This morning, I role-played trying to explain my political opinions in Japanese so that when my in-laws pick up my daughter later and drive me to work, I’ll have something prepared. I’m willing to bet that they are curious about my stance. Add to this that my father-in-law is fairly conservative and my mother-in-law fairly liberal and I know there’s a bit of explaining to do.
I’m liberal. For my home state, extremely so. We’ve never discussed politics before. The grace of a language barrier.
So what I came up with, to explain in basic terms, translates back to English as, “He is a monster. He only speaks hate. The only people he likes are white Christians. This is not my America.”
And then I burst into tears.
I haven’t cried for this fresh hell of an election, mostly because my three-year-old keeps distracting me. She smiles and tells me something silly with a hug and a kiss and I feel like maybe the world isn’t all bad. Later I remember my friends and loved ones of different races and creeds. I remember my friends having babies who will not be just white and may not be insured, and I worry. A lot.
Two days ago, my decisions of the last decade were tested and for the first time in that 8 years since I left the states, I felt that following my intuition to live out here and keep on doing so was right. The progression and time-line of my relationship with my husband make sense. Even when we chose to have my daughter makes sense. These were mostly fantastic decisions I’ve decided, because I cannot fully regret them now.
Japan is sexist and racist and xenophobic (not entirely unlike the South), but at least they are usually quiet about it.
This morning, I lay in bed, warm under the covers with my toddler, reading up on Facebook. A lot of my friends are taking a break, for good reason. Some are fighting. Some are resigned.
While perusing the articles, this is what I came across:
2 different young republican posts pleading to not be demonized for how they voted
2 different posts from Asian Americans being chased and/or beaten by groups of Trump supporters.
(what better way to celebrate a win than a hate crime!)
1 Fantastic post from an Evangelical (and anti-Trump) friend, asking how to help those in need
There were also a handful of hate-crime related posts from all around the country and a couple of good sharings of positive information including suicide prevention line phone numbers (which I shared as well).
In one of the young republican posts, the writer suggests that they are pro-choice but would prefer it if that choice were only used for life-saving situations. Voting for politicians who want to overturn Roe V Wade isn’t a vote for accessibility for those who need it. It’s a vote against anyone ever getting a safe abortion. Honestly, it’s a vote for incest, child rape and murder, if you ask me. But no one asked me. I’m a liberal, that’s why.
Liberals in most of my home state are seen as bleeding-heart weirdoes with weird ideas like trying to save things that middle-ish class white America prefers to shit on: people of color, LGBT folks, anything not exactly like us. I am liberal because I want to protect people, even those who I have little in common with, from unprovoked assault.
These hate crimes that are occurring in schools and public places? They’re not being provoked. An Asian American man in Dallas isn’t walking up to a bunch of white guys in Trump-wear shouting obscenities, but he is running for his car and high-tailing it out of there, fearing for his life because the country he was born and raised in also created these hateful bastards, so scared of any difference that they feel they must attack to defend the white-ness.
One needn’t defend the white-ness. It’s pretty fucking defended. White women in America aren’t having cross-laden necklaces ripped from their necks as people tell them to go back to Europe. This is not happening. But people are pulling off women’s hijabs and suggesting they flee and/or kill themselves. If you don’t see these things as similar, you’ve got way too much privilege and way too little empathy.
So, young republican Trump supporters, this is why I posted early this week on Facebook that I don’t want to talk to you about Trump. It’s not because I disagree with your choice of candidate only because they are not from my party. The hate that Trump speaks has power and meaning, and if you’re lucky enough to be Caucasian, cis-gender, and straight you may not have to feel the pangs of it, at least not yet. You may not realize what is going on for some time, as it isn’t attacking your religion, sexual orientation, or quality of life.
I was never a Bush fan. Again, I’m liberal. During the Bush campaign, while I was in high school, I remember having a number of debates with a close friend who was a staunch conservative. She had points. She had reasons why his policies made sense to her and actual thought-provoking things to say on the subject. I’m not generally happy to have these kinds of discussions, but she was well informed and could back up what she was saying. No name calling. No stupid crap.
She is, by the way, not a Trump fan.
I have yet to see (nor seek out, admittedly) any good pro-Trump arguments, nor any so good as to offset the hate he spews so freely. His being A-Ok with the KKK cannot be outweighed by him not being a Clinton. His anti-Muslim rhetoric (which should remind you of Hitler if you paid any attention in modern world history class) does not outweigh him not being a classical trained politician. People seem to think that his lack of political understanding frees him from being a corrupt official— that he hasn’t had the chance to be bought and paid for. Good idea, except he’s already corrupt in so many other ways, like being on trial for fraud next month, in addition to child-rape and a number of other truly awful things.
You see, I don’t even get it for Christians. I don’t get how a woman in a pantsuit (breaking a rule from Deuteronomy, oh no!) is worse for the country than a man who had broken so many COMMANDMENTS. (mainly 7-10)
I just don’t get it, and I know, you few ultra-conservative friends and relations, maybe you don’t get it either. Because to you she’d not just a woman in a pantsuit— she’s an embodiment of evil. She want to make sure people can get abortions or any other kind of health care they need. Yes, that means some people pay more and some less. No, this does not benefit the wealthy. It benefits those who need help over those who are in a position to help themselves.
Do I agree with everything she or Obama have said or done? No. Not by a long shot. But Obama’s election didn’t cause this hate and fear; the widespread terror the way this one has. It didn’t cause groups of proud black men to accost and beat up white strangers shouting “Hail Obama!”
Nope. It didn’t. It really didn’t.
It didn’t cause Muslim Americans to protest the building of Christian Churches. That didn’t happen.
If you can put yourself in someone else’s shoes for a minute, and think of all things as supposedly equal, you might see why this doesn’t work. According to the constitution, this is not a Christian nation. America has no state religion for a reason— because the people who founded it didn’t want the Church of England quashing alternative religious choices in their day to be something their new country would do. If you put down the bible for a minute and imagine that, in the eyes of the American justice system, there is nothing wrong with being Muslim, or atheist, or anything else, because America isn’t supposed to care who you worship on Sundays or whenever. Got it? America isn’t supposed to favor one religion over the others. That’s one of the most beautiful things about the country. Instead of playing the petulant children and only saying “No church of England! They made the Puritans leave. Jerks!” they looked to the root of the problem. State religion is a very bad thing, partially because it keeps us from seeing each other as equal. In the eyes of the law, your church affiliation should be less important than your tax-payer status.
Have you, Christians, been made to feel unwelcome in your own communities just for how you celebrate your religion? Others not celebrating as you do doesn’t count.
Have you, straight people, felt endangered by the election? Has anyone offered to cleanse you of your straightness through prayer and electroshock? Even if you believe that homosexuality (or any non hetero thing) is sinful, isn’t that between the sinner and God? Not you? At all?
Have you, cis-gendered folks, felt like you were going to have to back-track through every gain you have made in your life to help become the adult you want to be, only to serve religious ideology that you don’t follow? Has someone made you be something that you, at your core, simply are not? That’s what it feels like for these people. Even if you think it’s an unnatural sin, this is what they feel and their feelings are valid.
There are more points to be made, too many I think, but I’ve got to move on. My reason for telling my friends list to shut up or ship off with the Trump crap was made necessary by a boy I once knew, too long ago, who felt the only right thing to do when I posted my comment regarding Trump as a Rapist (many allegations and lawsuits pending) was to claim the same of Bill Clinton (1 early sexual harassment suit and a consensual sex act from an intern), for which I find no evidence. The claims against Trump outweigh the claims against Bill Clinton by a small landslide. I told him so. He disagreed, again using the same debate tactics his candidate is famous for, which offer little fact or proof of anything.
Tired of the shouting match and frustrated with being so riled up by someone who isn’t even using logic against me, I deleted the thread, blocked the boy, and posted what I did. Not because I’m a bigot who can’t stand not getting her way, but because I really don’t think the well-meaning Trump supporters have a full grasp of the damage their candidate is likely to do over the next four years. He’s not even inaugurated yet— it’s been less than a week since the election— and hate crimes as well as teen suicides are through the roof.
At least, if my news feed is to be believed.
My point in this long, rambling, tear-filled pain-blossom is this: It’s not like it was with Bush. It’s much, much worse. It’s not as simple as shaking hands after a disagreement. It’s half of America saying the only people who deserve human rights are white, Christian, cis-gendered, and straight, though also probably male.
Obama didn’t tell you that you could not be Christian and American. Trump has indicated as much about Muslims. If you fall into all the positive pro-trump categories, it’s likely you haven’t felt as scared as everyone else is right now. The people on whom society already bestows much power were just granted free reign, and many are taking that as leave to abuse any other human who does not fit into their idea of what the world should look like. Even if you’re not perpetuating hate crimes, if you voted for Trump, you helped elect the guy who is telling them publicly that it is okay to be violent against people with different opinions; that facts don’t matter; that those who are different than you are lesser than.
That’s why it’s not as simple as liberal and conservative or democrat and republican. Your candidate is saying it is okay to hurt people. Show me where Obama said anything similar. Show me where Hillary suggested physical harm upon dissenters at her rallies.
Show me proof.
Please.
Until then, the sides are not equal. The man speaks of violent acts, condones them even. I haven’t seen others do this, even other conservatives. Show me how that does not have any effect on the increase in hate crimes against Muslims, people of color, LGBTQA, etc.
Show me the proof.
Or just don’t talk to me.
Have it your way.
No comments:
Post a Comment