I figured I should publish this before my 1st Amendment rights no longer protect me from publicly denouncing the government. I guarantee this post will be considered treasonous before 2020.
My country and my fellow citizens have done things that I haven't agreed with in the past. We've always been an interesting case study in cognitive dissonance, confirmation bias, and hypocrisy. We've waged war in other countries claiming it was for Peace and Freedom. We've criminalized behaviors that should have never gone before a judge. We've picked and chosen which Constitutional rights apply to certain groups and which do not.
This.... this time it feels a little different. I've been embarrassed to be American before.. but I've never been this fearful.
We... somehow?... elected a person who sees nothing wrong with criminalizing a religion. He demands that everyone needs pay their fair share, but finds every possible way to get out of that himself. He demonizes anyone who isn't white or not an attractive woman--- the attractive women are just there to please him.
There will a bevy of think-pieces exploring, once again, "not all Trump supporters". I've said it before and I'll say it over and over again. If you have to defend something by saying "but not all_____", then you are either delusional or too fucking scared to look at yourself. The non-selfish citizens of the United States just lost their federal government. This isn't a Democratic vs. Republican statement; there are extremists on both sides.
Yes, I'm lumping anyone who voted for Trump as selfish. It's possible you may also be a misogynist, a bigot, a xenophobe, and/or a fascist. But you are, without a doubt in my mind, selfish. I really don't care if we've been best of friends or if we're family. You've shown your true colors and those colors disgust me.
Third-party voters? I understand why you did it. I only hold you indirectly responsible for the next four years. But you voted to make a difference and you tried to be ethical by not participating in the "lesser of two evils voting". I don't agree with you-- even though all the polls seemed to point to a landslide Democratic win and a third party vote would express your discontent in reasonable way-- and I still respect you. Thanks for trying.
I'm part of a demographic who really shouldn't be all that affected by the Trump Administration. I'm upper middle class, educated, white, and a housewife. I'm also part of a demographic that could be affected: I'm a woman who is currently disabled, fat, and a person who has a higher probability of developing one or more types of cancer. My health and healthcare will most likely suffer under Trump's Administration and a Congress controlled by Republicans.
But, hey.... I'm a housewife whose childbearing years are ending so.... it's not like Trump or Congress would care anyway.
Overreacting is definitely part of my alphabet soup of disorders. However, I've thought long and hard about all the possible problems of a Trump Presidency. I've done research. I've looked for trends. I've tried to disprove the trends I found. It's hard to not be biased, but I swear that I've done everything I could possibly think of to be objective. In no particular order, here are my main questions about what happens next:
- Will my gay friends be allowed to remain married?
- Will the fabulous gay couple who has adopted a bunch of underprivileged children be allowed to continue doing good?
- Will my loved ones who have pre-existing conditions be able to afford the treatments they need?
- Will anyone who isn't white be required to present documentation of their status upon request?
- Will Muslims be allowed to live here? I'm not questioning if they can come into the country, I'm asking if they will be allowed to exist within our borders.
- Once Social Security is privatized or dismantled, will we have any rights at all to the money we've pay into it?
- When the 1st Amendment is modified, will we still be allowed to read foreign news sites to learn what is really happening here and what we're actually doing abroad?
- When the ACA is repealed, can my two children under 26 still be permitted to be covered on our insurance?
- When the ACA is repealed and our premiums still don't go down (because why would insurance companies mess with their not-for-profit profits), who's fault does it get to be then?
- Will women still be permitted to legally obtain birth control once abortion access is gone?
- Will miscarriages be criminalized?
- When we put America First, does that mean our education system, social services, and domestic humanitarian efforts will improve?
- Will we have to pay for preventative care again?
- When our economy tanks... oh wait. See question 11. That's all related.
- When Medicare and Medicaid are revamped.... oh wait. That's under question 11 too.
- Do we even know what Law & Order really means? Will arguing a speeding ticket become a felony?
- Will we no longer have freedom of religion?
- Will we have an official language?
- What kind of protections will we have if we aren't white, male, cis, able-bodied, and of a Judeo-Christian faith?
- If Trump is assassinated or decides he doesn't want to be President, will Pence really try institute conversion "therapy"?
- Will the consequences for women not smiling on command be legal?
- Will back-to-school shopping lists include Kevlar?
- How long will my prison sentence be for not standing for the national anthem or refusing to pledge my allegiance?
Make no mistake: As of 1/20/2017, we are a nation of extremes and once Trump's Cabinet appointments are confirmed, there will not be a moderate in the line of succession as far as the eye can see.
Before you comment with "if you don't like it, leave", take a civics class. If you don't like my position, then don't listen.
