If there’s anything to be said about New York City after this election, it’s that we don’t stay silent. Like many other millennials in several other cities across this nation, I have had the opportunity to exercise my democratic right and protest our imminent leader. In my experience doing so, I have seen the silver lining around this dark cloud of a national decision. We, as a party, have united. Back in July, when the Democratic National Convention decided on Hillary Clinton as the candidate for this election season, we saw a split in our party. Scorned Bernie supporters raved that it was rigged, and Hillary supporters rejoiced and begged their fellow leftists to join on the journey to the White House with the self proclaimed pantsuit aficionado herself. Now, in the face of validated bigotry, hatred, and antiquated traditionalism it was all of us out there on the streets rioting for the protection of our social progress as a new generation. This unity amongst us and the anger that we have for the rights of our fellow man: there is our silver lining. I am not Muslim, transgender, or an undocumented immigrant and neither were many of my fellow protesters, but none of us cared. We have come to realize that the rights of others are as valuable and worth defending as our own. I am so proud of what I’ve seen in this past week.
Now, I know that many are going to read this and say, “well the rest of the country is not like New York City and clearly does not share that sense of unity,” and they would be right. As happy as we are in this liberal metropolis, there is resistance against cruel and dangerous values, there are rumors throughout the internet of KKK risings and heartbreaking stories about hijab women being attacked and LGBT+ being beaten. A Saudi man was bludgeoned to the point of death in Wisconsin. As an idealist youth, I’ve been forced to realize is that the rest of my country is not like my city, but that’s not why I’m writing this. This is a small article in one publication that I wanted to write to those in dangerous areas, those who are afraid to wear their sacred headdresses for fear of attack, those who just look to be of a certain ethnic descent, those who fear an unethical deportation of their families and destruction of their livelihood.
I am writing to those who have been disillusioned by the nation that works so hard to proclaim itself as egalitarian. I want you to know that there are those that care. There are entire cities that accept you and love you and will fight to defend you.
I know that it’s a very real possibility that there are people who find themselves to be the only ones on their block with melanin, or with Muslim beliefs, or trying to achieve citizenship, but I hope that if you’re reading this, this is a small comfort in the face of such despair.
To those low income, often white, 55% female Americans that voted for the hatred that shook marginalized groups to their very core, I want to make it clear that I don’t hate you. You have been tricked by the militant nationalist and therefore fascist response of the ruling class that tells you that your poverty is due to other proletarian people. You have been sold the lie that your enemy is the man who is another color, or the woman who loves a woman, or the refugee from a war torn nation. You have been fooled. The only ones to blame for your poverty and your struggles are not those you think are stealing your jobs, it’s those who carry the capitalistic system that requires such income disparity. So, as you voted for a man who is counting on your pain and fear, I want you to know that you have only been fooled. You will never succeed on the backs of those who could help you in the struggle out of capitalism. You have turned on who could be your comrades, your brothers and sisters, and descended into a lie that fascist rhetoric is the answer. I can only hope you realize the error of your ways.
As we move toward the transition between these historic presidencies, I hope we can all find the unity that is necessary to prosper. Hate has never been the answer. Perhaps, after embracing it fully as a nation yet again, we will remember why our ancestors died to stop it.
Comments are closed.