Trump Happened

​Alright… I know it’s been a bit since I posted. I hate to drop something heavy here right now, but I have to say this. I promise that, if you read through, I’ll make it all better at the end.
It’s 2:42 am on November 9th. Just an hour ago, the unthinkable happened.

The United States elected Donald J. Trump as president.

Now I’m unable to sleep. I’m assuming this feeling is felt by many across the globe. Just the thought of this man being in charge has sent shockwaves throughout the economic world. The Dow futures are down 300 points. The Peso’s value has plummeted 12% to an all-time low. Asian markets have had similar results.

An hour as president-elect and apparently that’s enough to threaten a global recession.

As I lie here trying to wrap my head around what has happened, there isn’t a feeling of disappointment. I don’t feel sad and I’m not angry. The only word that comes to mind is ashamed.

I am ashamed that we (And, yes, I say we because, for better or worse, every American is now in this potential dumpster fire together) have elected a man president who represents everything that we as humans beings should be against. Our human nature should lead us to hope and pray for the best for everyone else. Whether ensuring that these opportunities are afforded to everyone is a government’s job is up for debate, but the idea that we have placed a man into office that has never shown an ounce of empathy or sympathy in one second of this campaign is staggering.

I do understand how this happened. In the years I have been alive, I have seen the government become viewed by many, me included, as a broken system that does not have the best interest of any of it’s constiuents at heart. Trump found this fear.

That was just the baseline fear. On top of that, Trump piled on fears of Islamic terrorists, unfounded fears of job loss, fears of immigration and the evils this would bring and, most of all, a fear of change. He dumped this all into a terrible fear parfait and then shoved it into our mouths every chance he could get. He catered towards our fears so well, the terrorist groups around the globe should take note. 

What this created was a voter base made up two groups: the anti-establishment crowd who just wanted to get in there and destroy everything like they were the Sid Vicious of voting, and the crowd who was afraid. Tack onto this an unpopular candidate on the other ticket and this has allowed for a Republican house, Senate, and president, an ironic end when you realize the anti-establishment crowd just essentially handed one group of mostly established people unchecked power.

We are about to see any progress we have experienced in the last decade-plus reset back to zero. Millions will likely be without health care. Others will fear for everything they’ve put together in life including the very basic freedoms that have been laid out in the Constitution and upheld through 240 years, a Civil War, two World Wars, a great depression, and, for some reason, multiple iterations of the Gong Show.

For some, it will look like a good thing. For others, this spells out a terrifying and uncertain time. I could be raising my child in one of the most dangerous times in post-reconstruction America as, based on previous comments and promises on the campaign trail have indicated, millions of people could find themselves on an unimaginably uncertain teeter totter thanks to a man who has bullied himself into the highest office in the land.

With this said, the answer is not to dwell. Today, thousands of people are declaring that Donald Trump is “not my president.” He is, though. For better or worse, the leader of our country is a man who has said many of the most deplorable things any politician has ever publicly said. No one should focus their energy on rejecting the past. We need to turn our focus on the future and do what we can to change this world for the better.

I hope in four years, I’ll look back on this and laugh at how wrong I was. I hope we’ll all be better off and that Trump will be a president for all people like he’s promised and not just SOME people (white males).

I think there might be many more sleepless nights before I get to that point.

Look! It’s a kitty. I told you it would be worth it!