For about two months I have remained silent on this topic. To express an opinion is one thing, but to do so in an articulate manner is quite another. A general sentiment is grasped easily enough. Through the process of reflection and by engaging in a dialectic one can ascertain with hopes of communicating a deeper meaning of a situation. In other words I like to think about things before I say them. Changing peoples minds isn't necessarily the goal. The goal is to be understood.
I am an American white male and have been so for 34 years. In my adolescence I rebelled against this on account of both history and the contemporary society of which I found myself. The most heinous atrocities were all committed by the white man. I will give America a few points for opposing the Nazi's in WWII. However, on the whole there has not been a great source of pride which can be derived from our past. As for the continuation of racism in our culture, it can be generalized as ignorance. The belief that you can know in advance things about an individual predicated upon a stereotype according to their race, color, creed, sexual orientation, etc... is blatantly false. This ignorance can be found in individuals of all mental capacities from those dumber than a bag of rocks on up to those whom are as sharp as a tack. This disposition is most dangerous among the intelligentsia due to their influence and ability to disseminate hatred.
The new Presidential administration has caused me a significant amount of concern. My particular demographic should be the least concerned of all. It is pretty obvious that white guys are the least concerned group when it comes to the new White House. No one has proposed taking any of my/our rights away, so what do I/we have to worry about? That silence, that lack of discourse is a prime example of our white (male) privilege. A sentiment that was expressed from this point of view is that we ought to "wait and see what happens". Another similar thought from the same point of view is disdain towards the expression of outrage by those whom will be negatively effected by the new administration. Neither of those positions ought to be justified.
There is a sense of urgency among those who stand to be disenfranchised by proposed policies, as there should be. Roughly all citizens who are not a white male stand something to lose. In particular I am referring to women's reproductive rights and immigration. In a broader sense, the new administration has brought along with it a nod towards racism and prejudice against anything that is not white, christian or heterosexual. The institutionalization of discrimination is unacceptable. It is completely understandable that these people should not only be concerned but legitimately upset at this turn of events.
So how does this relate to me? What do I personally stand to lose? The direct impact is rather limited. The legality of abortion could impact me granted the fact that I am biologically capable of procreating. Beyond that things get a bit more obtuse. Although I am one of the most selfish people you will ever meet, I have a genuine concern for the well being of my friends and fellow citizens. I derive no satisfaction from the denigration of others.
I can hear the criticism about the use of the word "citizen". "It's the illegal immigrants that we want to get rid of." I suppose that is a valid argument if you want to ignore the valuable contribution that is made to the economy by illegal immigrants by way of performing jobs that legal citizens do not want to do in the first place let alone at a wage that cannot be matched legally and is to the benefit of both the employer as well as the migrant worker. I am specifically referencing how last year several states reported millions of dollars of lost revenue due to stricter immigration laws which resulted in in vacant harvesting jobs and left the produce in the field to rot. Legal citizens proved either unskilled at the position and unwilling to perform such a task for the amount of compensation offered. Additionally, placing undue barriers to obtaining citizenship is at least equally if not more of a concern.
While on the topic of immigration, let me briefly talk about this proposed wall. This is one of the most profoundly idiotic ideas I have ever heard. The end. To discuss it any further will give it more credence than it deserves.
To wrap up my thoughts on immigration, please consider this... Are you the descendant of immigrants? I am. One of my grandparents and most of my great grandparents faced the hardships of leaving their countries for America in search of opportunity, freedom and prosperity. Has the time come where we are to turn our backs one of the few redeeming moments in our history? It was a brutal moment when people flooded into America and were put to work as human fodder for the industrial machine the produced the country in which we now find ourselves living. Is it time to take down the plaque which bears "The New Colossus"? That is the poem on the Statue of Liberty. You know the one... "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, ..." We may as well take the whole damn statue down while we are at it.
Ecological concerns are also arising. We seem to be at a pivotal point in our attempts to maintain a global climate and ecology that we have grown accustomed to. It is a folly to turn our national backs on growing evidence that the planet we are living on and the species which inhabit it are in danger. What we do now will have an impact on the world for centuries to come. In some case irreparable damage has already occurred. Why don't we take the steps necessary to limit or eliminate harm moving forward?
My most significant concern lies with freedom and liberty. I don't have any grudge against the constitution. I particularly like the 1st and 9th amendments. The whole bill of rights is pretty rad. Also, let us not forget about the amendments which granted suffrage to blacks, women and 18 year olds. I'm beginning to get the impression that the new Presidential administration does not take this document seriously and intends to violate it when ever it sees fit. That makes me a sad panda. To strip anyone of rights or to oppress any individual begins a process. This process if granted the ability to operate will strip all rights that it potentially can in order to dominate, assert control and eliminate opposition. But what fear does the heterosexual white male have? Supposing I favored the status quo, I wouldn't have much to worry about. However I am a free thinker. I will not spew blind and mindless nationalism. My freedom to think, to challenge, to express dissent becomes jeopardized as a result. I will no longer to have a voice to speak for those whom are less fortunate than myself. By less fortunate, I mean those not born an American heterosexual white male (how dare they be born otherwise? The nerve of some people.)
For the record, I voted for Gary Johnson. The Libertarian ideal is to limit or remove the role of government in society. He favored some of the cuts to public funding that people are currently upset about. This position was not accompanied with bigotry. It is in the name of the individual being sovereign unto themselves. Society should learn to start doing some things for itself instead of relying on the government to provide particular services.
Do I think we as a nation would have been better off had Hillary won the election? That is a complicated question. I am not a political scientist. I find most political positions, both left and right, to be rather gut wrenching. History isn't my forte either. From what I gather, all the Presidential administrations throughout history have shared one thing in common, to favor the affluent. So whether you are putting red or blue lipstick on that pig, it is still a pig. Regardless of who is President, there are going to be some seriously shady deals going down. The bright side I see in our current situation is that our new President will receive unprecedented levels of scrutiny. I have my sincerest hopes that this scrutiny can also be coupled with accountability. For example, it would do us a great service if President Trump were to be held accountable for the clear and direct conflicts of interest that are posed by his corporate assets in relation to his new political office.
I am not a radical nor am I a revolutionary. I do possess a certain degree of patriotism. I love where I come from. The Mon Valley was and is a gritty place to grow up. It has shaped who I am. Many people I know have incorporated a hard nosed work ethic that I believe to be characteristic of the region. Our speech, our geography, our cuisine all contribute to our culture. I don't know a whole lot about being American, because I've only lived in one county my whole life. I've traveled but it's not the same. A little taste of other regions culture doesn't make me shit red, white and blue.
Going into the election I was hoping Donald Trump would lose. I took as a consolation prize, that if he did win, at least I would get to watch the world burn. It is scarier than I though it would be. These next few years are going to be quite a test for my optimistic outlook.
What am I going to do about this new and threatening administration? Not much is going to change for me, as I have previously mentioned my privileged status of not being much of a target for new policy. I have and will continue to contribute money to the ACLU. When it comes to battling the government some educated lawyers will most likely be our best defense. This essay is about the closest I come to protesting. I support protest, even the violent ones. However when the violence and destruction enters into the picture the protesters relinquish the protection offered by the first amendment. The value I see in the violence and destruction is the expression of the level of dissatisfaction involved.
For as much as we discuss government or complain about it, there is something that co-exists with it which I find far more value in and love for. That is society. Each individual owes gratitude towards society for every aspect of their life. There has been a collective effort going on for the last few millennia. History has taken note of the individuals who have made the greatest contributions. There is not a single day in your life that was not touched by and enhanced by some innovator from the past. I rest my faith in society to overcome the obstacles that lie ahead. Whether it be an oppressive government, climate change, overpopulation, natural catastrophe, unnatural catastrophe, etc... there will always be individuals willing to rise to the challenge and struggle onward toward their dying breath.