America, You Broke My Heart
I was born on July 4th, 1976, in Libertyville, Illinois. I’ve lived the American Dream — the grandchild of immigrants and the first in my family to graduate college. I’ve lived and love the idea of America (albeit from a position of privilege as a white male). I stood in Grant Park eight years ago and cried as we elected Obama, thinking we had healed. I watched women line up at Susan B. Anthony’s grave yesterday, and it warmed my heart — 96 years after suffrage, and a woman was on the ballot.
But today, America, you broke my heart.
Today I don’t understand the world.
Today the KKK celebrated while blacks cried.
Today prison stocks exploded (+30%) and solar companies crashed (-10%).
Today we became not a beacon of hope but a beacon of hate.
Today the shining light on a hill went out for millions of Americans.
Today the best and brightest no longer want to come to America.
Today white, predominantly older America left a legacy; they voted
… against clean energy (clean power plan)
… against immigrants (immigration reform)
… against love (marriage equality)
… against women’s rights (Roe v. Wade)
… against voting rights (Voting Rights Act)
… against innovation (isolationism instead of globalism)
… against the people (no hope of overturning Citizens United)
Today will do damage for decades and generations to come.
Today we handed all three branches of power to someone who ran on a white, nationalist, authoritarian platform, who was openly racist, bigoted, and misogynistic.
Today the executive branch has more power than any time in modern history — it now has influence over and the support of the FBI, it effectively has its own media company, and it controls the world’s most sophisticated surveillance system, not to mention commanding the strongest army in the world and having access to nuclear weapons.
Today my Twitter feed is talking of scrubbing posts and deleting social-media links.
Today I feel guilty that I didn’t do enough.
Today the biracial kids of my friends will have nightmares.
Today the children of my Latino friends are asking if they will be sent away.
Today my Muslim friends are thinking of leaving for their own safety.
Today may be the end of the Republic as we know it.
Today reminds me too much of the 1930s — a financial crisis followed by populist-supported authoritarianism.
Today I hope I’m wrong, but as Maya Angelou said, when people show you who they are, believe them.
Today Republicans won and America lost.
Today I hope this all seems a dramatic overreaction in a couple years.
Today we also go back to work and try to find a way to preserve our democracy.
Today we need Moral Imagination more then ever.
Today starts a new chapter.
And tomorrow the sun will rise again.
