Tag: lovetrumpshate

An Open Letter to President-elect Donald Trump

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In the days after the election there was a spike in hate crimes and other harassment of minority individuals. What no one seemed to be talking about was the lack of response from Donald Trump. He spent 18 months spreading fear and lies and endorsing hatred and violence, so it’s no surprise that his election validated the most hateful Americans out there. Yet, he said nothing to condemn them or get to them to stop. So, I wrote this letter to him. The goal was to get it published on Huffington Post or some other news outlet, so that maybe Trump or someone close to him would see it, but that didn’t go so well. So instead I’m posting it here. Maybe you guys can help me spread the word. Thanks for reading! ~Lianna

Dear Mr. Trump,

You said in your victory speech that it is time for Americans to unite together. You said that you want to be the President for all Americans. Has anyone ever told you that actions speak louder than words? Your comments since the election have been that it’s unfair that people are protesting… Yet, you’ve said nothing and done nothing about the increased hate crimes we’re seeing around the country.

Open a newspaper and see the chaos and hatred you have unleashed. All over the country, people are committing hate crimes in your name. People are painting swastikas on public spaces, abusing Muslims, threatening Hispanics, gays, and just about everyone else who isn’t a white straight Christian male. Honestly, the list goes on too long to explain all the horrific things that are occurring in your name. You normalized this kind of hatred. I do not hate the people committing these crimes. I think it’s terribly sad that they weren’t raised better than this. I think it’s sad that their parents and teachers and political leaders didn’t teach them how to respect their fellow humans. But, I do not hate them for this. I know they have been failed by the system. Rather, I directly blame you every time someone gets insulted, made fun of, hurt, abused, or terrorized. This is your fault. However, I have forgiveness in my heart. If you show me that you can make this right, I’ll forgive you. You probably don’t deserve forgiveness. After all, you have demonstrated dislike or disrespect to literally every group of American except the straight, white, Christian males;  but I’ll consider forgiveness if you show me that you can move forward from this in the right direction. If you show me that you can help heal the country, I’ll forgive you for saying that my only value is that of a sex object.

So, do you want to show me that you can be my president too? Do you want to show me that you truly believe in unifying America?

If you do, condemn this violence and hatred. You need to come out and make a very public and very loud statement that people can not terrorize their fellow humans, abuse their fellow humans, or commit hate crimes. You need to apologize for all the hateful crap you spewed during your campaign.

I’m sad to say that you opened a can of worms that you may not be able to close. You may not be able to quiet these people. You normalized their hateful actions and no matter what you do, they may not be silenced. But you can at least act remotely presidential by condemning them.

You think Syrian refugees and Muslims are the terrorists of the world? Well, I hate to break it to you but the definition of terrorism is “the use of violent acts to frighten the people in an area as a way of trying to achieve a political goal.” Your white, Christian, American supporters are the terrorists today.

I’m a white woman, so half of my identity will protect me. I will not be attacked because I am white. But I am still terrified of the other half of my identity. If a man gropes me without my permission, how do I even begin to tell him that what he’s doing is wrong, when the President-elect of The United States of America says it’s okay? How?

So, Mr. Trump, if you want to show that you can be the POTUS, you need to walk out of Trump Tower today and go make a statement. Go apologize for all the horrific things you said and did during the campaign season. Go tell the monsters perpetrating hate crimes to stop. Make a REAL attempt to unify this country, because your flimsy victory speech doesn’t count for jack if you don’t back it up by condemning these people and their actions and imploring them to stop. Maybe then I’ll take you seriously. Maybe if you attempt to stop this violence and hatred I’ll respect you as my future President. Right now, all I see is a bigoted white man who is too cowardly to protect the people he is supposed to serve come January 20th.

Sincerely,

An American who is terrified of your America

Ps. I’m scared that just in writing this letter I’ll be making myself a target. I’m trusting you to take the target off my back. I’m trusting you to actually act like the POTUS and to protect me.

Moving Forward

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Whenever I’m sad or scared or angry or excited or confused, I write. I don’t always recognize that that’s what I’m doing; sometimes my writing is in the form of a letter that I never send to someone I’ve hurt or who’s hurt me, sometimes it’s a quick note jotted down at the end of a long day, but often it’s just a composition in my head as I fall asleep. Now I have you beautiful people, who are kind enough to read the things I write and give me an outlet. So while many people far more eloquent than I have already given and will continue to give you their thoughts on this election, I find myself putting pen to paper (or in this case, fingers to keys). I hope that something I say will help you, but if it doesn’t, please know that just by reading this, you’re helping me. And for that I thank you.

America made a mistake on Tuesday night. It isn’t the first mistake we’ve made and it certainly won’t be the last, but knowing that doesn’t make it hurt less. On Tuesday night, I was too shocked to feel anything. I’d spent all day Tuesday feeling alternately slightly nervous and elated that we would soon be electing our first female president. I didn’t in any way prepare for the possibility that that might not happen. I know I’m not the only one.

Yesterday, the numbness wore off. I held back tears as I drove to work. I excused myself to the bathroom and stood in a stall and cried silent tears after reading highlights from Hillary Clinton’s concession speech. I talked to coworkers and family and friends. I felt better, I felt worse, I felt depressed, and I felt hopeful. I turned on the radio on my drive home, heard a couple songs with especially resonant lyrics, and sobbed in my car. As I write this, my eyes are burning with spent as well as unfallen tears.

I suspect that many of the people reading this – maybe even everyone – are Hillary Clinton voters, or at the very least Never Trumpers, so I’m speaking to you. I’ve heard a lot about how this is the end of America as we know it, how the results Tuesday night spell the end of democracy and civil discourse, how we’d all be better off leaving the country. These things are only true if we let them be. Tuesday night was not a loss, but a setback. It’s a sign that a new fight is beginning, and just as we’ve won fights in the past to end slavery, grant women the right to vote, and end segregation, so too shall we win this fight. This is not the end. It is the beginning of a new fight.

It’s easy to see Tuesday’s results as a victory for hate – racism, xenophobia, misogyny, homophobia, etc. have been everywhere in this election. I can’t tell you that people didn’t vote based on hatred, because many people did. But for many more, their votes for Trump on Tuesday night were about fear. Fear that their children will be worse off than they are. Fear that they’re being left behind. Fear of terrorism in general and ISIS in particular. Many Trump voters aren’t hateful, they’re just terrified.

Now the tables have turned and it’s us who are fearful. I won’t tell you that you shouldn’t be; hate crimes may raise as they did in the UK following Brexit, no one knows what the next four years will hold, and these are uncertain and scary times. Be vigilant and stay safe. But what I will tell you is this: Don’t let your fear make you small. Don’t let it control you. Don’t let it make you afraid to speak out against injustice. Don’t let it make you hold back because you think you can’t make a difference. Don’t let it cause you to pull the blinds and pretend the world outside isn’t there.

This election was awful. Take all the time you need to grieve. Scream, vent, punch a pillow, wallow, binge-watch your favorite tv show, and cry. Cry for all the dreams you thought you’d see come true that now have to wait a little longer. Cry for your minority friends and family who are as scared as they’ve ever been. Cry for all the people who made a rash decision based on fear. And then pick yourself up off the mat and live to fight another day.

I know there’s a lot of talk about 2020, but remember that midterm elections are a big part of how we got into this mess. 2018 will be an important year. Show up, knock doors, make calls, donate, talk to your family and friends and make sure they vote, work the polls, and if you’re in a position to do so, run for office yourself. We don’t have to put up with this for four years if we can take back the Senate, or even the House, in 2018. And in the meantime, do all that you can to make the world a better, kinder, more generous place. Tell your family and friends you love them. Explain to the Trump-supporters in your life why you’re upset and then try to forgive them. Donate to or volunteer with the organizations that will be fighting for the causes you care about.

This is not the end, people. This is a new beginning. And we have work to do.

– Carley