It has been just over a week since the election. Seems like it was a lot longer. I know many of you, like myself, have given the reality of this situation time to fully set in and accept that it is indeed happening. We have all reacted in very human ways. We are grieving not the loss of the election, but we are collectively grieving the loss of hope for a better future for this country for everyone. The key word be everyone. Some of us have felt betrayed by those who would vote for an agenda which would so clearly harm and marginalize so many of us. We sit and wonder if there is actually a place left in the American dream for all of us, or will the highest offices in this country roll back all of the Civil Rights and Climate Change advances we have made in the last fifty years? Important to notice I included Climate Change, a problem that would not only affect all Americans, but also the world as a whole. Actions do speak louder than words and in just a little over one week, the monstrous message is starting to solidify and become crystal clear. So I find myself, like many of you, sitting here at my desk wondering what we do now.
First,what we need to discuss is those who voted for this backward-thinking and hateful group of elected and appointed officials. Many of you have expressed your feelings of betrayal and it is true, in a very real essence you have been betrayed. It is clear and essential that we show our despair and disappointment in those who have decided to turn against their neighbors and family with their vote. Of course they do not see it that way. In truth, many people will vote for completely uneducated reasons which are much more gut reactions than a decision based in actual truth. They will cast a vote for something they are fundamentally against, simply as a protest against the other candidate. They will also vote for just one issue only. This makes it very easy for politicians to sell a load of goods to the people, which is actually against not only their moral foundations but also many against their own belief structures.
Most importantly, and I believe most likely, they vote out of fear. That is why we have seen, throughout history, horrible monsters come to power by playing into the fear of the masses. Fear sells and people will go to great lengths in order to include ideologies which would actually harm them in the name of being afraid. It is all in the name of fear. Fear is a stronger emotion, by far, than love. Fear triggers the switch in each us for personal survival. Let’s not forget the Americans lining up to give away certain privacies and rights in the wake of 9/11. We now know the Weapons of Mass Destruction were devised to convince all of us it was essential we go to war in Iraq. It was playing to our fears and the American people bought into it hook, line and sinker. It seems we would have learned from that lesson, but it is very hard to fight against the falsehoods, bogus news stories, and promises which were created for the sole purpose of feeding defeat.
The majority of American’s who voted for this horrible ideology did so because they were afraid. That is why, when you try to tell them their vote was against you, they get so upset. In their minds they did not vote against you at all. It was much more personal than that. They voted against their own fear. Sure, there are those in groups who jumped to the call, but you need to understand even though the KKK and Alt Right are based solidly in hate, the overwhelming reason they exist is fear. History tells us, the most dangerous among us have been motivated by nothing more than fear. So it is imperative that we stop crucifying our fellow Americans for their human reaction to their own fear and we begin to understand why they did what they did, even if they don’t.
We must first, understand they believe fully in the untruths they are being told. Their social media feeds and news feeds are being geared to control them through fear and to paint those of us who actively protest it as the boogeyman. A great example of this is a news story which was being circulated this week. It described several men as Anti-Trump agitators, setting a car on fire. The story was completely untrue, as a matter of fact, the picture was from 2012 and not even from this country. But I can promise you when the Trump voters see this they believe it completely. In a sense, it also feeds into their fears even though the real truth is that the majority of protests are peaceful. The ones, in reality, who are being harmed at the moment, are those suffering from an unprecedented rise in hate crimes since the election. For these people to understand they were part of and endorsed such hate would mean they would have to turn the mirror onto themselves. It took years for Germany to grasp the horrors done in their name by the Third Reich. Most will tell you, they had no idea about the horrors which were happening in the concentration camps right under their noses and it was essential to show them these horrors in order for them to accept and believe it.
I am not by any means telling you to be quiet for one moment. The best way to deal with this is not to condemn but to educate. Once again, fill your social media feeds with truth. Show the pictures and the stories about our minorities being harmed and threatened. Fill your news feeds with true stories about what is happening out there. Do not engage the Trump voter. They are not ready for you to discuss the truth with them at this moment. In much the same way we feel betrayed, they are feeling the need to justify their actions. For most of these voters, they do not believe they voted for a hate agenda. History will show the truth as long as we continue to in return offer the availability of that truth without engagement. Ignore their taunts. If you are met with violence there are still laws in this country against hate crimes. It is imperative that you get loud and demand justice if you are a victim of a hate crime. The message of the unacceptability of hate is very important. We can fight them but we need to be smarter than they are in this fight. So yes, go to social media and share the truth, but do not engage. Trust me, I know this is easier said than done.
Get into the streets and continue to protest. The various marches on Washington in January are very important. We need the largest numbers of people possible to gather in order to send a clear message that we are not going to sit down and take this quietly. It is also a very important message we need to send to the other nations of world who at this moment are scratching their heads. In the words of a German family to their son here in the States, “America has fallen. Get out.” The only way we can counter this world attitude is to show them that the majority of Americans do not subscribe to this monstrous Administration and their actions.
Keep in mind, they are not speaking for the majority of Americans and they know it is something we can use against them. The reason your news feeds are being filled with false stories about Trump winning the popular vote is a well thought-out battle against us, using the majority argument. He clearly did not win the popular vote, but once again you need to remember his followers believe the falsehoods completely and totally. This fight is not going to be without sacrifice. They will call our peaceful protests riots. They are going to try to paint us out as non-voters who only participate in violence. The goal is to continue to paint us out as the boogeyman at the door in order to control, not only us, but those who already voted for him. It is a continued fear-inducing technique using US as the thing to fear.
Understand the media is not our friend. They are completely in on this. During the election our media had people on their payrolls who were actually being paid by the Trump campaign. There was no such thing as fair reporting and you need to understand this. This was a coup carried out with lies and fear. So be prepared when they continue to come at us, it is for the sole purpose to silence us and in return induce fear within us. Do not let them get away with it. Understand that protests do not and should not end in January. Protesting is now a way of life for all of us and should continue because this fight as just begun.
The next thing you should expect is some sort of attack being orchestrated by those in power to further their agenda and continue the demonization of those who are opposing them. History does repeat itself. Hitler was a master at the technique of fear mongering in order to control the German people. Also, outside terrorists might also use this time to further their agendas by an attack. But if something along these lines happens you must not let it silence your voices. Understand this is just one of the weapons that is going to be used against us. So stay present and in the world, protesting.
The battle is not only being fought in the streets. We need to prepare to fight it legally in order to protect our rights as well as the Constitution. They are going to try to peddle the idea that this country was built upon Christianity. Of course that is not true, but all you have to do is see the things they are attempting to do in the name of God to understand this is clearly a weapon they plan on using. The Constitution is our protective device and it is going to become essential that we fund those legal and activist organizations who are going to fight this battle. Donate, if you are able, to the ACLU and the Human Rights Campaign Fund. These two organizations will be on the legal front lines and they need our support in order to protect the Constitution and our rights. Come on people – we have done this before! We know this battle plan inside and out. Find out what organizations are currently lobbying and leading the legal fight for minority rights in your state. Here in the Missouri, one good suggestion would be to support PROMO.
Make a personal assessment of what you can personally do and offer to the fight ahead. I will give you a personal example, I am a trained speaker and traveled this country for years speaking to large and small crowds, inspiring and teaching. I am going to turn my lecture skills into a skill for activism. I am also a respected author. I going to make sure everything I write from now on points into a direction of understanding and inclusion. Entertainment is a very powerful tool to use within activism. Much of the LGBTQ and other minority advances were made through the arts. It is important that we understand whatever our strengths are individually and offer them up in order to fight further oppression. Whatever your personal assessment is, you will be welcomed and there is room for your talents to participate and make a difference.
There are those of us who are the most vulnerable. There has been a large amount of hate rhetoric directed toward the elderly and the disabled. They are going to need us to help them through the rough times ahead and the trials we are all facing. Did you know 38% of the homeless teens in America are LGBTQ and over half of them have been abused? There are numerous organizations out there like Covenant House and your local LGBTQ centers which are currently on the front lines of this battle and need your support. These are kids who have been rejected and discarded by those who should have protected and loved them but they were cast aside for nothing more than being different. These numbers are going to rise within all minorities and the crimes against them will continue to rise because there are those in this country who feel they have been given the right through this election to show the worst behavior possible. Right now, there are minority children out there in schools who are being terrorized by their peers. We must do everything we can do in order to protect our youth, the elderly, and the sick within the current climate in this country. Their attitude is, if they are sick, let them die. If they are hungry, let them starve. If they are different, control them or simply just make them disappear. Make no mistake – this is what we are fighting against. The lost, sick, different and helpless are going to need us even more now than ever.
I wish I could tell you everything was going to be okay. Unfortunately, I cannot do that at this time because we simply do not know how far this going to go. However, I can offer you some solace in understanding we have been fighting these exact battles for years. This war is from over. We have the ability and the knowledge on how to fight these things. Fighting is exactly what we are going to do. We will refuse to let them marginalize or normalize us for their will. We are much stronger than they are because they have given us this incredible strength through their hate. If you combine the numbers of all minorities in the country you find we are actually the majority. There extreme power in the majority voice of the people.
The best way to handle things is to understand who the enemy is, how they think, how to change them, and yes of course, how to defeat them. We need to be ready to bring them into our fold when they begin to understand they have been sold a load of false goods. There are those we are fighting at the moment who will turn to us, in the end, to join us. We need to be willing to accept them when that happens. At this moment in history they do not understand how their current decision is going to adversely affect their world. We must be the bigger people and accept them when the impact of their actions becomes clear to them. Then, of course, there are going to be those who will never wake from their fear-induced fantasies. For those, they will always be lost.
