US Election – Thoughts & Opinions
I am Canadian, so the United States’ election may not affect me directly, but it definitely affects me indirectly.
Donald Trump is not my president. Nor will he ever be. He does not represent me, my thoughts, my actions. He does not represent you, your thoughts, or your actions either. Whether you are a woman, male, white, black, muslim, straight, gay, or any other category you may fall under, I am sorry. I’m sorry that you will have to endure four years while constantly hearing about a man who belittles complete races and sexes. A man who openly discriminates as though it’s completely normal and just a natural thing.
As a woman, I am terrified for the repressions other women will face. I am saddened by the fact that your new president sees you as an object in which he can take rights away from. I am upset for all of the minorities who no longer feel safe going out into the public, in fear that they will be the receivers of hate, or that they are not wanted in the country they live in. It disgusts me how discriminative your new president can be.
But now, you have two options. You can either be sad and upset about the results and continue to be angry about it, or you can fill yourself with love and try and be the glimmer of hope. Take the fire that is burning in you and turn it into something good. Rioting and destruction may seem like an OK idea right now, but perhaps we should take that fuel elsewhere. Take your passion and invest it into the people around you – Research and educate yourself on the issues other than your new president, and try and fix those.
One person can’t call all of the shots. Donald Trump will not be making decisions alone. Make your voice heard and come together to help with all of the issues being forgotten in this dump we call news. Be aware of the troubles that may arise with your new president, but fight back in a way that is unlike Donald Trump. Use your words carefully, and compassionately. I know it’s incredibly hard to see any sort of positivity in this entire thing, but this just means it’s your/our time to shine. Don’t be destructive – Be heard. Voice your opinions and let the world know you’re angry, but try and do something positive about it.
Below are messages that I have received when I asked for people’s opinions.
Some people are being kept anonymous, but I would like to state that these are real people and real opinions. Please, do not leave hate, or try to confront anyone who has posted below. We are here to spread love and our voices.
I will not change anyone’s messages, but I may have fixed some spelling mistakes. I am also posting them in chronological order from when I received them.
Thank you to anyone who chose to contribute to this post and provide me with their opinions!
“These whole results are being blown way out of proportion and are treated like it’s the end of the world. This pray for America and sharing suicide hot lines, people saying they will kill themselves if it’s not fixed. It’s not the end of the world. I prefer Trump over Hillary in my opinion. Trump has been the media punching bag (since the Clinton foundation paid the media off). And at best Trump won’t he able to do anything if no one agrees with him. At best he will twiddle his thumbs till his term is over.”
“I just think this whole election was a disgrace, from the candidates, campaigns, how people were acting during the election, to how they are reacting after the election. It’s embarrassing, I can only imagine what others think of us. It truly is an embarrassment to see all these people protesting the way they are, burning our flag. What is wrong with these people. If they wanted a divide, they sure got one. I’m over it. I would have voted for Bernie had he made it that far!
My one and only hope is that he actually works with and for the people of this country, or else we are screwed. Actions speak louder than words. I wish I could see the future.”
“Honestly, I think what fears me the most, is despite how racist, sexist and ridiculous Trump is, a plethora of people voted for this man to become the PRESIDENT. That’s a lot of responsibility and far too much power for a five year old.”
“First off, I think this election was a big shock to everyone. However, it sent a message to politicians that people are fed up with the way things are run and needed a change. That being said, I am truly worried for the entire world. To vote in a person that has that much hate towards so many people is atrocious. I fear for women, immigrants, African Americans, disabled people, and veterans. He is a disgusting human being who literally wants to bring us back to the dark ages. It makes me sick to my stomach that people actually heard how he talked about people and said “well that’s okay”. NO IT’S NOT!!!! I really hope American women enjoyed voting in this election because he will probably take away their right to vote in the next one. God help us!”
“I stayed up until four the night of the election closely watching the results as they were posted up on the map. State by state, I became a little more disappointed in our American neighbours. I had really hoped that the movement against Trump, a movement for progress, openness, and inclusivity would have taken hold across the US – but that didn’t seem to happen. Rather, I think this election spoke to a frustration that we’re seeing around the world – that the changing systems are leaving people behind, and that people share frustrations because of this. I suppose you could say that I wasn’t surprised by the results, and I’m not as worried as others are about a Trump presidency.
On one hand, we now have a very out-spoken President Elect that has taken grossly unpopular positions, ands some that are outright inappropriate for a President. This means that the US population has to continue fighting for what it believes is right – all the time, not just during the election season. Read more. Embrace protest. Don’t let four years of Trump redefine what it means to be an American. What it means to truly be free, to celebrate yourself, and to be one with your community.
For those threatening to move to Canada, or other places around the world. Don’t. Your country needs you. The United States needs champions. We need classic American leaders to rise again, and embrace what it means to be an American in today’s world. Stay. Teach. Inspire others.
On the other hand, we’re seeing a change in the world that may have been a longtime coming. Over the last century, we’ve become a globalized society using American-inspired international structures. We may be coming to a period where American leadership is replaced by a more fluid relationship of power between many states around the world. Trump’s exclusionist, yet globalist policy might be the perfect equation for a loss of American power on the global scale, and a rebalancing of global power between the US, states like Canada and the UK, and emerging leaders like the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa).
Remember that our place in the story is now. There have been other chapters before us, and the story does continue on the next page. Learning to fighting for the world we want cannot be a history lesson, because we haven’t yet won.”
“The election was a clear example that their voting process is broken. Hillary had more votes than Trump and by our rules would have won. I am legit terrified for my friends in the states. Many of who are part of the LGBT+ community. 8 transgender teens have already committed suicide and others have been openly discriminated. A woman wearing a hijab was almost pushed on to a subway track just for her religion. This wasn’t just a vote for Clinton or Trump. This was a vote for Equality and Rights for all Americans, no matter the colour of your skin, the gods you preach to or the person you love. And Bigotry, Sexism, Hatred and Racism. The people chose Hillary but a broken system chose Trump….”
“WE WANT A WOMAN PRESIDENT…JUST NOT THAT ONE
When looking at the results of the election and seeing that the biggest reason Hillary did not win was a lack of democratic voter turn out it sparks the question, did the DNC make a fatal mistake in choosing their candidates? Bernie and Hillary were very close when it came to choosing who would be representing the democratic party in the presidential election, and some have said that if Bernie was the representative that he would have beat Trump. But I can also see the appeal Hillary had to the DNC and the voters, the first woman president makes sense after the first black president kept power for 8 years, American democrats seemed to love to break down those barriers.
But the problem was in their choice of person, when it comes down to it, the citizens of the United States who are voting aren’t all gonna have a very deep understanding of economics and politics, they are most likely voting on who they like and what statements of change that candidate markets as the main points of their campaign, and unfortunately the democrats were up against a man of immense charisma who understood how to market himself.
I see people ask “how could this happen? he is such an asshole!” Well just remember who the popular kids were in your high school and it should make some sense. Anyways, Hillary probably would have won if she was up against Jeb Bush or one of the other equally unappealing personalities running, but instead she was up against a reality TV star, while she has the appeal of a privileged white soccer mom who asks to see the manager.
Don’t get me wrong I would love to see a woman president in the United States, breaking that glass ceiling is an important step in equality, but Hillary was not a good choice. She had so much political baggage with her going into the campaign, and who can forget the fact her husband cheated on her in office, which definitely made her point of “if you don’t vote for me you are not a feminist” pretty watered down. I believe if we want to see a woman president the candidate needs to be able to inspire and have that charisma and strength, and if you believe their is no such woman who exists on this planet, I would tell you to watch the video of “Delegate Holmes Norton: DC Voting Rights Act” which John Oliver had featured on his episode “Washington DC Statehood”. This is what we need to see in a president because when it comes down to it the American election are becoming nothing more than a popularity contest.
Delegate Holmes Norton: DC Voting Rights Act: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VV3k8nERUOQ
Last Week Tonight: Washington DC Statehood: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Z4j2CrJRn4
Lack of turn out for the democrats: http://imgur.com/TOGIbcP”
“I honestly was in a sickening state of shock when I saw the results of the election. I’m the type of person who feels other’s emotions super personally, so seeing everyone, including people super close to me, stricken with grief and fear made me unbearably upset. And while I’m a woman, I’m also white and can’t even imagine the fraction of the pain my PoC friends are feeling at this very moment.
People need to stop telling racial minorities they are overreacting. Stop telling women, the LGBTQA+ community, and everyone else they are overreacting. You are in a position of privilege and/or ignorance if you cannot see why everyone is hurting so much. There have ALREADY been hate crimes and harassment reported by campus police in several areas.
This isn’t about “Aw I wanted a women president!” The fact that a man who is so outright misogynistic, racist, and more, has been elected to such a high office gives the people who follow him a belief that they can do what they want and publicly spew their hate in many ways. I have close trans friends and Muslim friends who are fearful, not necessarily because of Trump himself, but because of his rabid supporters and what they could do to them, now that the supporters feel so triumphant.
America has never properly addressed its problem with race and shoved it under a rug. We’ve given power to people who don’t believe in secular government for far to long. It’s caused this huge divide in this country that is only going to get worse. When there was a protest the same election night at my university, it was filled with anger, but it was also filled with unity and strength. We need to bond together and fight like hell for our rights, and shut down this mess of a system.”
“Yesterday, I was shell shocked. I couldn’t move. Today, I have rallied. My sister reminded me I predicted this. I did? Anyways, I was afraid to say that it must be a schtick, all that bizarre rhetoric about walls, bad hombres, climate change is a hoax, same sex marriage, LGBT Community, Abortion etc.etc. Things had to change in America . . but like this? in the form of a Huckster-King? I cannot abide by his locker room talk about Women. It is not OK on ANY level. If he is indeed the entrepreneurial Genius, he will innovate and change up American manufacturing. The job is daunting and it can be seen in his eyes now. Bon Chance der Donald- the World will be watching.”
“The somewhat positive thing about Donald Trump being president is that he’s a businessman. His whole life since he was a teenage is about making money. His life revolves around finding deals, negotiating, buying and making profit. I think everyone can agree he’s smart in that sense, if you don’t agree, take a look at his credentials. Billion dollar profits from hotels, resorts, casinos and golf courses; all around the world, the long term career in the television industry and various investments with stocks, shareholders and other real estate businesses and companies. His success with the real estate industry is so successful that people from around the world are buying rights to use his name to brand hotels around the world, paying him a royalty and a share from the profits. When you take a look at his real estate and other business ventures, people recognize the amount of wealth he has. Ever walked into a Trump Hotel? Trump Tower? You can see why he’s worth 3.7 billion and one of America’s most recognized billionaires in the world. Since he’s a businessman, he knows when to buy, how much he should make, and when to sell. He’s going to use those skills to his advantage when it comes to trade and other inquiries that involve negotiating. Why is that a good thing? He knows when to say “No” and you bet he’ll say more than just “No”. If whatever deal doesn’t benefit the country or himself, he won’t take the deal. Donald Trump Loves Money. He probably wipes his ass with a stack of 100’s, why? Because he can. All Donald Trump wants is money. That’s all he’s going to focus on when it comes to generating income for the United States, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing if it means trying to bring the United States out of its $18.96 trillion debt.”
“46% of eligible voters did not vote in the 2016 U.S. election. This blows my mind. These people decided that the candidates were not worth voting for. I understand the dislike for the candidates, but I don’t understand how people could refuse their right to vote. They are refusing their right to choose the leader of their country. By staying silent or indifferent you are not only refusing basic rights that have been strongly fought for throughout history, but you are also refusing to make your country a safe, progressive place by letting this man take over. I understand the hate towards Hillary Clinton, however, she is a woman who has been in politics and has fought for human rights for decades, she has the education and experience someone needs to run a country and Donald Trump does not.
When I think of Donald Trump there are only two words that come to my mind, bully and bigot. He is a man who chose politics as a hobby because he could. Since he started his campaign, he has been promoting intolerance and violence backed up by uninformed thoughts and a lot of nonsense. He has openly insulted women, people of colour, immigrants, LGBTQ+ people and many more to the point of reducing them to nothing. These groups of people are being marginalized. They are not getting the respect they deserve because they are different. Donald Trump is constantly making ignorant statements and promises that are targeting the removal or degeneration of people who are, in his eyes, unworthy of human rights. Trump’s power lies within the fears and misunderstandings of his followers. With fear comes hate, and with hate comes destruction and that is where America is headed if nothing is done about this unfortunate situation.
Our nations were making great, progressive strides towards a better future for all. But after this election, I think that this progress will be put on hold due to this giant step back. Although I am very disappointed, I still have hope. I hope that when he is officially president, Trump does something that will get him impeached (because apparently being a racist, misogynistic, homophobic, and all around ridiculously intolerant person with no background or intelligence regarding politics isn’t enough to prevent him from being a world leader). I hope that the people who see how big of a mistake this is will stand strongly together and not let a bigoted buffoon define who we are and where we’re going. (Yes, I used the word “we” because the U.S. and Canada are allies and even though I am Canadian, I consider myself affected by this election.)”
“I woke up on November 8th feeling pretty confident that the United States was going to elect their first female president. By the time I closed my eyes to go to sleep that same day, I was far from confident. I was terrified. Terrified for my American friends, some of whom were on the verge of tears as the results poured in. Terrified for people of colour who were continuously told throughout Donald Trump’s campaign that they didn’t matter. Terrified for the Muslim populations of America as well as those trying to gain entry, who were thrown into a bigoted rhetoric of terrorism and fear mongering, told again and again that they didn’t belong in Trump’s America. Terrified for women because our experiences of sexual assault were treated with indifference, almost disqualified. But what terrifies me most is not that Trump himself stands by these views, but the alarmingly large portion of America that agree with them. Of course, not all of his supporters are misogynistic racists. I know that many of them aren’t. But regardless, those are the people that took a look at his platform and didn’t think that the racism and misogyny were deal-breakers. And that sickens me. As a journalism student, I’m told to keep my political views private and remain unbiased. But as a human, I have no trouble saying that the next four years are going to some of the most challenging. Not only for the U.S, but for the entire world.”