The energy in the city last night was quiet and tense. My usually packed 7pm yoga class was sparse and somber, the instructor started class with a five-minute meditation that was very much needed. The few people actually in the gym were simply going through the motions of working out while maintaining their sight line on the nearest television screen posting updates of the election.
I am heartbroken.
The energy in the city today is quiet and somber, a depressed sort of shock vibrating through the streets. Compassion in still silence and gentle apologetic smiles emanate from the people, a majority understanding in New York city, that something in this country has gone terribly wrong. A country that I’ve admired my entire life, and still do if I pay attention to all of the beautiful people that I’ve met over my 9 years here. But, I’m scared. I’m scared for myself, I’m scared for my friends who are my family, and I’m scared for this country; a country that represented opportunity and peace and freedom, a country where dreams were made, a country where individuality, ingenuity and passion were encouraged. Sure there have always been bigots and racists and sexists and nay sayers, but they exist everywhere, what was so magnificent about this country was that you could always find someone who believed in your dreams as much as you did. You could always find the possibility for opportunity. The desire for success was not just a pipe dream but was something tangible, something pliable, something attainable.
What about my friends of color, what about my friends in interracial relationships, same sex relationships, what of their children? What about transgender people, are they going to have to be afraid of Trump grabbing their pussies? What about all of the females in the country? What about people of varying faiths? What about the majority of Americans? If we include, immigrants, people of color, LGBT community, divergent faiths, and women in the USA, they make up the majority of the American population, so is this to say that the majority of Americans are now in danger of loosing their freedom, a philosophy that this country was founded on?
What now?
In this disgusting exhibit of bigotry is an opportunity. The extreme hatred and ignorance that has permeated this great land is atrocious and frightening… but it also represents how Westerners have evolved; the other half of the country proving that Capitalism is not longer satisfactory, that equality and egalitarianism is the desire, that acceptance, humanitarianism, environmentalism is the goal. Often before great change there is a great divide, a divide of extremes that provokes the laymen to stand up and do what’s right. Maybe this day is the day that real progress and change can begin to take place. If I know my American compadres the way that I believe I do, they are not going to sit around watching while their country goes to shit, they are going to stand up and fight. The term revolution has been thrown around for several years now and maybe now is the time that a great revolution take place. We the people do have the power and sometimes we need a massive kick in the ass to make that change. This is most certainly a MASSIVE kick in the A$$!
Before the Women’s Movement, women were regarded as less than and were denied many rights. Before the Civil Rights Movement people of color suffered through segregation, oppression and violent hate crimes. Before the Gay Rights Movement people had to hide their identities, were ostracized and condemned. These issues have not disappeared, but there has been great change and progress. The new generation of children are growing up in a world where being a woman, person of color and/or gay is no longer a hindrance on success. That is progress. We mustn’t let an A$$ HOLE alter or change that.
If there is any light at the end of this tunnel, I hope it is this. I hope and I pray that this election is proof that half of the American population are finally ready for an egalitarian community that nurtures one another, that supports and enhances education, small business, environmentally friendly power, nation wide health care, peace, truth, equality, love, compassion and understanding. Over 120,000,000 people is a lot of power and I hope and I pray that this once great country will fight to be great again. The United States is like no other country I’ve ever been in, the people are like no other people in the world, I have hope that things will be made right and that the country that I grew to call home will be a better place.
Posted on November 10, 2016 Leave a comment