Things Democrats Are Saying That Bug Me, And I Am One (A Democrat, Not a Bug)

Trigger warning: If you are actively experiencing pain as a consequence of the Presidential Election results, you might want to pass on this post…

1) “Everyone who voted for Trump cares only about themselves. Hope those cheaper eggs and that cheaper gas help out your pocketbook these next four years.”

2) “Everyone who voted for Trump instead of a woman of color is misogynistic and racist. Why else would a white, male convicted felon win over an accomplished woman of color?”

3) “Everyone who voted for Trump wants all women to be put in their place, all people of color to be put in their place, and all queer people to be put in their place. Everyone who voted for Trump feels their power and supremacy is being threatened by these marginalized groups.”

4.” Everyone who voted for Trump believes illegal immigrants are not people.”

5. “Everyone who voted for Trump is unnecessarily scared and a coward. Fears about their personal safety and security are imaginary and propaganda-ed, and they’re stupid not to see that.”

Let me be clear. I believe we are flirting with this reality: America’s true colors - the ones bubbling under the surface for years - revealed themselves in big ways last Tuesday; we are (still) a very self-centered, misogynistic, racist, homophobic, xenophobic country.

But I can’t stop there.

Why?

Because I’m Pollyanna, that’s why.

The five statements above are untrue.

And I have proof.

The reason I know they are untrue is because I know quite a few someones who voted for Trump and for whom the above statements are untrue.

Now, I’ve heard the entities of misogyny, racism, homophobia, and xenophobia once likened to bad dental health. And the entities of feminism, ant-racism, gay pride, and xenophilia likened to good dental health. Often, those who are moving down the path towards misogyny, racism, homophobia, and xenophobia don’t know they are… it happens insidiously, like the plague of cavities, not all in one day. And just as it takes a hell of a lot of brushing and mouth washing and flossing to keep our dental health good, we need to look in lots of metaphorical mirrors to guarantee we aren’t falling prey to misogyny, racism, homophobia, and xenophobia.

So, could the someones I know who voted for Trump be unconsciously, blindly, and unknowingly self centered, misogynistic, racist, homophobic, and xenophobic?

Perhaps.

Probably, even.

Yet…

It’s easy for me, for whom the inflated price of eggs doesn’t break the bank, to accuse all those who voted for Trump in hopes for changes like reduced inflation as being self-centered.

It’s easy for me, for whom relationships with members of the queer community have enriched and expanded my life, to blame people who have never befriended a gay person and only had Christian confusion on the subject pushed down their throats for their homophobia.

It’s easy for me, for whom border control and immigration policy do not change my day to day, my husband’s breadwinning opportunities, or my neighborhood, to frown upon people who voted for Trump in hopes for change that gives a stronger path to the American Dream for those born in America.

It’s easy for me, for whom personal safety due to my economic privilege is not at stake on a daily basis, to look down upon people who voted for Trump in hopes for change that involves less crime, less illegal activity, less drugs as dramatic.

None of these reasons make voting for Trump OK, in my opinion. It doesn’t avert the harm done by voting for him. It doesn’t mean we need to placate them or defend them.

I just know that my own teeth aren’t perfectly clean, despite my trying…

And I know it must be especially hard to keep one’s teeth clean when:

a) one was never offered dental health education (no teaching about the truths of feminism, anti-racism, gay pride, and xenophelia).

b) one is barely getting by with enough to survive; there’s no time/money for purchasing a toothbrush (no time/resources to adopt the tools for exercising the truths of feminism, anti-racism, gay pride, and xenophelia).

c) one does’t even know about the fact that bacteria exists, much less its insidious nature (no knowledge of the insidious tendencies for misogyny, racism, homophobia, and xenophobia to spread).

What keeps me sane is:

• knowing that #1-#5 above are not true

• that there is a bit of “unknowing” (and trickery from Trump, I might add) that tempers my blame for some Trump supporters

• (my favorite) I believe that we can undo the pain/desperation that led people to vote for Trump without compromising our movement towards selflessness, feminism, anti-racism, gay pride, and xenophilia.

May the United States gift us (another) leader who will do just that.