Dear America,
Today we perch on the edge of your election. It feels like we’re poised on the edge of an abyss; a deep black void.
I am not overstating things when I say that many of us are terrified.
From what I can observe, from up here in the Northernmost part of North America, it seems that you are engaged in a battle for human decency.
Every time that horrible orange man or his small-minded running mate spews some new hate-filled lie, one more crack in the veneer of civilization appears. It feels like a grand Lord of the Flies experiment, which, if I recall correctly, didn’t go that well.
Civility, calm, kindness, and most especially, truth and rationality, have long ago disappeared from the scene.
There can be no discussions of real issues with a candidate that only repeats stock phrases about a ‘great’ white bread yesteryear where ‘those’ people and nasty women knew their place. And as an aside, is it just me, or have you noticed that the ones who continually talk about God and the blessing of America are the ones who model the least Christ-like behaviour?
Fortunately, we’ve had very little access to television these past few months, but even so, I’ve seen too much.
It is quiet here in our little cottage by the Salish Sea and those endlessly rushing waves reminds me that the Earth has seen all of this before.
Seasons come. Seasons go. Tides come in. Tides go out. Empires rise. Empires fall.
We only have to look at Once-Was-Great-Britain to see how much can change, or look at the historical maps of the Roman empire, or the Ottoman…
Maybe, when all those earth-shattering changes were happening, their citizens huddled together, sharing dinners and promising to be kind to each other in the face of all that was becoming barbaric around them. God willing, they said. Inshallah, they muttered.
But it is not enough to be kind. It is not enough to call out to your particular god. You need to get out and vote, to be the change you want to see in the world. Vote for a country based on hope and love, not a small-minded version based on fear and hatred.
America, we are your neighbours and your friends. We love you and we beseech you to pull yourselves back from the brink. We are holding our breath up here and hoping you throw off those orange-tinted glasses. That nasty ugliness-spewing man who shall not be named is not the one for you.
You’ve been telling the world that your democratic system is the one to be modelled. Do us a favour and show us that it works. The world is watching.
If you’ve already voted. Thank you. Now go out and find as many terrifying Muslims, killer Mexicans, ‘funny’ disabled people and all those uppity nasty women and get them to mark their ballots too. Those people matter.
God bless you America. You’re going to need all the blessings you can find.
But please remember this…your Canadian neighbours are rooting for you.
Sincerely,
Canada
Colleen i am disappointed but not surprised by the result. Potential politicians are very persuasive in addressing people’s fears and their gullibilbility mąkę them hear what they want to hear.
Mr Trump has promised a lot. Can he deliver???
Catherine, you’re so right about the fear factor. I really believe that was a very large part of his appeal although I shake my head as I write those words. I’m personally flummoxed as to how they could not see through his lies and narcissism.
The scary part is; what if he delivers? What if he throws out the Mexicans that do all America’s labour? He will grind their economy to a screaming halt. What if he makes it okay to persecute Muslims, to degrade women, to let racism continue unchecked and even encouraged? Everything he said was all such vague fear-mongering and unrealistic promises.
I am trying to remain optimistic that the system will have enough checks and balances to combat his impulsiveness.
Now, all we can do is watch.
Thank you Colleen, for your view from the North. I voted last week before my travels and will be watching the returns from Chapala. Wishing you were here to watch with me!
Colleen, well said. I’m so completely over it. The negativity. The fact that THIS is where we are as a country? Sad. Makes me very sad and more than a little afraid of what’s yet to come. The fact that so many people who live in this country have supported you-know-who — well, it’s mind-boggling. There are a lot of angry people out there – that’s what I think it says. And that is scary.
Today will definitely be a day that goes down in history. Hell, this entire election will go down in history (how many years has it been? way too long say my fellow Canadian friends).
I’m hoping there is light on the other side of this. That people will give up all that anger and replace it with compassion for all those who are struggling with such pain that they thought HE was the answer. Ugh.
Fingers and toes crossed. Hoping we wake up to a tomorrow that is not walled in!
Gwen. It is hard to feel hopeful this morning but I really do believe that ultimately goodness wins…we just might have to wait awhile for that to happen.
For now the racism and misogyny that has been officially endorsed with his election,must be fought against in every possible moment.
What at the outset appeared to be some sort of a bad joke has become deadly serious with this reality TV host on the threshold of becoming the most powerful person in the world. I share your sentiments and pray that when I wake up tomorrow the USA has its first woman president.
Catherine. Apparently our prayers fell on deaf ears. The best news I saw was that if you look at the voting pattern of the millennials…America was blue not red.
The pendulum will swing when Americans realize they’ve hired a TV personality instead of a president.
Thank you Colleen…true words with just a little humour thrown in, something lacking in the past months of Campaigning. This model of Democracy has been tarnished and I wonder if it can be the shining light it once was. I’m keeping my fingers crossed.
Sophie, all our crossed fingers and nail-biting has come to nothing. I am so heartbroken for how he is about to betray all the people he claims to represent and most especially for anyone who isn’t white.
Very eloquent, Colleen. You put into words many of my own feelings. This has been an increasingly ugly election and the incivility, rudeness has been contagious everywhere. The world needs an expansion of human consciousness, not a contraction. Thanks for the thoughtful post.
Lesley. I guess I was whistling in the dark. The inconceivable has happened. I fear for anyone who isn’t white and male in America. Permission to be racist has been officially granted.