Why are so many Americans Angry?
I’m writing this out of neither bitterness nor protest. I genuinely want to explain to my friends who support Trump why many are upset. And no, at least for the majority of us, it’s not because we’re bitter we lost, it’s not because we’re sore losers, and it’s not because we think every Trump supporter is racist.
I am writing this because I see the need to bridge the divide that can be done only through understanding. Of course, given my personal stances, I will speak to those who supported Trump. But if you did support him I want to hear from you as well. So please feel free to have an honest calm conversation with me.
In the past few days, have I been too angry for such a conversation? Yes. But fear is a better word than anger.
To be clear, I don’t condone violence, riots or unwarranted insults. And he is our president-elect, despite how many people will otherwise tweet in frustration.
We’re upset not because he’s not “liberal” enough, but because he’s not inclusive enough. He argued a judge couldn’t do his job because of his Mexican heritage. He questioned Obama’s citizenship because he was black. He called for a religious test on all Muslims to ensure they were “American enough,” a database for these Muslims and a ban on Muslims.
Moreover, he also made fun of a disabled reporter, advocated for the murder of families of terrorists, suggested that a plurality, if not the majority, of Mexicans were criminals, drug dealers and rapists, with “some being good people.” He also boasted about “grabbing women by the pussy.”
These are only a few examples because listing every single offense would require an entirely separate article.
But many get offended, assuming when we say he’s racist, sexist and homophobic, that we’re saying every single one of his supporters are.
But, that isn’t what we’re saying. We’re saying that whatever reason you voted for him, be it a hatred of Hillary Clinton, lower taxes on the rich, partisanship or the supreme court justices, was more important to you than the rights of the disenfranchised.
In the eyes of many minorities, politics were placed ahead of our lives.
There’s a common argument that “Oh, he won’t actually do these things. Plus, we have three branches of government meaning checks and balances.” To us, it’s not about whether he’ll do these things or not. The problem is that so many were willing to risk our lives. Our rights were gambled with. To us, it gave a very clear message — we don’t matter.
It’s important to note that we still had three branches Japanese citizens were placed in internment camps. So perhaps this isn’t the best justification.
Some cite the minimal support he got from minorities to his defense. But insignificant percentages of support don’t make his actions any more justifiable. Some people will always vote against their interests. And 7 percent of Muslims doesn’t make his words or his ban any less hurtful.
But we’re not scared of Trump being our president. We’re scared that slightly less than half of American voters put our lives, rights and livelihoods on the backburner. We’re scared because our rights were secondary to your politics.
This isn’t about disrespecting your opinion or your politics. Normal opinions are about liking hamburgers over hotdogs, coffee with or without sugar, or hot versus cold pizza. Normal politics involve taxes, wars, and education, not whether all Muslims should be put into a tracking database.
I’m not scared of Donald Trump; I’m scared of his support. I suspect he won’t do the things he preaches. Just the other day he removed a portion from his website saying he would ban all Muslims. This is a step in the right direction.
But no one voted for President Trump, they voted for candidate Trump. What he says he’ll do and what he will do are two different things. People didn’t vote for what he will do, they voted for what he said he’ll do.
We’re afraid his behaviors on the campaign trail will become the norm.
We’re afraid this will justify more intolerance.
We’re afraid of hate.
People aren’t tweeting #NotMyPresident because we’re unaware that he is the president. They’re tweeting because the presidency is symbolic. It represents the values, beliefs, and ideals of every single American. This movement says hateful rhetoric is not one of these values.
Many have mentioned violence against Trump supporters, which I do condemn. No human being deserves it. But please don’t pretend Trump-inspired crimes have not been on the rise. According to the FBI, in the past year alone hate crimes against Muslims have increased by 67 percent.
To us, our worst fears have already been realized.
So please, before you tell me my fear is “laughable,” try to understand why so many are fearful. It’s not normal for half of America to be in tears after a presidential election.
Why laugh? Why not try to understand?
