*I would like to preface this blog post... I am political, but not very vocal about my political views. This was something that I needed to get off my chest, when no American was around to talk too. I think that all people should be educated on their political system. Also, in light of recent events that are happening in the U.S. I hope that people who are unnerved, offended, sickened, and appalled by this election, begin to become more proactive in their political system and communities. This is my actual journal entry.
11/9/16 – The ninth of November, 2016, Fremantle, West Australia *Remember I'm in a different time zone, ahead of the USA
Today Donald Trump became president. How else do you start this conversation? … This conversation about how the world is completely rattled. Not just the citizens of the United States, but the citizens of the world.
I voted via absentee ballot for Hilary Clinton. Not because I necessarily wanted her to be president, but because, in my opinion, she was the obvious candidate. And to be quite honest, I don’t even know if my vote counted, because I might have filled it out incorrectly. Either way, I didn’t go out of my way to ensure that I indeed voted without error to my ballot. Why did I do that? Probably because I honestly don’t know what to think about the whole election, and both of the parties involved. And I, like most of the world, or at least the one that I have been going through the last couple of years, thinks that Hillary should be President. These opinions formed by my own social experiment, conversations, and observations that have been occurring since Trump decided to run for President of the U.S.A. I have been traveling in and out of the country the majority of the campaign.
Don’t get me wrong, many of my friends, family members and people I have spoken with have been rooting for Trump, some of which overseas as well. Seriously, a man from Tinder went as far as to bring up Trump in his opening message to me. Immediately unmatched… partially for his political views, but mainly because that he how he started the conversation with me, because I was an American. That's how every person in the weeks leading up to the election would start a conversation with me... about Trump! The world is paying attention… maybe even more than Americans. But what the fuck do any of us know? Do we really even have a clue of what is happening? No… I don’t think we do. So this is where we stand… That’s it… Trump is going to be taking office.
When I woke up this morning, Hilary was ahead with electoral votes, and I breathed a sigh of relief. I monitored it semi-closely… spoke to a friend in Hawaii that didn’t even vote with a ‘fuck’em both, either way we’re screwed’ attitude, and then got an updated report first thing from the Aussie that has been letting me crash at his house; a family man, hardworking Aussie citizen, well informed on the topic at hand. The world is paying attention… it is all over the Australian news… and I must add that their commentators seem more informed and less argumentative than ours… there are real conversations happening about the issues, the repercussions, and more, rather the pointless bickering and bashing, name calling and finger pointing.
In the past few months, some of my most intellectual friends had come out in support of The Donald, and even in my state of shock, I had an inkling that he was going to win. I even expressed this to the Australian family I had been staying with. Majority of Trump supporters were vocal, but there are so many that cast their ballot and kept it to themselves. From where I see it… hate is what lost Hillary the election… the sheer hate and fear that drives negative behavior. Do we really ‘hate’ her? Or do we dislike her policies, her history, her sense of entitlement, the way she talks, the way she cuts her hair? Clinton was the most qualified candidate running for this election. Trump has no political experience except for greasing some palms, and avoiding taxes. Blah, blah, blah. We have all heard it all. No need for me to remind us yet again of all the foul and nasty comments that have word vomited right out of that asshole’s mouth. Yes I think he’s not a very good man, but this is it… he is going to be President.
So let me get to the point… where do we go from here?
President Obama said it, ‘Tomorrow the sun will shine, and we will still be the greatest country in the world.’ Well, I'm not so sure about that. Regardless of what happens though, we can not be motivated by hate, and know that tomorrow is another day! If you want real change to occur, you need to be educated about what is happening. Get involved with what can really make a difference beyond making comments on your blog or Facebook... I realize the irony in this statement as I type.
Today I went to Yoga and Hilary was winning… the world made sense… I came back from Yoga & Trump was clearly going to win the United States Presidential Election. Shock, embarrassment… the world thinks we are fools. ‘We’, meaning all Americans. It doesn't matter who you voted for. We are not different in the eyes of the world… in Australia the coverage of Americans going out to rallies and voting are Hillary haters with Voodoo dolls and reciting hate slurs and bigotry. I have literally seen this on television while 'down under'. This is ignorance my friends, lack of education, it is not the whole of our country, but I hate to break it you Americans, but that’s what we look like.
I have been traveling for 3 months now, and the election is a topic of conversation that everyone wants to talk to you about because you are an American. It is an impossible conversation to walk away from. Thank God I had the opportunity to be alone today. My friend, an Aussie that I’m staying with her Aunt and Uncle, came back from Uni today and told me the emotions of all the people at her school. This is not even their country? Why are they so emotional? I’ll tell you why… The United States affects the whole world. And we, as U.S. citizens barely know anything about foreign political systems, or for that matter our own political system! If we did, maybe we wouldn't be in this situation right not. Why is that we don't know anything? I guess, because if we want to know about the world in the U.S.A., we have to seek it out, rather than get the usual energy drain from our own self-absorbed makings of media… CNN, Fox, MSNBC… they are all covering trivial bullshit about fucking political backlashes and tweets and celebrity shenanigans, rather than educating our nation about the world around us, and the actual issues at hand. World news my ass.
Apparently, I’m getting heated, this is not my intention.
Apologies. My real issue here is education, and the matter that I want to broach. Education is what we are lacking in the United States. We are a huge population that is cranking out more ignorant than educated nowadays. Our government is more consumed with foreign affairs, than taking care of some of the issues at home. They are driving the middle class down, networks are shoving propaganda is our face, our priorities are being turned upside down.
The 2016 Presidential Election is just smoke and mirrors. These crazy campaigns, media frenzied motivated comments, and outlandish antics are just clouding our eyes from the real issue… which who the fuck knows what it is, because we are too busy getting dumber. I do not exclude myself from the ignorance that I speak of, I just find I’m realizing how ignorant I am myself. As I travel around talking to eloquent, sophisticated, educated people on a worldly level, my eyes are opening to the massive concern of growing ignorance in my homeland, a place that I am truly proud to be from. Yet, it’s not just about the United States… we need to work on ourselves before we can help others. We need to earn the respect of the world back… and I’ll tell you from where I sit… they all think we are a fucking joke. Ignorant and arrogant… we’ve all seen the movies… we know what happens to the assholes in the end. So we need to begin to shift our perspective. Bring our gaze back upon our own country, and it’s hard for me to say it, but to go along with Trump’s slogan ‘Make America Great Again’.
All I’m left with here is hope. Hope, because what more can we have. When you hit rock bottom, you have to believe. Believe that something good can come out of this. Don’t hate or discriminate, love, be kind, be patient. This is a time where we should rally together to begin to eliminate the hate and fear that I alluded to earlier. The more that we perpetuate hate and negativity, the worse it is going to be. Congratulate Donald Trump. Send him your letters of congratulations. Send him love and compassion, because if we are people of the earth, of God, love can conquer all. Send Mr. Trump encouragement to become a better man for our country. It might seem naïve, but my hope is that he will realize the weight that now rests on his shoulders, the immense responsibility that lies within his hands. There are lives in balance here. Hate, greed, selfishness, are not only going to help us rise to be better American citizens. Love, empathy, compassion will make us better American citizens, and better citizens of the world. And if you are really that sad about Trump being in the White House, look back and think what you could have done. How did you help to educate your fellow Americans, your fellow man? We need to get more involved… not at the next election, but right now. Motivated my love and good will. Now... Right now. Look at how you can do something to make change for your community.
After, my morning session discussing the election, I was off to my yoga class… where I can happily admit that I did not dwell on any subject other than my breath. We only have this moment. Allow yourself to make the right decision in this moment, and guide yourself with love in your interest. Our views and opinions can not be forced on anyone, but we can set by example. Be honest, be kind to your neighbor, help your neighbor, be thoughtful in your words, be loving in your heart. Being a good person isn’t always easy… in fact, it’s pretty easy to be the asshole. Yet, anger and hate will only eat away at your soul. Fill it with joy, and it will radiate out from you. Blessings to all... we are going to need, and we're all in it together.
*Since writing this blog post, I have been told that my comments are racially incentive. In response to this, I would like to say... through my eyes I see no difference between any people of any background. We might have our differences, but we all breathe the same air, feel our emotions, and are truly divine beings. I do not agree with statements made by Trump against women, non-whites, religious groups, and such. Statements like this come from hatred and fear, and I will not perpetuate these statements by doing the same. We must take the higher road. Negativity will not change with more negativity, whether the views are "right" or not. Love and compassion to all.