After billions of dollars spent the US election is finally over. In one of the most divisive campaigns ever, Donald Trump was declared the president elect. It was not the result that I wanted, but in their complicated system, Donald Trump won the most votes in the US Electoral College- even though he lost the popular vote by 120,000 votes.
Trump won the election on basically two planks. The first plank was that as a complete political novice, Trump was able to state that there were many problems in the establishment in Washington DC. Stories of corruption are always bubbling up in Washington. Lobbyists hold too much influence over politicians. Omnibus bills mean that all politicians have to swallow their pride at time and vote for things they don't believe in just so that bills they support get passed. Politics in Washington does need a good cleaning out.
The second plank that elected Trump was fear and anger. Since 9/11 fear has gripped the US. The "other" is no longer welcome by many Americans- even though they talk about being the great melting pot. Since 9/11 the US has increasingly become like a fortress with figurative walls keeping the strangers out.
Anger has also gripped a large part of the US. Many states are suffering. West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin for instance have seen many of their industrial jobs shut down because of global trade, environmental concerns over coal, and other factors. Agricultural states like the Dakotas, Nebraska, and Kansas have struggled much more than the urban areas of the country. Some Americans find it increasingly hard to find work and so they blame immigrants for taking their jobs.
These two planks got Trump elected. When people are feeling good about themselves, it is easy to vote for hope and togetherness. When people are struggling, like so many Americans are, it feels better to blame and point fingers. Trump's words, abhorrent as they were to so many of us, seemed to reach out to those Americans who felt they were falling further and further behind.
But now the genie is out of the bottle. Since Trump's election hate crimes have increased around the world. Swastikas have popped up in Holland, Canada, and all over the US. People have been bashed because others thought they were gay or lesbian. People have been told to get out because their skin colour was not ivory white. Women have been told that they will never get ahead in business or politics because of their double X chromosomes. With the election of Trump, it seems ok to hate again.
This is what scares me, not the election of Trump per se. Yes Trump was not my choice for president, but politicians come and go. They may do great things or horrible things for a few years, but in a few years they will be replaced. It's like the weather in Melbourne, if you don't like it, wait fifteen minutes and it will be something else. Politicians are like that- they rise to power and then they fall. But what scares me is this increase in hatred. In my way of thinking it is abhorrent to hate the other. Everyone is a child of God no matter who they are: old, young, male female, gay, straight, white, black, yellow, whatever. Everyone is worthy of respect. No one deserves to be hated because they are of their sex, because of their faith, because of their language, because of the colour of their skin, because of where they were born, because of who they love, because they are the child God created them to be. Love has to triumph over hate. Let us strive for a world that breaks down barriers, puts aside differences, and works for the good of all people, not just for some. Blessings
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