Wednesday, November 09, 2016

Hate Trumps Love

The simple truth is, hate won.

There’s no way to sugarcoat this. There’s no silver lining. There’s no way to take away this terrible, terrible reality. Hate won.

Whites so thoroughly repudiated people of color. Men so thoroughly repudiated women. Bigots so thoroughly repudiated immigrants. Christians so thoroughly repudiated people of other faiths. Straight people so thoroughly repudiated LGBT people. America so thoroughly repudiated the most qualified person to run for president.

Here we are. Here we really are. A divided country where now half of its citizens live in absolute fear of what this presidency means for their lives. How can we possibly feel welcome in this America? And wasn’t that always the point of his candidacy? To ensure that we didn’t?

Republicans will now have the House, the Senate and the Presidency. They will appoint all of our next Supreme Court Justices.

Goodbye Roe v. Wade. Goodbye ObamaCare. Goodbye LGBT protections. Goodbye Social Security. Goodbye safety net.

Will we try to fight this? Of course, of course we will try to fight this. We must.

But the other truth is we are exhausted. I am exhausted. I’m so tired of having to fight to be seen as a full citizen and human in the eyes of other Americans. I believed in a country that doesn't exist.

I am a woman.

I am a lesbian.

I am a person of color.

I am an immigrant.

I am almost everything this man has vowed to beat back so he can make America “great” again. This is the white supremacy lashing out at an inevitably changing world. This is misogyny punching back at women who dare to achieve. This is the ugliness I always knew existed in the fetid fever swamps, but now realize resides in on every town, in every neighborhood, on every block.

And, almost as bad as allowing such a woefully unqualified bigot to enter the White House, is the people his win empowers. He has given racists, sexists, xenophobes, homophobes a license to continue their campaigns of harassment and hatred. He has given every asshole a reason to gloat. He has made our world irreparably uglier.

I feel so broken right now. I know, it’s not inspiring. I wish I could say we’ll just pick ourselves up and fight even harder today. But right now I just want to sit for a minute with my despair.

And if you vote for a third party candidate or sat this thing out? Yeah, fuck you very much. I hope you feel great about your protest vote. Because it does not absolve you from its impact.

In the end I guess all I want to say is thank you. Thank you, Hillary Clinton. Thank you for for standing tall for 30 years while the world screamed at you for just daring to be yourself. Thank you for always fighting tirelessly for us. You did everything you could to crack that highest, hardest glass ceiling. You didn’t deserve this. And it seems, in the end, we were the ones who didn’t deserve you.

35 comments:

Anonymous said...

Holy shit, I am so sorry, Snarker (and every other sane American out there)

I honestly can't believe that it has come to this ... it's terrifying, not just for the US but for the world as a whole.

I'll be thinking of you today.

Donna, UK.

ald2106 said...

My heart is broken. Doesn't look like love wins after all.
We have seen hate win in India , in Great Britain and now in America. I had so much hope in you America, so much....
My heart is broken for Hillary Clinton. Twice now you have been told that as a woman, you are just not good enough. However, for me and lots of others like me, you are. You are.
I wonder if those that voted for that orange buffoon will be able to sleep peacefully.
Stay strong America, thankfully not all American men are sexists.
Dorothy Snarker and all those who vote for the best candidate, a big hug to you all from across the world.

bitsnbobs said...

I am a Canadian who awoke to this incredibly sad, disheartening, astounding news and I feel sick to my stomach. Trump is the antithesis of compassion, integrity and frankly intelligence.

This is a dark day for human rights but the fight must go on.

Unknown said...

You were one of the first people I thought of when I heard the news this morning.

Having voted against Brexit, and lost that battle, I kind of expected this to happen. That hasn't made it any fucking easier.

If you haven't already, have a look at JK Rowling's Twitter today. She has single-handedly plucked me from despair and put me back on the battlefield. Things will get better. They have to.

It might not be any better in the UK, but if you ever did need to hightail it out of the US, know that you have so many friends here that wish you well and will look after you.

On a separate note; if there's one thing I've learned since the similar division caused by the Brexit vote, it's that people have no idea what they're voting for. It's easy to write off Trump voters as misogynist, racist, homophobic pricks. The cold, hard reality though is that the vast majority of his voters aren't bigoted arseholes. They're poor, or uneducated, or frustrated, or otherwise disenfranchised. They deserve sympathy. They deserve kindness, despite what they've done.

If we're kind to each other, and kind to ourselves, I firmly believe we can overcome what divides us. It's the only way.

Look after yourself. Look after each other. We will get through this. x

Anonymous said...

Gnash baby, gnash.

Lise said...

We still love you. You have a community here. Lise, Belgium

Anonymous said...

"Acceptance is the key here. The world is like this. Accept it as it is, and you are free of it. Accept your parents for who they are and you are free of them. What makes you miserable is your desire to have things and people be other than what they are. You want a turtle to run like a deer and you want a lion to be like a sheep. Look deeply, and you will see that the only time you are angry and unhappy is when things are not as you want them to be. When you believe in particulars, you cause your own pain. Let go of the particulars, and you will flow freely."

the quote that changed my life, from a book that changed my life.

"How to Believe in Nothing and Set Yourself Free" by Michael Misita.

https://www.amazon.com/How-Believe-Nothing-Yourself-Free/dp/0875545726

Anonymous said...

https://www.scribd.com/document/328348840/Misita-How-to-Believe-in-Nothing-and-Set-Yourself-Free

Anonymous said...

I really don't know what to say. I'm happy that my state was a Hillary state at least, but holy fuck I didn't believe this would really happen. Like you I am utterly exhausted. I wanted Hillary to be our first woman president, she's so qualified on so many levels. And now I feel sick, saddened and horrified at what our future will look like. But mostly I'm disappointed in our country for choosing hate, ignorance, and bigotry. I had hoped there were more open minded, caring, intelligent people out there, but I have been proven wrong and right now I feel so disheartened.

Danie said...

What boggles my mind is that the even the people who voted for the Buffoon will get screwed. Maybe they won't get screwed first, but, does anyone truly believe that this elitist money always first sexual predator piece of shit has the best interest of them in mind either? A good portion of them are going to retire soon, well, no they won't 'cause probably practically no Medicare/SS etc. Prices of food for everyone will go up, not just those who voted for Hillary, the social services that people don't even know that they use will disappear. Our rights (everyones, although the white men's rights will be the last to go) will slowly disappear thanks to the fact that

Do you think that they'd let us send RBG vitamins, keep her going?? (I'm kidding). Ooh, she should talk to Queen Elizabeth, 'cause Liz is totally trying to outlive her son.

Or how about libraries? I've never seen a State/National Republican politician who has done anything but cut the funding to things like the Institute of Museum and Library Services. They give a crapload of money not just directly to our libraries and museums in general, but to the states to give to their libraries.

I mean, compared to a good portion of the other government spending, IMLS is nothing, but, I have no doubt that it will be cut anyway, I mean, free books, heaven help us right? *sigh*.

And when libraries start being carved from our nation like is happening in the UK and other places, freedom starts getting carved away too. The free dissemination of knowledge. And Thank God we got Carla in as Librarian of Congress before this mess. Or we'd have had some business flunky who never read a book but wanted to sell off the books/valuables in the library.

Danie said...

Oops, I'm so pissed I didn't finish my first paragraph.

...thanks to the fact that there are old Justices, and the court will swing super conservative.

LG fan said...

I whole heartily agree. I'm so disappointed in us as a country right now. How could we do such a thing? I feel so tired and disgusted today. Trying not to get caught up in the hate and anger that wants to surface. We'll be ok. We can't let this break us.

Carmen SanDiego said...

I just read that at Hillary's party the confetti was going to look like broken glass and then made me cry all over again
I am very disappointed in America and I am exhausted of fighting. As an immigrant this is not the first time that the place I chose to live told me I am not wanted here (prop 8) but now I'm older and I'm tired of having to be the bigger person. I'm exhausted
Hillary did not deserve to end her career like this

Selket said...

I'm as terrifyied as anyone here. I stayed up late in my country but when I saw some key states starting to turn red I went to bed almost praying not to be truth. I woke up today to the news in desbelief and thinking about you and all the folks that would suffer through this.
Big hugs for you and everyone, dark times are coming.
We can cry today, feel sorry for Her and for us, but tomorrow the fight is on. Maybe is not Hillary destiny, maybe it is Chelsea or someone else. But it is certainly our life and we are not giving up!

Michalka said...

I am from Prague, Czech Republic. I have been following your blog for years. This is the first time I felt the need to comment. I would like to tell you few words of encouragement. As one of our presidents said: "Truth and love will prevail over lies and hatred." Most of USA did vote for love, tolerance and progress. This too shall pass :-)

AK said...

She is a Class Act. Good luck Rep. Party keeping him toeing the party line. That guy does not represent me & my country. He is not my leader. I smell impeachment starting in January. My only recourse is to start Drinking again....27 yrs sober Out the Window!

Anonymous said...

Lol, only your butt-hurt vision of reality matters, right? your kind of people, and only you are the cause for rising Brexits, Trumps, etc. Totalitarian liberalism. No, being liberal is not more cool or right than being conservative. There are mid tones too. Shame on you!

Fiona said...

Hi Dorothy,

I've been following your blog for several years now but have never actually commented - I'm a committed internet lurker! But I've come out of hiding on the day that's in it...

My heart breaks for you guys in the US. It breaks for all of us in fact, Americans and non-Americans alike. Until this year I always thought I was a staunch cynic, but this election (and Brexit before it) has sucker punched me! Call it optimism, call it naïveté, call it what you will, but in my heart I thought good would out, that acceptance and reason would prevail...I just thought that people could be better than this. I don't know how to make sense of all of this - I imagine I'm not alone.

But I'm commenting here specifically because I'm thinking of you Dorothy. Throughout the election campaign you were a voice of hope, and you never wavered...I can't even begin to know how you must feel at this time.
On a personal note, and it might sound over the top, you have been a source of light in my life for a long time, and your daily dose of Snark has often given me strength in good times and in very lonely times.
So I hope you can stay strong. I hope you can keep the faith, and weather this storm, and don’t lose your spark in all this darkness. This little corner of the internet wouldn’t be the same without you.

These are bad times – but bad times come and bad times go, and we have to still have hope that there’s a better future ahead.

Lots of love from Ireland xx


Dennis/87 said...

Power to the people! Nothing but love From Oregon! 87

Tom said...

you said...

"Here we are. Here we really are. A divided country where now half of its citizens live in absolute fear of what this presidency means for their lives."

what you apparently do not clearly see, is that the above statement would still have been exactly true, if YOUR favorite side had won the election.

Anonymous said...

Sweet. Mansplaining.

Anonymous said...

Tom you seem to be on the wrong site. This is a site for lgbt who don't need your mansplaining. Kindly fuck off.

Anonymous said...

"Kindly fuck off."

Doesn't look like love wins after all.

Tom said...

sorry.....my error - I thought this was simply a place for other caring human beings.


there's no place like home
there's no place like home


https://67.media.tumblr.com/a8e04abf8a9d70da0b15953d5a614c0d/tumblr_ni47r82ax61qf69tyo1_500.gif

pooof!

Anonymous said...

are you guys sure the voting machines are not hacked? kellyanne conway were so sure there were undercover republicans votes before the election. btw, what have hillary done to conway, she hated her guts, saying hailary's floor and ceiling are the same.

Anonymous said...

mike pence is talking about rollling back gay rights after the election. as trump is a ego-maniac, why not appear to his ego, maybe he would do something to stop mike pence and the repubican party.

January said...

Visibility=Resistance, Silence=Death. Be visible for those who fear visibility.

Anonymous said...

try to walk as much as you possibly can everyday, get some sunlight, eat some mental healthy food such as bananas and almonds. pls remind malinda, heather and riese to do so too. you guys are too important to us.

Anonymous said...

the obamas just finished entertaining the trumps in white house. i think obama is appealing to trump's ego, bringing the good side out of him. and trump even said he might take obama's advice. so if the world is lucky, obama might somehow become trump's mentor. and considered trump's trace records of screwing whoever help him, he might be the one who can bring down the gop, white supremecy group and the evangelical christians in one term. now that's god bless america.

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Jonathan said...

F*** Trump. I'm NOT on his side and I don't agree with his comments. I wasn't big on Hillary either, but she would've been better than that idiot. If he makes a stupid law that puts down gays, immigrants, or other non-white & non-male person, I'll be protesting with you. There's enough hate in the world. We've had our fill.

Anonymous said...

Sure seems like a lot of hate on the left. Not a supporter but did you listen to Trump? He supports LGBT. Don't listen to the media. Read. You are smart people.

SK said...

Anon 10:59:
Are you kidding me? Seriously? Someone who cared in the slightest about LGBT people wouldn't put Mike Pence in charge of ordering pizza, much less make him Vice President.

Alex said...

I am so sorry. I feel your pain, your frustration, your disappointment, your astonishment. I am still in utter disbelief that Americans could vote for someone who embodies radical and downright inhuman ideas and actions. I wanted to slap those who voted for Trump and shout at their faces- where's your humanity? Find your frigging humanity!

I cried and I still can't shake off this heavy unbearable feeling that you've come so close to having a woman president that is truly right for the job especially in these trying times. I still hope it will happen during my lifetime.

I raise my glass and bottle to you, Hillary. You carried yourself with grace and dignity despite Trump and his mindless minions. You would've been a wonderful leader of a still great nation. Thanks for inspiring other fearless and remarkable women. I know one day, someone will pick up where you left off.

Hang in there, Dorothy.

Anonymous said...

http://www.anncoulter.com/columns/2016-11-16.html