President-elect Donald Trump is the eccentric, rich creepy uncle you don't talk about around your new boyfriend, and he's sure as hell not the type you have running your nation. He's misogynist, racist, narcissistic, unpredictable, anti-abor--- well, just see for yourself what people are saying.
Yet America woke up on November 5th, 2016 and, in fact, he apparently is that type for 62,004,178 people. He is running our nation... To the ground? Hopefully not.
But we can't be mad at President-elect Trump. He's just the "pretty face" on a culture we thought was dead. He's scary, but what's scarier is that he has SUPPORT. And he has support from people all around us. Real people! My father, my grandmother, my father-in-law, my co-workers...
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| Real, life people cheering for President-elect Donald Trump. |
No matter how much it wounds, we can't take a victim's mindset right now because 1) we are better than that and 2) we don't have the time.
People are hungry for authenticity
For the last few months, we have read, observed, and listened to candidates clouded by "moneyed interests, self-interest, celebrity, cynicism, hunger for power, superficial sound bites, hidden agendas, and hypocrisy." It's come to a head, and we're tired of it. Show me a person who can speak clearly and genuinely from their soul, and I'll see a person that people are going to follow and be attracted to.
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| Hypocrisy is unattractive. |
Because it is not as common as you'd hope...
...But it's getting there. If you can see through bullshit, you can pretty much guarantee other people can, too. And politics is notorious for bullshit. Millennials will shape the future landscape of our political life, and they/we have officially surpassed Baby Boomers in population. Fight now, and in four years, let the change be heard.
So have real conversations
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| Momentum isn't going to continue on its own. |
So have real conversations
Take every opportunity you can to calmly explain to your family, community, and other pro-Trump offenders why you care and the ramifications of having a douche like this in office (although you might want to try a less-aggressive approach). Encourage the friends and activists around you who are speaking out against the patriarchy to fight the good fight. Most importantly, don't let them do it alone; they need you and they need you to speak the truth to your circle of influence.
And women, I'm talking to you
You can't control other people's opinions, but you can stand up for yours. A culture of promoting a sexist cannot continue; we and the women before us have worked too damn hard to watch it wash over us. Use these feelings of mourning to rise again (and again and again and again), and your driving desire to make a positive difference.
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| Call it feminist, call it being a decent human being. |
Sources
- 2016 National Popular Vote Tracker by David Wasserman, http://cookpolitical.com/story/10174
- ‘I Love You, But...’: What Your Trump Vote Tells My Family by David Valdes Greenwood, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/i-love-youbut-what-your-trump-vote-tells-my_us_581cd369e4b044f827a78c4f
- Is “Authenticity” A Meaningful Benchmark for Election 2016 Candidates? by Brenda M. Carter, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brenda-m-cotter/is-authenticity-overrated_b_10020706.html
- Millennials overtake Baby Boomers as America’s largest generation by Richard Fry, http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/04/25/millennials-overtake-baby-boomers/
- The 9 Most Sexist Donald Trump Quotes From 2015 Are Honestly Just The Tip Of The Icerberg by Seth Millstein, https://www.bustle.com/articles/131835-the-9-most-sexist-donald-trump-quotes-from-2015-are-honestly-just-the-tip-of-the
- Three-times married Trump takes aim at Bill Clinton's infidelities as he fights dirty with Hillary over her claims he's sexist by Hannah Parry, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3375438/Clinton-Trump-war-Donald-attacks-former-President-Bill-s-infidelities-Hillary-accused-having-penchant-sexism.html
- Misogynist, Misandrist, and Feminist by dragon-s, http://www.redbubble.com/people/dragon-s/works/13869108-misogynist-misandrist-and-feminist?p=art-print
- Donald Trump, protesters go big in Texas by Ben Schreckinger, http://www.politico.com/story/2015/09/donald-trump-2016-dallas-megarally-213625
- The 2016 Election's Generation Gap [Infographic] by Niall McCarthy, http://www.forbes.com/sites/niallmccarthy/2016/11/09/the-2016-elections-generation-gap-infographic/#7f0e8ce2404d
