Let me start this off with a disclaimer: I do not enjoy talking about politics. I avoid engaging with it as much as I can, although my past articles have suggested otherwise. I never want to say the “wrong thing.” I never want to misunderstand issues that are complex in nature and even more difficult to put into action. I avoid reading my Facebook friends’ political rants and the long, long comments sections that follow them not because I don’t care, but because I know it’s a messy battleground where no one comes out unscathed, and no one ever gets everything that they truly desire. Even when a candidate looks promising, the reality of working with the opposition within the government and amongst the people is truly challenging. I prefer to take the stance Stephen Colbert talked about in his post-election special, one that was more prevalent many moons ago: discussing “stay-safe subjects” full time, and engaging with politics when election time came around.
I care about the future of our country, and those nations I’ve been proud to temporarily live in, like the United Kingdom and the United States. However, it is so hard to engage when this year, according to Colbert, we’ve “overdosed” on “poisonous” politics to feel “a gentle high to the condemnation.”
Last night, for the first time, I watched CNN engulfed in that terrible wave of anxiety and sickness that usually emerges in daunting social situations. I felt as though I was watching the apocalypse begin. Moreover, I felt so sad that that’s how I was interpreting it. I felt pain for my American friends who did vote and advocated so fervently in favor of breaking the glass ceiling, igniting a political revolution, and overcoming the rhetoric of fear and hatred that the whole world has had to endure for over a year. I felt very scared then, I am still quite scared today, and I’m Canadian. I should be breathing a sigh of relief, right? I should be happy that all my American friends want to come live here now after years of questioning and even mocking Canadian stereotypes. No, even from another country, I cannot be happy about the results of the American election, nor can I (or anyone else) be silent about it anymore.
My disappointment stems in part from the fact that I wasn’t able to have a say in this powerful election, where every single vote played a huge role in determining the results. Many of us felt upset that we in Canada had no possible control over the outcome. I’m upset knowing that a bigoted bully, of all the potential rotten politicians out there, was the one people decided to put in power. I hate seeing how this bully continually hurts people because I know how awful it feels, especially when the person in question is an egomaniac who cannot see past himself. Bullying has long-term consequences on anyone affected by it, and I am especially worried about how that will manifest when groups of people are the targets, and the victimization occurrs on a larger-than-life scale.
I’m angry because I spent so much time talking about this election with loved ones who identify as part of some of the very minority groups mocked by the president-elect: some were American and some Canadian, but both equally rattled by what they heard. I’m angry because, regardless of our status as Canadian citizens, my family has been affected. I cannot begin to describe the state of rage my brother, a young man with a visual impairment, felt when a disabled reporter was mocked on such a public platform and when this disgusting act was applauded by supporters.
I woke up today from an unpleasant sleep to a sky of grey outside my window. The world is still trying to process our new reality. However, with every hour that passes, a little crack of light breaks through. I’m starting to see messages of hope, and suggestions of coming together to maintain the causes we believe in on social media. I sense that a major revolution in American politics is underway, and while that is a lot to fathom, and a reason to fear, maybe some good will come out of it.
There are more than a million reasons why these results feel terrible in so many parts of the world for so many individuals. We’re all in a period flooded by uncertainty and negativity right now. While the future is up in the air right now, we now know that it’s not heading in the ideal direction. We can keep talking about the extreme divisiveness between in the bi-partisan system, within the house, within the senate, and between minorities and majorities. There will probably be many more unfavorable reactions in the days and months to come. Yet, we must all keep moving forward. It’s hard for me to even tell anyone reading this from Canada, the United States and beyond, that there’s a lot to still be hopeful for at this point in time, even though every inch of me wants to be able to guarantee you that everything is going to be okay.
What I can tell you for sure is that the sun has started to appear amidst the grey outside my window. What could that mean?
Sources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9m2valF3s84
Image Sources:
http://theverb.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/dnews-files-2015-11-miracle-plant-670-jpg.jpg