I'm honored. I'm disappointed. I'm scared. I'm finding comfort.
I'm honored to have cast my first vote in a presidential election in favor of Hillary Rodham Clinton, the most qualified person for the job this country has ever seen. I caucused for Hillary, I donated to her campaign, I made buttons, I did what I could and I'm honored to have done it. I'm so glad that my first vote went to a woman who truly wanted to help this nation; a person who ran a campaign built on unity, not the destruction of the "other."
But I'm disappointed in our country. I knew that there was so much more to do, but I didn't realize the power of white supremacy. This nation elected a candidate backed by the KKK and other neo-Nazi, white supremacist groups. We thought we had come so far, but it's clear that with every step forward there are four steps back.
I'm scared for myself, I'm scared for women, immigrants, Muslims, POC, LBGT+, and disabled people. I don't feel safe in the country I have called home for so long. Last night I was surrounded by so many people but we all felt so alone; our country abandoned us. I walked out of my dorm today and I was afraid of the people I met; I was unsure of who to trust, who actually cares about me, who was on my side, I still am.
After a restless, tear-filled night, followed by a stressful, tear-filled morning, I sat in my adviser's office with tissues in both hands trying to figure out where we go from here. How do we regroup? How do we look forward? Earlier, I broke down and subsequently shut down: I was distraught. But in his words I found comfort, and I realized that it was more prevalent than I thought. I'm finding some comfort in the people who support me and in those that I support. I'm finding some comfort in my tears. I'm finding some comfort in my Lord. Soon, I will begin to heal, but for now I will grieve.
I can't say that I believe Trump was the best thing for our county, but he is what we'll have this January. I keep hearing a lot of people promise to leave, but I can't leave this country. McGill is a fine institution, but I'm going to stay here (even though, I will admit, I checked the transfer policy for international students). I'm going to fight: Trump may have won this election but we can not let the ideologies he normalized remain popular opinions.
After the Constitutional Convention Benjamin Franklin said we have "a republic, if you can keep it."
"If you can keep it."
Ben Franklin was a pretty terrible person, but he got at least one thing right. Our republic exists because of us, and if we leave, or stop pushing for equality and acceptance, or give up on it, we threaten the livelihood of this nation.
Can we?
I'm staying in the US, I'm staying at my university, I'm not giving up. I'm trying to wrestle with what the future will bring and I'm scared, but I am not losing hope in what this country can be. You shouldn't lose hope either.
I'm honored to have cast my first vote in a presidential election in favor of Hillary Rodham Clinton, the most qualified person for the job this country has ever seen. I caucused for Hillary, I donated to her campaign, I made buttons, I did what I could and I'm honored to have done it. I'm so glad that my first vote went to a woman who truly wanted to help this nation; a person who ran a campaign built on unity, not the destruction of the "other."
 |
| The Hillary button I made and pinned to my backpack in the weeks leading up to the election. |
I'm scared for myself, I'm scared for women, immigrants, Muslims, POC, LBGT+, and disabled people. I don't feel safe in the country I have called home for so long. Last night I was surrounded by so many people but we all felt so alone; our country abandoned us. I walked out of my dorm today and I was afraid of the people I met; I was unsure of who to trust, who actually cares about me, who was on my side, I still am.
After a restless, tear-filled night, followed by a stressful, tear-filled morning, I sat in my adviser's office with tissues in both hands trying to figure out where we go from here. How do we regroup? How do we look forward? Earlier, I broke down and subsequently shut down: I was distraught. But in his words I found comfort, and I realized that it was more prevalent than I thought. I'm finding some comfort in the people who support me and in those that I support. I'm finding some comfort in my tears. I'm finding some comfort in my Lord. Soon, I will begin to heal, but for now I will grieve.
 |
| Me, on Nov. 8, 2016, holding my "I voted" sticker. |
After the Constitutional Convention Benjamin Franklin said we have "a republic, if you can keep it."
"If you can keep it."
Ben Franklin was a pretty terrible person, but he got at least one thing right. Our republic exists because of us, and if we leave, or stop pushing for equality and acceptance, or give up on it, we threaten the livelihood of this nation.
Can we?
I'm staying in the US, I'm staying at my university, I'm not giving up. I'm trying to wrestle with what the future will bring and I'm scared, but I am not losing hope in what this country can be. You shouldn't lose hope either.
