Hold onto Hope

Tags

Election, faith, hate, Hillary, hope, thoughts, Trump

So many people are disappointed in the people of America. And I won’t lie, I cried on the morning after the election. Why? Because I’m scared. I’m scared of what our country could look like with Trump in charge.

Like truly scared.

That the forward, positive steps we have taken will be erased.

But America has voted and this is the result. I have been thinking about why. And I have a bit of insight because my husband voted for Trump. And yes, I voted for Hillary.

OMG, you say! My house must be a war zone, you think! Well, no. We are opposites. Always have been, always will be. We vote on different sides every single time. After revealing that I am married to a Trump supporter on FB, someone commented that they would get a divorce. Wow. Well, I am not getting a divorce from a man I love after almost 21 years of marriage.

We are more than our opinions. We are stronger than our differences.

As is our country.

I’ll tell you a secret. My husband isn’t a racist, sexist monster (though after being a police officer for 21 years, he is a bit jaded by the people he has encountered). So seeing posts that a racist, sexist nation elected the President stings.

Why did my husband vote for him? He doesn’t wants all immigration to stop or all people from other countries to be sent packing. He doesn’t want the LGBTQIA community to be discriminated against. He’s a straight white male and these aren’t issues he is concerned with. I know…but this is his truth.

He wants a President who will support our military. He wants a President who will take care of our debt. He wants a President who will keep our borders safe. He wants a President who will protect the rights of people to buy guns (he’s a cop and hates the hoops he has to go through to buy weapons). These are his views and because we live in the best country in the world, he gets to have them.

Many other people share those views.

Many other people don’t.

But it isn’t a reason to hate.

It isn’t a reason to call our country stupid. What is happening now is an emotional reaction…understandable. Many people are mourning. They should be allowed to. But what is happening will keep us divided. And that will get us nowhere.

 

Have faith in the people of our country. Just like always, the ones who refuse to change, the ones who hate, the ones who can’t accept others will still be here. We will have to endure their ugly words and feelings for a long time because people don’t change…well, they can, but it seems rare. But just like always there are good people (and there are more good than bad) and they will continue to live their lives, continue to fight for change, for acceptance for everyone.

Have faith in the fact that the Government (as messed up as it is) won’t just pass laws to take away rights, to push us back in the dark hole we’re climbing out of.

So…

Why did America elect Trump? I have thoughts.

People are scared. People don’t feel safe. Too much violence in the world, in our own country. I think people see Trump as a strong, take no shit guy who can take on all the evil without mincing words. I think Trump is different, a guy who has no political experience, who can shake up the world. For reasons we may never know…people want him to lead our country. Elections always have something to do with people’s feelings, with what they need from an elected official.

As much as I am terrified TERRIFIED by what this speak-before-he-thinks guy will do in office…

America voted.

This is the reality.

I sent up a prayer yesterday. Please, let this business man, this guy who rubs people the wrong way, this if-I-don’t-get-my-way-Imma-take-my-toys-and-go guy…please let him see the people of this country. Please let him listen to what the people need. Please let him play nice even when things don’t go his way. Please let him work to help those who need it most.

No matter the political landscape, it’s the people of the USA that make it great. It’s how we act and react. Let’s let go of the hate and move forward. Let’s hold onto hope. There’s no going back in time. There’s no changing people’s opinions to get a different outcome. The vote didn’t go the way we wanted and that’s not a reason to hate.

We can do this. I have faith in us. This great country is my home. I care about it and the people who live here with me. I will continue to do what I can to make the world better from my little place in it.

Am I speaking from a place of white privilege? Probably, but that’s all I got. It’s who I am. And as much as my voice is one that no one wants to hear…I still matter. Everyone does.

After hearing all this, you feel the need to not be my friend, I will understand and still care about you.

Faith.

Hope.

Take a breath.

Love.

When the Magic is Lost

Tags

anti-police, Ferguson, hate, human, make our world better, mistakes, police, thoughts

There are bad people in the world. Terrible things happen.

I haven’t been following every moment of the tragic events in Ferguson. I don’t know every detail. Honestly, I don’t think anyone knows all the facts and we might never know. I do know that a lot of people have decided that they know what happened and are angry, more than that they’re enraged. Instead of grieving, of acknowledging mistakes, learning and moving on, they are acting on their rage.

They need someone to blame. But there is no one to blame.

The anti-police comments have brought me to tears. For those of you who don’t know, my hubs has been a cop for almost 19 years. People have pulled guns and shot at him, people have run from him, people have told him he should have better things to do than pull them over, people have tried to hit him. He’s seen people dead in their homes, been in the midst of angry crowds ready to riot, and sat out all night in the rain to catch people when they decided to break the law and steal. He has been trained to deal with all of this. He has put on riot gear and sprayed mace. He has drawn his gun, but never used it. He does his job to the best of his ability, like a lot of the police out there.

I’m not saying all police are good. Like all human beings everywhere, there are those who don’t follow the rules and sometimes they make mistakes. We all do.

Being a cop is a tough job. Before we blame those in uniform for everything that goes wrong, let’s remember that they are people. Just people, who make mistakes, who have problems, and who are doing their jobs. And they have families. So in my own little way, I am here to stand up for them. If you haven’t been in their shoes don’t judge.

What happened in Ferguson was terrible and I grieve for the loss of life, but this happens everywhere. People shoot people all the time and no one does anything, until it involves a cop, until it involves race.

Did a cop make a mistake? I don’t know. Maybe. Or maybe he did what he needed to. No one will ever know because no one is listening. No one cares. But we should.

Are the events in Ferguson the fault of the police? No. People decided to react by standing and screaming for blood, for justice.

How is this making our world better?

It’s not.

We are Human. There will always be bad people. There will always be violence because someone can’t accept someone else. There will always be violence because no one cares to listen. Reacting to violence with violence only increases the hate and rage.

So take a step back. Before we decide who to blame for all the evil in the world, let’s look at ourselves. Are we doing everything we can to make our world better? Or are we just pointing fingers hoping no one looks back at us, at our mistakes, at our problems.

Don’t lose sight of the magic that is life.

And now I will climb down from my soapbox … carry on.