Today is the 78th anniversary of Kristallnacht. This photo was taken today, in Philadelphia. pic.twitter.com/wgZ725CiMa
— Shana Knizhnik (@shanakn) November 9, 2016
Heading into last night, it seemed incomprehensible that Clinton would win by the close margin all the polls predicted. There was no doubt in my mind that a landslide of voters would come out to cast their ballots against someone so inflammatory, ignorant, inexperienced, and hateful.
I sat there last night and watched the numbers roll in with absolute horror.
“He’s going to win.” I texted a friend in disbelief, “He’s going to fucking WIN.”
And he did.
I don’t know what this means for Americans, but I have heard from so many American women, people of colour, people who support women’s rights, those with disabled children and immigrant family members. They’re all terrified. My heart goes out to you and I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say that this is the most worried I’ve felt about my safety and security as a Canadian and a North American.
It’s hard to understate the harmful effects of a Trump presidency, especially in conjunction with a Republican-controlled senate, house of representatives and supreme court. That hasn’t happened since 1928.
I’m terrified too. I’m terrified about what this means for our country as your closest neighbour and I’m also terrified for those living in America who now feel unwelcome in their own country. I’m also angry about who let this happen.
My 17 yo cousin on her way to school. A group of white girl’s from her class tell her “shouldn’t you sit in the back of the bus today?”
— Zoraida (@zlikeinzorro) November 9, 2016
It wasn’t working classes voters who did this (the majority of those who earn under $50k a year voted for Clinton), it was white voters. Look at the numbers:
- Over 58% of white people voted for Donald Trump
- Non-white voters voted 74% for Clinton and 21% for Trump.
- White men opted 63% for Trump and 31% for Clinton
- White women voted 53% for Trump and 43% for Clinton.
You think racism isn’t real? Present? Working its hardest to limit the opportunities and lives of minorities? 58% of white voters just voted to elect the most openly racist and bigoted candidate in modern history.
After the Brexit vote, hate crimes soared. Don’t let this happen in the US. Please look out for and support those who have now lost their voice. Silence makes you complicit.
Instead, take action. Here’s what you can do:
- Click HERE to donate to Planned Parenthood, which will almost certainly be defunded.
- Click HERE to donate to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) which will continue to work to protect the basic freedoms of every American citizen, not only those who fit Trump’s version of America.
- Support your friends, neighbours, and strangers who may bear the brunt of a Trump presidency. Become a vocal and visible ally.
- Extend support and compassion to those Trump has targeted, let them know that his America isn’t your America. Do something kind for those who now feel like they’ve been told quite clearly that they aren’t welcome in their own country.
- Support well-researched journalism. Now more than ever, journalists need your support to continue telling the important stories. Click these links to donate or subscribe to The Guardian, The New York Times, or the Washington Post. This will costs you less than your morning latte and will ensure that Trump’s presidency is covered with the intelligence and critical eye it desperately needs.
- Be kind. Be loud. Support the causes you believe in and continue denouncing the racism, misogyny, and xenophobia which is sure to flourish in the wake of these results.
- If you have other suggestions , please leave them in the comments.
Good luck.
11 Comments
Thank you Madeleine for sharing your kind words for the United States. We are scared and in shock; however, we are still a democracy who maintains a peaceful transfer of power. I appreciate your ideas and look forward to putting them into action.
Thank you, Madeleine, for these words. Many of us here in the US are still in shock and wondering HOW this could happen. After spending a day (or more) in mourning, taking action is the best thing that we can do! I appreciate your thoughts and your suggestions.
I also think, more than anything, they were voting AGAINST a woman president!
I have taken your advice and will be subscribing to the Guardian.
This is a heartbreaking day for our country. This is not what I stand for, not who I wanted to represent us. To add to Madeleine’s list of things to do: Don’t assume you know anyone’s vote anymore, you don’t know what they are thinking. Many many people voted for someone or a party they may not associate with regularly. All of those people, they also need a little understanding from their fellow Americans. There is some serious resentment between spouses, families, friends, etc that I have seen and it is so hard to witness. We are Americans, we all want our freedom of speech, our right to vote, to form our own opinions and use our voices, until we hear what we don’t want to hear, right? Until someone says something we don’t like.. until someone votes differently than us.
Vote with your dollar. Boycott oil as much as you can. Support the demands of the movement for black lives. Vote with your presence at protests. Grappling for next steps here.
I was haunted by that exit poll too. I saw a tweet, before the election results were in, by a black woman that said she voted for neither, since a White Supremacist is fundamentally no different from a White Feminist. Not in her body.
I felt so mad, I’ve been so mad all along at the false equivalence so many liberal people were throwing out there. And while I still avow that 99% of it came from a deeply misogynist place, from both white women as well as men…those minority voices were right, weren’t they. White feminists did this, I truly believe.
We were so busy, for 60 years, going to that glass ceiling so we could be “one of the boys”. We never fully listened, even those of us who thought we were woke, to what our sisters of colour were saying all along.
We listened to our fathers and uncles and brothers and sons hate, and we brushed it off like we do when our three year old hits. Now, now, not nice- gentle non-angry white lady smile.
They wanted to remind us they were men, dammit; and they did. They can hurt us; and they will, We should listen this time.
Stop banking at the big banks if you haven’t already.
I’ve been venting all day about the election, my heart is filled with so much sadness and anger and embarrassment. It’s a terrible day for progressives when the only hope for limiting the power of our soon-to-be climate-denier-in-chief is Paul Freaking Ryan. But THANK YOU Madeleine for being positive & upbeat. You made me finally take out my credit card and become a Guardian member, something that I’ve been meaning to do for months.
I think it’s also important to remind ourselves that Trump did not win the popular vote. There’s some comfort in that for me when reflecting on the thoughts and feelings of the majority of American voters. (And some discomfort when I’m reflecting on our political process!)
I love you for giving people something to DO. And in this world today I feel even more conscious of using the word love, and loudly. Thank you for your LOVEly words,as always x
I cannot help but notice that the web is seething with anti-Trump propaganda! Strange that there is literary no pro-Trump content out there, yet he is now President-elect of the United States of America! You have to ask yourself how the heck does that happen?