There’s a lot of political talk going on. Trump is president, again. Am I happy about it? No. I’m more upset about it this time than I was eight years ago. I’m not a political expert, and I would prefer not to be. It’s always easier to stay quiet, but right now in these stressful times, I’m going to embody my brand, “My Heart is Writing”.
First, I think what upset me the most about Trump’s election, and his winning the majority vote, is that we’ve elected our first convicted criminal as president. I question the lack of legislation preventing criminals from seeking office. Especially when it’s established that criminals don’t have the right to vote. Maybe, our founding fathers thought that was common sense Maybe, it’s because they committed quite an abundant amount of crime to gain the United States freedom? Maybe, the founding fathers factored in that they would execute the criminal before he gained office. Presidents like Rosevelt, or Harry S. Truman, or anyone after World War II, who had an inkling of how Hitler came into power. If you are unaware, Hitler was a convicted criminal, committing high treason after attempting a coup. Still, Hitler gained political power, becoming the dictator he’s known today. Countries that were affected by Hitler, Germany, Austria, Poland, all put in legislation to eliminate the possibility of another Hitler. We didn’t. Why didn’t our government heed the circumstances of WWII? Perhaps it is the fault of American arrogance that such a ludicrous thing would never happen in our country. Yet here we are, a convicted felon, is sitting as our president, planning a takeover of our government.
Of course, so much more has happened since then. The rapid-fire deportations of immigrants, families being torn apart, is horrific enough. Yet the silent permission and an act of endorsement of hate groups is just devastating. I say silent permission because even if Trump has denounced far-right hate groups it once for the sake of publicity, if said far-right hate groups continue acting hateful, Trump should continue to denounce it until he turns blue. I say an act of endorsement because when Trump pardoned those January 6th rioters, he then acted upon his endorsement of hate-groups. He’s also closely associates himself with Project 2025, an extremist, degressive Christian organization. Silence is not enough. Saying it once is not enough.
I think the only thing I can understand is the tariffs. Presidents, economists, have been saying for decades that we need to rely less on other countries and become more self-sufficient to establish trade. The problem is we have become reliant enough on other countries that if we issue and increase our tariffs, we are shooting ourselves in the foot when it comes to living wages. Prices are already going up, and with tariffs they’ll skyrocket. Household incomes still haven’t even started catching up with normal inflation. As a single thirty-three-year-old woman who lives in a tri-generational household, it’s not good. Tariffs could single-handedly cause another depression if we aren’t careful. Not only that, if Trump sticks to raising tariffs more substantially for our allies and not our adversaries, we’re likely to create a less amicable ally. However, if the tariffs are effective at improving creating jobs and boosting our economy, much of this could be temporary. I know Elon Musk mentioned that there would be temporary suffering, but (I’m cringing right now) it’s… true? Prices would still go up, but once there is enough US trade and we manufacture our own goods, our economy would improve.
What I would love to see is America prioritizing and creating jobs around environmentalism and sustainability. If we figure out ways to reduce plastic pollution and waste, we could solve one of the world’s biggest problems. I won’t go into climate change, I don’t think that’s relevant. Reducing plastic, waste and pollution is beneficial for our health and our quality of life. It’s better for the plants and animals we share this earth with. If we took sustainability into consideration, it could drastically improve our economy. It would require the Department of Education to exist, and it could provide a new focus or priority for future generations. Let’s make American Education great… for once?
I think what worries me most right now is abolishing the Department of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. It’s a personal one for me, because even though I’m white, identify as female, I am a minority. I have a mental illness (two, actually), I’m an atheist, and I’m intersex. I do not hide these things. I am not ashamed. Anyone who is paying even the slightest bit of attention to me knows. I attribute my freedom to be open and honest about myself and my beliefs to DEI. I have been scared to apply for jobs because of my mental illness. I’ve even been scared that being an open atheist could cause issues with potential employment. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion provide laws, so I don’t have to hide or minimize parts of who I am, so I’m not discriminated against because of those parts. Granted, I will never hide.
Now I will not say that having some mental illness and some anti-religious sentiments somehow makes me understand the racial and cultural discrimination any better. I don’t think it’s appropriate for me to make statements about other people’s experiences. I will say, if my anxiety is raised because I fear discrimination with the potential removal of DEI, I can’t even imagine what other people are experiencing. Instead, I’ll just say I empathize with whatever you’re going through, and I am listening to your stories.
I’m writing and posting this because I’m exhausted. I see my family and my friends battling in this war over the future of American culture, and I don’t know where empathy went. I know that’s what this whole thing boils down to, in the end. A culture war. We’re battling over establishing behaviors and practices around language, symbols and norms. I feel it. I’m stressed, confused and frustrated. I have stood up to grab a glass of water, hear someone else talking about politics, and decide against keeping myself hydrated, just to avoid conflict.
We have some rough times ahead, no matter where you fall on the political spectrum. Life is about to get harder, and we are going to need each other. I’m not saying to be all kumbaya, I’m writing a three-page-rant because I’m tired of being quiet and “neutral”. I’m saying let’s practice human decency. If I get brave enough to tag you, know that it isn’t because I’m judging your views or your beliefs. I’m judging your maturity level and your inability to voice your opinions without being respectful. If you keep canceling or overgeneralizing the groups you disagree with, you are not being helpful. If you keep blocking and hanging up on people who you disagree with, you are rejecting your own ability to show compassion and empathy.
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