It is the day after the 2016 Presidential election and I am sad, shocked, confused, and very worried for our country.
I know I’m not alone.
The candidate I voted for, researched, supported, donated money to, believed in and admired did not win.
My candidate is tough as nails.
My candidate has withstood a constant barrage of hatred, vilification, smears, and mudslinging for 25 years. Republicans blame her for everything!
I was able to look past my candidate’s flaws and scandals. I saw a person who has spent much of her life fighting for causes that are important to me; family values, children, education and equality for ALL, especially women and minorities. She has been a champion for advancing equal opportunities for women and girls in America and around the globe, calling women’s empowerment “one of the great causes of my life.”.
This is who I want in the White House. Electing our first woman president would be an important step to ending gender inequality. And now that I am the mother of a daughter, this is imperative.
More than ever.
This country is so full of hate.
I still believe.
My candidate impressed me with her intellect, judgment, and compassion. We all know the mess she endured because of her husband’s infidelities. That was not her doing. She tried to protect her family as best she could and in the end, perhaps having her own political agenda and dreams of leading our nation from the Oval Office, stood by her man.
I took Lola with me yesterday when I went to vote bright and early and snapped a photo outside my polling location, an elementary school within walking distance of our home. Elated to finally see a woman’s name on the ballot, I proudly voted for my candidate with my daughter at my side.
I was not expecting to be emotional but I cried anyway.
I cried tears of joy because I thought we had come so far and not since Barack Obama have I cared this much about politics.
I voted for Obama in 2008 while pregnant with Lucas and rejoiced at his win while at a Madonna concert at Petco Park. That was a magical night.
Watching Decision 2016 unfold on NBC as polls closed across the country I was thrilled to see the many blue states light up. I thought my candidate had it in the bag.
I was wrong.
So many of us were wrong.
Today I believe more than half of our country is made up of ignorant ass hats.
But I digress.
As I try to honor the outcome of the election and make sense of this America we live in, I will continue to teach my children, my sweet innocent children love, kindness and tolerance. I will teach them that ALL lives matter and to use their voice. Loud and often!
Donald Trump is going to be our president.
And as Secretary Hillary Clinton said this morning in her concession speech, “we owe him an open mind and the chance to lead”.
This is really happening.
And it will be interesting to say the very least.
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The following is from The Huffington Post article, America Elected A Man Who Said ‘Grab Them By The P***y’ Over The First Female President:
Donald Trump openly bragged about using his celebrity status to sexually assault women. And multiple women accused him of actually doing so.
He said he was in favor of banning people from entering the United States based on their religion.
He believes that women he finds physically unattractive or overweight are lesser people.
He thinks that many Mexican immigrants are rapists.
He mocked people with disabilities.
He encouraged violence against protesters at his political rallies.
