Normalizing this election will not make it normal – and especially not acceptable.
It’s unacceptable for people not only to believe that all minority and alienated groups, which were personally targeted by Donald Trump’s rhetoric and discriminatory hate that has since riled up the nation’s closeted prejudice, should brush off the fact that Trump won his campaign mainly on the basis of his “honest” attitude, but try to enforce them to be okay is crossing a line.
It is infuriating and heartbreaking to be a Latina, a woman and a human being in general, in the United States right now. My parents came to the U.S. for the opportunity to work hard and make it for their future children, and to have a president that generalizes an ethnicity as either “bad hombres” or “illegals” and has failed to represent its needs, is a slap in the face to every Latino who came to this country believing that they would not have to face the subliminal caste system in place in their third world countries.
Those who say “This is not my America” don’t mean it to lack patriotism or to represent denial of reality. It’s meant to express disappointment. Disappointment about their country choosing to elect a president that has made fun of a disabled man, threatened LGBTQ+ rights, women’s reproductive rights, attacked Muslim military parents and condoned white supremacy. People need time to mourn about this new sad reality so let them breathe.
Yes, Donald Trump will be our next president, but the moment he starts threatening the rights of minority groups, don’t act surprised and wonder why people are angry. Our next president is backed by the KKK and that is not okay, it’s terrifying.
Here’s another thought: Just imagine how much privilege some people must have for thinking minorities are being dramatic.
Some of us can’t afford not to be afraid, and not to stay awake.
We are all hoping for the best possible outcomes for these next four years with Trump as our president because the reality is, you can’t root for the captain of the ship to sink it for the sake of being right. Yet, that doesn’t mean all can be forgiven – let alone forgotten.
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