I don’t even know where to start. Weeks before the actual election results came out, I had this overwhelming suspicion that Trump would take the win. Following the results with my fellow editors, we all watched as an inexperienced billionaire accused on multiple occasions of sexual assault was voted in as the new president.
Honestly, what surprises me more than this news is the fact that I’m so surprised. I knew it was coming. I was just hoping as the hours rolled by that it wouldn’t become a reality. I was hoping that one of the most influential countries wouldn’t let their nation be led by someone who built his reputation on hatred. The whole thing still feels like a bad dream.
A few of my friends on Facebook were posting status updates that took a strong stance on the fact that Canadians being upset had no place in the election.
I beg to differ. We should all worry.
A few days after his win, photos were popping up all over the internet (and even my own social media pages) of how people chose to “celebrate”. I saw photos of a message spray-painted on a trailer saying “Make America White Again,” with a swastika painted in the middle. I saw photos on my own feed of people in my city wearing the confederate flag down the street and draping signs over highway bridges reading: Canadians for Trump.
This racism doesn’t even include the countless stories already published of minorities facing harsh circumstances in light of his win.
Trump released his 100-day plan on November 9. Of those plans, some include: “Cancel billions in payments to U.N. climate change programs and use the money to fix America’s water and environmental infrastructure, cancel all federal funding to Sanctuary Cities, and suspend immigration from terror-prone regions where vetting cannot safely occur. All vetting of people coming into our country will be considered extreme vetting.”
Two days ago a friend of mine uploaded an article on Facebook from Mashable, “Donald Trump’s war on LGBTQ people has already begun.” The piece stated that Trump elected former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell to lead his domestic transition team. The article went on to provide some background on Blackwell, reminding readers that he once compared LGBTQ community members to farm animals. A quote was provided from 2004, stating that Blackwell once said, “I don’t know how many of you have a farming background but I can tell you right now that notion even defies barnyard logic…the barnyard knows better.”
Adding to the disturbing laundry list, Trump was accused of raping a 13-year-old girl in 1994. Choosing to remain anonymous, Jane Doe received constant backlash throughout the lawsuit. She even planned on attending a press conference, but backed out last-minute on account of her receiving threats. To make matters worse, the girl was instructed to drop the lawsuit.
On November 13, it was reported that Trump chose Reince Priebus as chief of staff. Regarding the charges that Trump faces, Priebus’ general attitude is merely to shrug them off. In an interview with Fox News Sunday earlier this year, host Chris Wallace wanted to hear Priebus’ thoughts on Trump being accused of mistreating women. As reported by The Fiscal Times, Priebus’ response to the accusations was, “We’ve been working on this primary for over a year, Chris, and I’ve got to tell you that all these stories that come out—and they come out every couple weeks—people just don’t care.” When Wallace pressed him on why he thinks people don’t care, Priebus was quick to backtrack. He was quoted as saying, “Look, I’m not saying people don’t care about it. I’m just saying I think the reason he’s where he’s at is that he represents something much different than the traditional analysis of individual candidates. And yes, everything bothers me, Chris. But I don’t know the truth of these things. I don’t know other than reading an article, whether or not these things are true. I think it’s something that Donald Trump is going to have to answer questions in regard to. All I’m saying, though, is that after a year of different stories, nothing applies.”
It was also announced on November 13 that Trump elected Stephen Bannon as his “chief strategist and senior counselor.” Bannon’s record is far from clean. In 2011, he once stated in a radio interview that women like Sarah Palin, Michele Bachmann, and Ann Coulter “threaten the progressive narrative.” He was also quoted as saying, “That’s why there are some unintended consequences of the women’s liberation movement. That, in fact, the women that would lead this country would be pro-family, they would have husbands, they would love their children. They wouldn’t be a bunch of dykes that came from the Seven Sisters schools up in New England.”
He also runs the far-right website breitbart.com, a website having featuring several posts about Trump’s reign and outwardly supporting his campaign.
An article published by The Atlantic in August 2016 stated, “Bannon added in 2013 that winning requires harnessing outrage, which is needed ‘to give the system a shock,’ thereby bringing about a better ‘negotiating position.’”
Trump was elected on November 9, and this is what he has done so far.
To say that this won’t affect people outside of the U.S. is ignorant. America holds some serious pull in this world. They’re a powerful country. Deals need to be made. Trades will be negotiated. Minorities will suffer more than they already have.
It’s important to remember that this vote will affect us all. Though, we also need to remember that now, more than ever, is the time to stand together and fight for the issues Trump will try to ignore.
YOURS,
MARIA CRUZ
I guess this article deserves at least one comment.