It's something that clutches at me from places that have no reason. I too often silence my own voice. Not others: me.
I will, as I often do, turn to my SPN family. All roads lead to Supernatural. These are a wonderful, sensitive, goofy, intelligent, open hearted people who have a mind to make this world a better place. It can be seen over and over and over again.
Last Wednesday, the day after the election, Misha Collins posted the following video. He's near tears and brings me to tears each time I watch. His sincerity is palpable. His love for this country is genuine. His desire to make this world a better place is obvious.
In his footsteps I will humbly follow. I don't have his reach but I will do my best to "spread a message of love and kindness that is infectious."
This message can start small. Replace the general lack of civility we have for one another with a smile. Yeah, I believe that can work. I have actually flummoxed a number of people over the years with a simple smile. An honest smile that actually begins in your eyes, not a snarky smile that curls you lip, can stop someone in their tracks. Today is World Kindness Day. Give it a try.
“...I’m wishing Donald Trump luck and I’m going to give him a chance and we, the historically disenfranchised, demand that he give us one too.”