Anonymous-
Given the past several days, it has been increasingly difficult to be on social media since the end of the election. Society knew that with either result, there would be an explosion on social media; but this specific result has led to a place of mourning. Getting past this place of mourning has been difficult for many, and for others it seems ridiculous to be mourning in the first place. No one’s rights have been taken yet, but the fear and possibility for some of these things are real and valid. Trying to dismiss many of these feelings just stirs the building rage that has been developing for the past eight years even more.
A certain politician’s campaign runs off of the politics of rage-baiting that boils people’s blood till they seem like they’ve lost the political debate. It’s about the performance and performing so well that it makes people who disagree with them feel a deep inner rage. It is built on lies and false promises that they can’t keep nor have kept in their previous political roles. All these promises of a better economy (the reason many people say they ultimately voted for said politician) are no reason at all when you see how his previous political positions made our economy worse. We were in recovery from his lack of ability to make the economy better, and now that is just going to start again. That isn’t even the largest agitation of immeasurable rage.
Social media, at times, is pushing society further by making them feel that despair is all that is left and their unresolved hate toward our country is only just going to get worse. We do not want to feel rage towards the country we were raised in, but how much can you blame one person and their campaign for the hate-fueled rhetoric going around the United States today? At one point, is it more than just another man manipulating a growing foundation of hate?
It is not just this specific politician. Certainly, we can see this rhetoric going around certain denominations of white evangelicals in the United States and increasingly in their churches. They pull from scripture in what they view as a “literalist” reading of the Bible to put down women, people of color, LGBTQIA+, immigrants, and anyone who isn’t Christian or the “right brand” of Christian. It pulls a lot of people, including me, into this downward spiral of rage. A seething, raw anger.
People with power and privilege are scared, and it is intriguing how this fear is always projected onto minorities. Especially in moments when we are on the pinnacle of attempting some real change as a country, some real progress that could let people live fuller lives and be as they are. If power is something that one man and his fanbase are scared of losing, then they clearly don’t understand what lighting a fire under people does.
I, along with others, am choosing to still have hope. We know that if the water gets too hot, it’ll boil over. There will be people who will do what they can to fight for their rights and for others. I will be one of those people if the time comes. We can’t exclusively worry about the future, but we can focus on what we’re doing now. Continue affirming each other, giving voice to the oppressed, and giving love to the earth. If something happens, we know, at least, that there is a community we can rely on and people who will fight for those communities. Keep this in your hearts.