I have no idea if anyone will read this letter or if it will make any sort of impact, but I knew that I had to write it. I am growing tired of nothing happening and nobody being able to do anything that significant even with all the effort that is out there. Christina Aguilera’s beautiful lyrics of “waiting on a change to set us free” work for the song, but no longer work for the people. It certainly does not sit well with me to wait, especially after this major setback that came with this election. Although I say setback, this election really is not that, but more of a realization of where America stands, and to me that is worse than a setback. Therefore I am writing this letter to anyone that will hear me.
I am a twenty year old woman in college in New Jersey. I am a part of organizations such as Haitian Student Association, the Black Student Union, and I am the president of the NAACP Chapter. I live in a Social Justice House on campus. I think it is only fair that you know this about me because I run in circles with people with similar ideals to the ones that I have. Even so, I do have many conversations with people with different viewpoints than my own. I respect people’s opinions and am open to hearing what others have to say. I know that not all Trump supporters are racist, (I hope you understand now that stereotypes are not fun) just like not all Muslims are terrorists, not all people of color are criminals, and not all police officers are bad cops. I recently listened to Jon Stewart’s post-election interview and I was able to better understand why so many people voted for Trump. I know that many Americans were upset with the government and wanted a change. I understand the want for jobs back in America and tax cuts and other things that many feel have been robbed from them. The reality is that these jobs cannot be brought back from other countries because no Multinational Corporation is going to start paying for more expensive labor, they want cheap labor. With that being said, I do understand the anger and the outrage that these things have caused and recognize it as partly why Trump got elected. This is also why I want to say that I understand what Stewart said about monoliths and the hypocrisy of democrats creating a monolith around Trump supporters and calling them all racists. My fellow liberals, we cannot do that, for that is one of the things we do not like about the other side. Please do not create a monolith around these people.
While I recognize this, I ask that if you are a Trump supporter to listen to your other side and to try to understand the fear that so many people are now feeling.
One of the most important things that I have to say is that people that are protesting and are afraid have every right to be. Donald Trump and Mike Pence have threatened people’s fundamental rights which is a very scary thing. Additionally, please never complain about people protesting because it is something that is wonderful about this country that we live in. Another point to address is the media. Of course the news may lean to be more liberal and make some words that were said seem worse, but debates and tweets are things that cannot be taken out of context and they show the rhetoric he has been preaching is real. Therefore you cannot claim media for the fear invoked in people.
If you cannot understand this fear, I would like you to please imagine for me. How would you feel if you lived in the US practically your whole life or were even born here, but were deported? What would you do if your marriage that was finally legalized, was taken away or was no longer recognized by your state? What if because of your religion you were generalized as a terrorist, even though your religion is about peace? What if Trump brought back internment camps that were used for the Japanese during World War II? How would you feel if because of your religion you were sent there? Do you see where we could be heading?
These are only some fears, but they are very valid, based off of what was said during Trump’s campaign and because of wants of some Americans that actually agree with these things. In my opinion, these are the people to really fear: the ones that have contributed to the many hate crimes since Trump won the election. The people that feel enabled by this win have been given much power. These people that have come out of the woodwork with this election, have increased the fear of others tenfold. The concept of white privilege and taking back one’s country is one of the biggest problems there is. This country does not belong to one group of people, it is meant to be shared. Please do not buy into stereotypes of anyone, do not spread hate against a group, because all of these groups of people make up America together. The United States of America is a multicultural country, we are unique, therefore we need to be encompassing because this country belongs to anyone who wants to be a part of it.
Maya Angelou wrote a poem called, “On the Pulse of Morning” that she read at Bill Clinton’s inauguration in 1933. The entire poem speaks to the multiculturalism of America and unity despite our differences, something that is going to be hard to do with this election, but we cannot stop striving for it. She wrote:
“So say the Asian, the Hispanic, the Jew,
The African and Native American, the Sioux,
The Catholic, the Muslim, the French, the Greek,
The Irish, the Rabbi, the Priest, the Sheikh,
The Gay, the Straight, the Preacher,
The privileged, the homeless, the teacher.
They hear. They all hear
The speaking of the tree.
Today, the first and last of every tree
Speaks to humankind.”
There is so much left to be said to people on both sides, but I hope that leaving you with that poem, is food for thought. Please think about what I have said, be open-minded and I will do the same. Please do not give up on unity for the future. As Jon Stewart said in that interview, “America is not natural…this isn’t easy.” So please keep on fighting and never give up on this wonderful country, as frustrating as it can be sometimes.
With love,
Vanessa
