It has been almost two weeks since the election and it has taken me quite a while to come to terms with what is happening in our country. Over these past two weeks I have read countless articles on why Trump is the worst possible person for the job, and how scared people feel now that he is going to be running our country come January. I feel for all the people who are scared and I even feel scared myself. Just thinking that this man insulted countless groups of people who live in our country makes me cry. I know that a lot of people who disagree with me are going to say that I only cry because my candidate lost. That I am a sore loser and I should just accept what happened. I am here to say that these people are wrong. I cry because of the person who the country elected as our next President. I cry for all the people with disabilities that had to watch someone who openly made fun of them, win the presidency.
I do not know how someone could, in good conscious, make fun of someone because they have a disability. I have been lucky enough to have had the opportunity to work with many kids with disabilities through a club at my high school called AB Buddies. I spent countless hours with these kids, all of whom are disabled, but who are all the sweetest and most genuine people I have ever met. They may be different from us, but that does not mean that they are any less of a person. They deserve to know that the person who is running their country respects them. I cried because these amazing people, who deserve nothing short of the world, have to live the next four years knowing that the person who is controlling their country has openly made fun of them. No one should have to live with knowing that the most powerful man in our country does not look at them the same way he looks at other people in our country.
I cried for all the women who live in this country and who watched as a guy who completely disrespects us as human beings, became the president. He has made so many comments that made my skin crawl. He clearly does not have any boundaries when it comes to talking about women. His comments have made me feel small and they make me wonder what will happen once he is actually inaugurated. It scares me that he could try to take away my rights, just because I’m a woman. The thought of him taking control of my body, and my right to make my own decisions, make me want to curl up in a ball and not get out of bed.
Though I cried for both people with disabilities and women, I mostly cried because despite all of the progress we have made in the last few years, this election has convinced me that we are now taking a hundred steps back. I cried because I felt that our new president was stuck in the old way of doing things and not looking towards the future. I cried because I honestly did not know what the future of America had in store for it.
Though I am still sad that Trump is going to become our next president, I have slowly come to terms with it. There is nothing that can change the past, so we have to look forward and hope for the best. For anyone who is still feeling down about the outcome, I have some words that a wise woman (my mom) told me: “We have to think positive. We need to come together as a country.” I love you all and I know that together we will all get through these next four years.