Last night we watched spontaneous protests in cities coast-to-coast protesting the Trump victory. While I share in their sadness because I not only liked Clinton but thought that Trump was totally unsuited for the job, the one thing that disturbed me about the protest was the signs that said “Not My President”.
He is your president.
If this had been, as Trump predicted, a rigged election then you might’ve had a point. There was no evidence to support his claims that it was rigged before the election and there is no evidence of it the day after that it was rigged.
When you say “Not My President” you are engaging in reverse birtherizim. You’re trying to delegitimize the legal and proper election of the president of the United States under false pretense. You’re stooping to the fear mongering that you are allegedly protesting against. When Trump said that he would potentially not accept the results of election in which he lost, the center and the left and even some of the right said that that was one of the most un-American things that he said among all of the dozens of horrible things that he said. It was pointed out that acceptance of the results of an election is among our most fundamental principles and Trump’s initial lack of pledge to do so was among his worst sins.
He is your president.
The worst part of that realization is that in many ways it is your fault as well.
Where were the crowds marching in the street when he called Mexican immigrants rapists and murderers?
Where were the crowds marching in the street when he denigrated not only John McCain but every other American POW?
Where were the crowds marching in the street when he praised communist dictators?
Where were the crowds marching in the street when he suggested unconstitutional religious restrictions?
Where were the crowds marching in the street when he mocked disabled people?
Where were the crowds marching in the street when he denigrated women on so many occasions that I can’t count?
Where were the crowds marching in the street when he threatened to lock up his political opponents and failed to quiet the crowds who screamed murderous things about his opponents?
Where were the crowds marching in the street when he advocated sexual assault against women and then denied that it was a big deal that he had done so?
Where were the crowds marching in the street when he said he would not necessarily accept the outcome of a legitimate election?
Marching in the streets founded this country.
Marching in the streets brought about the civil rights movement.
Marching in the streets hastened the end of the war in Vietnam.
Marching in the streets works. So why didn’t you use it when there was a chance for it to do some good? There were handfuls of protesters at various Trump events and some of them braved physical assault and my hats off to them. But don’t stand in the street now and say “Not My President”. He is your president and it is your fault and my fault and the fault of the 49.5% of the American people who didn’t even bother to fucking cast a ballot.
I thought I had done as much as I could. I stood up to the hate speech on Facebook. I posted antitrust messages. I stood up for Clinton and the falsehoods leveled against her. I stood up for women’s rights as best I could. I donated to the Clinton campaign. Had I been able to, I would’ve gone to a Trump rally wearing a sign pasted on my wheelchair daring Trump to make fun of me. Maybe I should’ve written this blog sooner. Apparently I didn’t do enough.
Did you do enough?