Hi America,
It’s us, the rest of the world. It’s about time we had a little talk about the state of your political landscape.
Billions of us followed this election year with much anticipation. Despite the lengthy election campaign period, we were engaged with your political process, and paid close attention to the candidates both parties nominated. But the nominee of one particular party had us all shocked.
We, like many of you, were humored by Donald Trump’s decision to run for the Republican nominee.
“Nah,” we all thought, “that can’t happen. No way.”
And then it did. Other hopefuls started joining him across the country, and his support network grew. All of this despite the numerous bigoted things he said, and did.
Gravely concerned, the rest of the world watched as he campaigned across the country. Trump spewed venom, and the crowds lapped it up. He oftentimes stuck his foot in his mouth and left it there. He wasn’t even sorry.
His last few weeks of his election campaign were met with multiple character assassinations, in an attempt to show the world how vile he really is. The presidential debates exacerbated his unpreparedness for office. But that didn’t seem to phase him, or you presumably. He was already surrounded by numerous scandals, which should have severely affected his support. And we all assumed it would, including Hillary.
We ALL thought, “there’s no way the people in the US would vote for someone like this. NO WAY.”
I awoke this morning to bleak skies and rain. Today’s a dismal day, not only for you, but for us too. We counted on you, and though many thought you’d vote for “the lesser of two evils,” it appears your scope of evil is more than we’d imagine. You took us by surprise.
And that affects the entire world. All 7 billion of us, which includes you.
You put in charge a man who is racist, bigoted, misogynistic, prejudice, and inarticulate. His foreign policy is atrocious, which is particularly worrisome for the international community. Need you be reminded: he’s the Commander-in-Chief of your armed forces. This includes nuclear weapons. He can, if he wants to, start the next world war. Your domestic decision has global effects.
I think you need a minute to let the gravity of what’s just happened sink in. Let it weigh in.
He has zero political experience. With drone attacks on 7 countries, socio-political crises ongoing for years, and domestic turmoil, the question, as it has always been, HOW is he going to handle this? What’s his plan? A nostalgic slogan is not a plan.
His campaign was smeared with hate, insults and potential war crimes. You let fear get the better of you, and the world is bracing itself. We’re a mix of disbelief, disgust, anxiety and uneasiness – and it’s palpable. Our thoughts of ‘what if’ consumes us. We’re downright terrified.
I’m scared for the family and friends I’ve got in the US who are citizens and visible minorities. I am worried for their safety. I’m worried for those with children, who had to tell them this morning over breakfast that the Boogey Man is real. Kids who were already being bullied by the possibility of this happening must now prepare themselves for its actuality.
A few had predicted this outcome. But who would want to believe that? The EC numbers showed the US voting in high numbers and a white lash being its result. Trump’s voters were overwhelmingly white, many of them women. This was White Supremacy at work. This was a glaringly racist president elect. That’s evident to us, and you. There’s much to be done to push back. It seems as though you’ve been set back decades when you were fighting against the tides.
This absolutely has to be a wakeup call.
To those of you who are awash with feelings of trepidation, take time for yourself and your loved ones. Organize, be visible and push back, because we can’t do that for you.
It should have never come to this, but I can’t utter the name Donald Trump in the context of his presidency. So we’ll call him He who shall not be named. But remember evil, hate, and fear didn’t win. So don’t let it.
Sincerely,
The world.
