Trumps Win Can Not Be Undone, For Me, It’s Become Personal
Posted: November 12, 2016
Idiots yell. intellectuals debate opinion. And the wise man is silent. If I say something that resonates with you please let me know. Dialog gives us an opportunity to grow, #WisdomThruRespect . My name is Rho. I am not a speaker. I am a thinker. I do my best thinking in Excel. I’m a data nerd. I am the principal contributor to Assume Wisely, a blog about making decisions.
I believe my experience can be of help as you seek to heal, and heal frayed relationships. In the early hours of election day I seriously considered voting for Trump, I am not politically offended: I understand where republicans are coming from.
It still hurts.
I put his character aside, just as I put hers.
It still hurts.
I was able to excuse a man who is accustomed to having his way with people. Now he has had his way with the american people.
It still hurts.
Something else is happening.
I started my morning routine at 4 am on Wednesday like it was any other day. In the wake of Trump’s win the Dow dropped during overnight trading. I was looking for bargains in the market. It is important for me to highlight where my mind was because something had changed and I was not aware. I had not consumed any media. This wasn’t political upset. This wasn’t the pain of loosing. This wasn’t sadness. This wasn’t mourning.
This was visceral pain. This was fear. It wasn’t until I am getting off the bus that I realize I am feeling uncomfortable. Three things stand out this morning:
- all the faces on the bus are white.
- the lavish breakfast spread out for a meeting I'm not invited to
- the admission of a friend that voted Trump
Somehow each of these pointed to one singular conclusion. It is important to not let emotions control your decisions, but you should never ignore them. My emotions are hijacked with a sense that . . .
. . . I do not belong.
I’ve come to know this feeling well. I feel a sense of accomplishment that I’ve been able to dismiss this feeling. But it still hangs around in the shadows. This week, it stepped out of the shadows. Have I been kidding myself all along? Now I ask,
do i belong?
Did i ever? My friend assures me he isn’t racist. He says,
“ My heart goes out to those who are in pain or feel our country has turned its back on them. I hope my thoughts may help clear up some of those inaccuracies so heads can be raised, hope rekindled, friends reunited, and we can move forward as one. I hope you can better understand that I (and most of the 60 million of us) didn’t vote for him out of hatred toward you.”
I’ve had several friends justify themselves on Facebook. They insist they are not racists. In the days leading up to the election I adopted the words of a gay Trump supporter,
“Voters do not pull a lever to endorse a candidate’s flaws."
That is still true. But It doesn’t invalidate that I have been wounded. It was not intentional, it was not anticipated. I am equally surprised. It is nonetheless a wound. I need time to heal. I need to move forward.
How Can I Move Forward?
Here in Utah, I am getting involved in politics for the first time. Regardless of who you support, I invite you to walk with me. Subscribe below and we can walk together. The path forward is not clear. Here are some first steps we can take:
- Get clear on your values.
- Attend and participate in community meetings.
- Volunteer with your party.
- Work on a campaign.
- Wear a safety pin.
There’s a growing effort in the United States for people to start wearing a safety pin in the face of attacks and harassment. It is literally a safety pin. One small way to signal that you’re an ally (regardless of who you voted for) to anyone who feels so out of place in this volatile time.
The “safety pin” symbol was inspired by the 2014 #illridewithyou movement in Sydney, Australia. People offered to sit next to Muslims who felt threatened on their commutes — at the time, in the aftermath of a terrorist attack, they feared an Islamophobic backlash.
For those that subscribe below I will be creating a community with content, links, and tips for those who are walking this path for the first time. Involvement is more than voting. Involvement is more than knowing about the Utah caucus system. Involvement is a weekly if not monthly engagement. This is a first for me too. If you are interested in walking this path together, i invite you to subscribe below