On another note, trying to restrain my horror, It is pretty clear that our president-elect fits all the diagnostic criteria of a malignant narcissist. He espouses all the "isms" that most people on this planet are disgusted by: bigotry, racism, xenophobia, homophobia, bullying people with disabilities, sexual predation... As a progressive liberal, I would not vote for this man even if he was a Democrat. I would vote for the opposition to ensure that he would not destroy the country and planet that I love so dearly. I would prefer Nixon in the presidency and feel more secure about the U.S. and the world if that were an option.
So here we are today. I am driving home in white upper middle class suburbia, in a bubble of white privilege. I see a black man at an intersection. Our eyes lock. I look deeply into his eyes, and I begin to cry. The expression in his eyes said to me, "I hurt. I am in pain. I am suffering. When will this racism end? How can you do this to me?" It was a pleading look of sorrow, hurt, and pain. I want to comfort him. I want to tell him it's going to be okay. I want to apologize on behalf of all the ignorant, bigoted, hateful white people I am plagued with sharing the same ethnicity who have caused this horrific state of affairs in this country. I want to scream at the propagandized media stations that have painted Hilary into the picture of the Antichrist. Fox News has spread false information because they know how to prey upon vulnerable populations' insecurities, glean ratings, and become wealthy off of other people's fears. I possess a fury so broad and so deep that this insane man could be elected as the leader of the free world, in such a fashion replicating the rise of Hitler during World War 2. Today, I am ashamed to be an American. I am ashamed to be a white woman. We have failed as a nation. We have failed as a human race.
I feel powerless today. What brings me comfort as a licensed clinical social worker is that my ethics and professional association all stand for the basic human rights and dignity of all people on the planet. We will go on to live another day. We will go on and fight hatred, greed, bigotry. We will fight it with education, compassion, patience, perseverance, peaceful protest. And consequences...for those who are filled with hate. That they may understand the implications of their decisions and how their fear/denial/ignorance/greed have impacted the lives of millions of people. That we will rise, as brothers and sisters, of all colors, shapes, sizes, sexual orientations, religions....to bring peace on this planet, love and hope for a world in harmony. One day. One day.