Donald Trump has won the 2016 Presidential Election.
Trump. Won. Election. President. No combination of these words will ever make sense to me. Today I am filled with sorrow and disappointment for the US population, for those who wanted this to happen, and those who protest this as much as I do. I am beyond disbelief that a man who cannot even be trusted with his own Twitter account for fear of ruining his own campaign, will now be in charge of nuclear weapons and become the most powerful man in the world.
America, you now have a president who sexually abuses and permits the degradation women. Who makes jokes about the disabled and the elderly. Who is homophobic, and appoints a second in command who thinks homosexuality can be 'cured'. Who is thoroughly opposed to immigrants no matter their benefit to society and the economy. And a president who is a racist and honestly doesn't care about the Latino and African American population he now presides over. Trump does not believe in equal rights.
And perhaps the scariest thing about Donald Trump, is that this isn't really even about him anymore. He has become the face of a faceless movement, a whitelash, within the United States. His ideas have spurred on a collective, and he has brought out nothing but negativity among citizens. Many disillusioned voters have been persuaded by the wild ideas Trump seemed to almost make up on the spot during his election campaign, because of how wild and extreme they were. He is unlike any candidate America has been presented with before, which aids his popularity, particularly within those desperate for change. The core of his election campaign was based on fear and ignorance, which gathered a huge amount of momentum, highlighting racist undertones within the country just as Brexit did with us in the UK. People like Trump and Farage bring out the worst in people, because if you can't make people love you, you can certainly make them fear you.
I've had several people ask me why I feel so affected by this as a British citizen. Firstly, I have a degree in American Studies, and am completely passionate about the country, and will definitely live out there at some point in my life. Secondly, this will impact us. It's like throwing a stone into a body of water; the effects ripple out. It may not be now, it may not even be next year, but soon we will face challenges from this. Also, as a millennial, it is my generation that will deeply feel the effects of these global decisions we are making now, yet we are not the generation voting of this. Much like Brexit, the millennial generation voted strongly in favour against the eventual winner, showing the extent we feel we will be impacted by this.
So go on Trump, make America great again. When was America even so great? Was it back to a time where people from different races felt even more marginalised within society, with no rights? Or back in times where powerful women were unheard of? I am desperate for Donald Trump to prove me wrong. Despite everything he has said or done leading up to this point, a part of me must remain optimistic that maybe, just maybe, there is a chance that he could take this role seriously. That he will respect, be accepting and considerate towards everyone in the United States. And most of all, that he doesn't completely fuck the world over.
I am in shock today, but this is the hand we have been dealt. So it is with great reluctance that we must do our best to make what we can of this situation, and remain vocal so our opinions are not silenced by this decision.
Much love ♥
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