Gut Punch (My Reaction On the Eve of the 2016 Presidential Election)

I don’t have the words to adequately describe how disappointed, disgusted and literally scared I feel in this moment as a woman in this country. I knew we were still a country battling bigotry, misogyny, hatred and even anti-intellectualism, but….but. This is something else entirely.

I thought we were better than this. I thought decency would prevail in the face of horror. I thought common sense would override fear-mongering and blind hate; that the “ours” of this nation would come together and overcome the “mine” mentality of this nation.

I fear my country tonight. I fear the millions of people who excused away the sexual attacks and vile commentary repeatedly thrown at my entire gender.
I’m terrified of living in a society that has collectively decided to wage open war on so many groups including women, LGBT, immigrants, people of color, etc., etc.

I am horrified at the welcoming open arms bigots and hate groups have enjoyed to their caveman ideals; that people who should hide their beliefs away in shame are now able to proudly strut those same disgusting views as “valid” or just “telling it like it is.”

I don’t want to live in this kind of world. I don’t want to live in this kind of fear. And I honestly don’t know how to face a future where all of this is just okay now. Because it’s not. And the fact that so many not only feel like it is, but they are forcing us all collectively to walk down this same path is more than I can comprehend.

I don’t have the words to express just how broken the human race truly is if this is the kind of mindset that not only still exists, but flourishes.

I honestly thought we were better than this. And it’s painful to discover I was vastly, deeply wrong in that thought.