I'd like to start things out with a bit of a preface on me. For anyone
who does not know me I'm a very headstrong woman who is not afraid to
voice my thoughts and opinions. I'm also stubborn and have a really hard
time backing down once I've gotten riled. That being said, I'd like to
say that I can admit when I'm wrong.
At the peak of election night I re-posted and added to a post needling
third-party voters about the protest votes. This post upset some people
and by the next day there was a very heated argument and tears on both
sides, in a way that only Facebook seems to feed up best. I generally
stand by my opinions, but in that moment when I stood over my phone, I
realized something that made me feel even more sick than I did over this
election debacle. I was helping the chaos spread just as much as every
racist bigot who came out of the woodwork and showed their true colors. I
still stand by my opinions. I have yet to see or believe that the
protest vote is the right way to go about things. However, in my
approach I didn't focus on the real problems we are facing - but instead
attacked those who, like me, are trying to make a difference. In these
moments after the election I feel like it will make or break our
country. I've seen a lot of people arguing and dividing, people hiding
behind their doors refusing to believe reality. But none of this is
going to make things any better, it's only going to make it worse. So
much worse. We are stronger together, and we are going to need every
single one of us who stands on the side of justice and equality to fight
in whatever way we can to keep this country's head above water. This
means figuring out the real enemy - racism, sexism, xenophobia - and
standing united against it.
Things need to change and though there are a lot of different views on
how this can get done, we need to stick together to make it work. So for
those of you who I upset, am I ashamed of my opinions? No. Am I ashamed
that I divided those of us who can be allies in this, blamed the wrong
people, and acted in an inflammatory fashion that was beneath me? Yes.
I'm not going to take all the blame for everyone's actions, but I know
when I have something to apologize for. So this is me apoligising not only because I don't revel in hurting those I care about - really hurting anyone at all, but because I want to make positive change in the world, not negative.
Everyone who made a choice did so for their own reasons and I respect
that. We have freedom of choice for a reason. What I fight against are
those who wish to use their freedom of choice to take away the freedom
of others or further trample and abuse minority people. If anyone else
feels like that I believe we should be on the same side regardless of
who we voted for.
Our system in America is really messed up. Our government, the politics,
and our politicians are really messed up. It is up to us to work each
day to make that change. While I believe that it was the wrong time to
push the protest vote, I understand what these voters were working for. I
get their motives and even agree with what they want the final outcome
to be. Yes I was angry, I'm still angry. I feel like there could have
been better times ahead for the protest vote to have more heft. However
what's done is done and I really have enough people to fight against at
this point. It was wrong of me to blame them for the full fallout in the
way I did, even if I had my reasons.
So though I don't roll over and submit to people, give up my opinion
easily in the face of adversity, or let any one silence me, I can admit
when I'm wrong.
Standing together is more important than my opinion on a protest vote.
And standing with those I care about can be more important than my
opinion. So I hope that maybe more of us can stand together and not let
this thing divide us when we need each other, need love, and need hope,
more than ever.
