"This is for constructing the wall."
The title of this entry is a quote from Esther, a Honduran student in one of my morning classes. She said it after placing two quarters on her table as I walked by and then noticing the quizzical expression on my face. A Mexican student immediately followed up on her comment, saying "I need to leave early so I can start building." Finally, in my night class, one student texted me the following image:
Inside, my students may be curled up in corners in the fetal position and bawling their eyes out as they rock back and forth. But in class, they have shown unwavering emotional fortitude and resiliency of spirit. Many of us could learn something from them.
As an old friend of mine observed while we were talking last night, I've been pretty quiet in the days following the presidential election. Had I chosen to voice my opinions on social media without carefully analyzing and reflecting on the situation, I wouldn't have had anything to contribute to the conversation except hopelessness and vitriol. Now that I can more clearly separate reason from emotion, I'm going to give my thoughts some semblance of organization by posting them in writing. If anyone else who reads this wants to share an opinion, I welcome the input.
It's hard to accept that Donald Trump is now the President-elect of the United States and not see it, to at least some degree, as a betrayal of our country. I've said there was no such thing as a good reason to vote for this orange shitstain, and I still believe that on a fundamental level. He ran a campaign based on fear, scapegoating, conspiracy theories, outrageous lies, incendiary rhetoric, and absolute contempt for both democracy and anyone who ever criticized or disagreed with him. His message was simple, but his ideas ran the gamut from unrealistic to nonexistent, and his strategy focused on relentlessly attacking the opposition to stop himself or his positions from falling under scrutiny. He promised change from the economic "disaster" of Obama's presidency (in spite of evidence that the economy has, by most measures, improved under Obama), which he claimed Clinton would only continue, and painted himself as an outsider with the unique ability to save a country on the brink of collapse.
And his message resonated with voters. Despite the fact that more than half the U.S. population once considered Trump unfit to lead, faithless electors and unforeseen dramatic circumstances are now the only things standing between him and the Oval Office...and if I lived in Vegas, I wouldn't put a lot of money on those odds. In all likelihood, Trump will be the 45th President of the United States of America. He's vowed to roll back Obama's policies and champion conservative causes, and he'll have a predominantly Republican Senate and House of Representatives to work with him. It's hard to imagine how this bodes well for Americans who identify as "liberal," "progressive," or "not batshit insane."
Yet left-leaning Americans have reasons not to sink into despondency. Our worst fears were not confirmed: the Earth didn't go flying out of orbit and collide with the sun, the rest of the world didn't unload its nuclear stockpile on the United States, and the country was not immediately reorganized into districts that will send tributes to battle to the death for government largesse. The national Zeitgeist remains predominantly liberal, and we liberals have an opportunity to realign ourselves and reach out to our political opponents as we lick our wounds. Trump won this election because he appealed to those who consider themselves marginalized, and we will have the best chance of winning them over by crafting a new party narrative that emphasizes solidarity and respect. This article has some excellent suggestions for those wondering where and how to start.
I am aware, dear readers, that this road will be a long and hard one for many Democrats, liberals, and progressives to walk. I include myself among them. In the weeks to come, we will face increasing pressure to unite behind President Trump and work to realize his vision for the country. (I recall Big Boy Caprice's ultimatum from Dick Tracy: "You get behind me, we all profit; you challenge me, we all go down!") I'm not ready to do that yet. I don't trust, respect, or admire our president-elect; now that the American people have indulged his massively bloated ego, I expect him to use his position to make himself richer and try to silence anyone who criticizes him or his brand, just as he's done for the last 40 years. I think he represents everything the rest of the world hates about Americans - willful ignorance, flagrant disrespect for others, and pursuit of self-interest at any cost - and he will soon be the new face of our country. Supporting him means embracing or at least accepting both his personal philosophy and the hateful, divisive rhetoric he has been so eager to employ, and that's a plunge I'm not willing to take. I'm not ready to stand behind a leader who represents a value system that I find repugnant...and if anyone else has found a way to justify it, I'd genuinely like to know how.
That said, Trump is a man who has defied expectations in the past, and I am ready to support him if he can defy expectations again. If he can build alliances with other countries instead of alienating them, he will have my support. If he can move away from his xenophobic and misogynistic rhetoric and unite rather than divide the American people, he will have my support. If he turns over a new leaf and actively works to advance the best interests of people other than himself and the wealthy elites, he will have my support. I won't be holding my breath, but I know exactly what I'll need to see before I'm willing to support a President Trump.
In the meantime, I will remain vigilant and strive to defend the values that are important to me. I will refuse to support policies that are put forth out of fear, hatred, or ignorance, because I believe that reason, compassion, and knowledge should guide us. I will stand up for minorities and those who have been marginalized, because I believe that every law-abiding, contributing member of society has a place in this country regardless of ethnicity, gender, religion, or sexual orientation. I will attempt to engage in dialogue with my political opponents before writing them off as idiots or lunatics, because even if I am disappointed or angry with them, we must work together to survive and prosper. Any day on which I am still gainfully employed, my students feel safe and secure, the United States is not at war with the rest of the world, and I can criticize Donald J. Trump without being arrested, sued, or physically attacked will be a day on which I give thanks, because I will know that the country I have grown up in has not ceased to exist.
If my fellow Americans label me unpatriotic or deride me as a "social justice warrior," so be it. I want to build bridges, not walls, and my compatriots' insults will be my armor as I do. I may not like the direction my country is headed, but I have a deep love for it and will do my best to support the values of diversity and inclusiveness for which it has long stood.
This is my pledge, dear readers. I urge you all to make one of your own.
Inside, my students may be curled up in corners in the fetal position and bawling their eyes out as they rock back and forth. But in class, they have shown unwavering emotional fortitude and resiliency of spirit. Many of us could learn something from them.
As an old friend of mine observed while we were talking last night, I've been pretty quiet in the days following the presidential election. Had I chosen to voice my opinions on social media without carefully analyzing and reflecting on the situation, I wouldn't have had anything to contribute to the conversation except hopelessness and vitriol. Now that I can more clearly separate reason from emotion, I'm going to give my thoughts some semblance of organization by posting them in writing. If anyone else who reads this wants to share an opinion, I welcome the input.
It's hard to accept that Donald Trump is now the President-elect of the United States and not see it, to at least some degree, as a betrayal of our country. I've said there was no such thing as a good reason to vote for this orange shitstain, and I still believe that on a fundamental level. He ran a campaign based on fear, scapegoating, conspiracy theories, outrageous lies, incendiary rhetoric, and absolute contempt for both democracy and anyone who ever criticized or disagreed with him. His message was simple, but his ideas ran the gamut from unrealistic to nonexistent, and his strategy focused on relentlessly attacking the opposition to stop himself or his positions from falling under scrutiny. He promised change from the economic "disaster" of Obama's presidency (in spite of evidence that the economy has, by most measures, improved under Obama), which he claimed Clinton would only continue, and painted himself as an outsider with the unique ability to save a country on the brink of collapse.
And his message resonated with voters. Despite the fact that more than half the U.S. population once considered Trump unfit to lead, faithless electors and unforeseen dramatic circumstances are now the only things standing between him and the Oval Office...and if I lived in Vegas, I wouldn't put a lot of money on those odds. In all likelihood, Trump will be the 45th President of the United States of America. He's vowed to roll back Obama's policies and champion conservative causes, and he'll have a predominantly Republican Senate and House of Representatives to work with him. It's hard to imagine how this bodes well for Americans who identify as "liberal," "progressive," or "not batshit insane."
Yet left-leaning Americans have reasons not to sink into despondency. Our worst fears were not confirmed: the Earth didn't go flying out of orbit and collide with the sun, the rest of the world didn't unload its nuclear stockpile on the United States, and the country was not immediately reorganized into districts that will send tributes to battle to the death for government largesse. The national Zeitgeist remains predominantly liberal, and we liberals have an opportunity to realign ourselves and reach out to our political opponents as we lick our wounds. Trump won this election because he appealed to those who consider themselves marginalized, and we will have the best chance of winning them over by crafting a new party narrative that emphasizes solidarity and respect. This article has some excellent suggestions for those wondering where and how to start.
I am aware, dear readers, that this road will be a long and hard one for many Democrats, liberals, and progressives to walk. I include myself among them. In the weeks to come, we will face increasing pressure to unite behind President Trump and work to realize his vision for the country. (I recall Big Boy Caprice's ultimatum from Dick Tracy: "You get behind me, we all profit; you challenge me, we all go down!") I'm not ready to do that yet. I don't trust, respect, or admire our president-elect; now that the American people have indulged his massively bloated ego, I expect him to use his position to make himself richer and try to silence anyone who criticizes him or his brand, just as he's done for the last 40 years. I think he represents everything the rest of the world hates about Americans - willful ignorance, flagrant disrespect for others, and pursuit of self-interest at any cost - and he will soon be the new face of our country. Supporting him means embracing or at least accepting both his personal philosophy and the hateful, divisive rhetoric he has been so eager to employ, and that's a plunge I'm not willing to take. I'm not ready to stand behind a leader who represents a value system that I find repugnant...and if anyone else has found a way to justify it, I'd genuinely like to know how.
That said, Trump is a man who has defied expectations in the past, and I am ready to support him if he can defy expectations again. If he can build alliances with other countries instead of alienating them, he will have my support. If he can move away from his xenophobic and misogynistic rhetoric and unite rather than divide the American people, he will have my support. If he turns over a new leaf and actively works to advance the best interests of people other than himself and the wealthy elites, he will have my support. I won't be holding my breath, but I know exactly what I'll need to see before I'm willing to support a President Trump.
In the meantime, I will remain vigilant and strive to defend the values that are important to me. I will refuse to support policies that are put forth out of fear, hatred, or ignorance, because I believe that reason, compassion, and knowledge should guide us. I will stand up for minorities and those who have been marginalized, because I believe that every law-abiding, contributing member of society has a place in this country regardless of ethnicity, gender, religion, or sexual orientation. I will attempt to engage in dialogue with my political opponents before writing them off as idiots or lunatics, because even if I am disappointed or angry with them, we must work together to survive and prosper. Any day on which I am still gainfully employed, my students feel safe and secure, the United States is not at war with the rest of the world, and I can criticize Donald J. Trump without being arrested, sued, or physically attacked will be a day on which I give thanks, because I will know that the country I have grown up in has not ceased to exist.
If my fellow Americans label me unpatriotic or deride me as a "social justice warrior," so be it. I want to build bridges, not walls, and my compatriots' insults will be my armor as I do. I may not like the direction my country is headed, but I have a deep love for it and will do my best to support the values of diversity and inclusiveness for which it has long stood.
This is my pledge, dear readers. I urge you all to make one of your own.