I have so much to share here, and instead I’m just…low. And I need to vent.
I walked into the canteen at work twice today, and the lovely big TV they got for us was on, turned to the news. Guess what dominated the news? Yep, the Cheeto President’s Inauguration coverage. I didn’t actually catch any of his speech.
I haven’t had yet enough drink yet to watch it online, either.
Both times, I found myself starting to tear up. To actually cry at the evidence that this is really happening – has happened. Just because I am 3,000 miles away does not mean it doesn’t matter to me.
All reference to LBGT and climate change has already been removed from the Whitehouse website. ACA is under attack with nothing to replace it. There are no foreign-to-US diplomats anywhere in the world tonight. He’s nominated so many wrong (and rich) people for cabinet positions that my brain actually can’t grasp how fucked up it all is.
I have family that isn’t white. I have family that are elderly and not financially well-off. I have family and friends with very young girls. I have family and friends that are relatively young but permanently ill. I have a lot of atheist friends and family. I have no Muslim friends, but I do have Hindu and Wiccan friends. I have gay friends, bisexual friends, transgender friends, polyamorous friends, asexual friends. I have friends with Asian heritage, South American heritage, Nigerian heritage.
All are targets now.
I fear for all of these people. Mostly because of how Cheeto’s supporters now think it is open season on ‘the different’ – meaning anyone who is not straight and white and has no discernible accent. Or funny clothing. I know it happens, every day. Not just in the USA, of course. My point is that his election lets some people think it is perfectly fine to discriminate now.
My husband has gotten into physical fights because he ‘looks gay’ with his beautiful long hair. Ireland.
I’ve had guns pointed at me twice, because I dared to date someone with a different skin colour than my own. America.
Do you see the difference there? No one ever tried to fight me. They threatened my life, instead. This is not acceptable and this bastard has made it clear that white supremacy and violence are just fine with him. Expect more guns pointed at teenage girls in love.
I have two friends on FB who support Trump. One just liked his inaugural videos. The other? Posted some shitty meme about how no one ‘violently protested’ Obama’s inaugurations. Pretty sure that isn’t true… it also called people like me ‘snowflakes’. I’m somehow weak because I have these concerns? How does that make sense? No, I’m not crying because ‘I lost’ or ‘it didn’t go my way’. I’m genuinely worried for the state of not just the USA but how it will affect the rest of the world. FFS, two of the people behind the big housing crisis are now cabinet nominees! Ireland is FUCKED because of that! I couldn’t get a job for nearly two years because of that!
Right, I’m done. I’m going to go prepare my protest signs for the Women’s March in Galway tomorrow. Oh yes, we are going to one of several protests being held in Ireland tomorrow. Hubby made us some wonderful laminated posters, too.
You might see us on the news.
heretherebespiders 
So pleased you’re going. I’ve never known such a subdued evening on social media. Nobody can talk.
Most of my friends share my feelings, so I am seeing a lot of posts. Dan Rather’s and George Takei’s posts have really resonated with me. I am scared for the world. I hate that they have so much undeserved power.
Yes, we’re following mainstream but our friend seem lost for words – can assure you they normally aren’t.
It is a shock, we did keep hoping it wasn’t real. Some strange shared nightmare, maybe. Denial, for sure. I just can not understand why this has happened. It’s a joke, a scary and dangerous joke.
You are not weak nor a snowflake to care about the wellbeing of others, and to be patriotic. I have the same concerns. Thank you for saying what I so far fear and yet have not been able to find the right words. Hugs
I’m sure I have a lot more, but I don’t normally get political. I just feel so sick right now.
I look forward to reading the more you have to say. I think as churning as your stomach is and sinking your heart feels right now, you have a way of writing that is powerful and needs to be heard. Please do something good for you and your hubby. Hugs
We are going to a restaurant he has wanted to go to for months. We very very rarely eat out anywhere, so this is also special for us. I’m so glad I have a feminist husband. And most of the other positive -ists!
I agree. I think you have a grand husband also. Enjoy your night out, you both deserve it. Hugs
I just let it flow. I’m sure there is more, I just need comments to bring it all to the surface.
Reblogged this on Scotties Toy Box and commented:
Well said and I salute the author. I can tell you when she says she cares she really does care. She has called me a few times and the calls have always been wonderful. I agree with her. I also fear the rise in violence from the trump supporters. I fear the damage that can be done quickly to all the groups she mentions while the respite and help for them will take a long time coming. The shift in the country to taking away the civil rights of some groups is both stunning and chilling. To enshrine in law the ability to harm others, to make others a second class citizen is never something to celebrate. If it is used against one person, it can be used against you. As I said in other blogs just the fact that the nominees for offices and departments are all people who want the elimination , destruction of, or the ending of the services those offices provide, shows actually what these people plan to do to the US, and to us as a people. I hope people are recording this, we all need to remember how it started, where it went, and never let it happen again. I also cry. We all should. Hugs
Quite apart from all the excellent points above, there are going to be some very interesting conflict of interest issues surrounding his offshore investments, awarding of contracts, etc. Good luck to the Senate unravelling all that… I’m wondering how long it’s going to take before the first howls of protest arise from within his own ranks…
We have regularly elected what appear to be brain dead a’holes down here, which is often de rigeur in Africa, so I just let it all pass me by Our President (Zuma) is slowly but surely on his way out but there is now talk he is trying to get his ex wife elected as the next Pres, apparently so it will be more difficult for legal agencies t come after him once he is out of office!
Dickheads one and all.
I just change channel. So much easier.
I wish that would work here. To be honest your president has fuck all influence on the rest of the world (tho I did hear he wasn’t invited to the Trump shindig).
They had probably filled their Giant Nob Quota.
🙂
We are digging in hard for the fight here, Spiders. On this dark and evil day, 800 people lined the main drag in Fayetteville, AR, proclaiming that love trumps all. The Indivisible Movement is gathering by the minute. Let’s see what happens in the mid-terms. Two years. Give em hell in Galway. Solidarity now.
Love love love to hear this. So proud of those people.
I am in the States, and heard the news, could be good if he actually did what he said, revitalize American manufacturing, and real pay for those jobs! Something Mayo will never get. 😦
I shared your post on on my FB page.
Is View from Prospect Hill your fellow?
I got six views from FB, thanks. Scary but thanks!
He is. Posts almost never but tweeted your post.
Hahah, it got us both some jerk who seems so spend all his time being a troll. But inspired my current post:)
He is a good man, thank you both.
I’ll look for you.
It’s been said that Trumpkins love your tears, and alas that’s true becausr his core constituency are the kind of people that got their rocks off torturing weaker and “different” kids in third grade. But being able to cry about this travesty means we are still human.
I wear my stupid safety pin not because I want people to think I’m cool, but to remind me never to miss a single chance to resist this.
Some jackass called me pathetic on Twitter. You know, if it is pathetic to care for my fellow humans, I’ll wear that word with pride.
Sweet pea. You are not alone. During a routine doctor appointment today, my doc said she teared up on the way to work at the thought of today’s inauguration. And that opened the door for me to tear up too. We both had a cry. Then we dried our eyes and got on with what needed to be done.
We both vowed we’d bring light to our bitty corner of the world immediately around us. And like you, we’ll be joining others in the Women’s March who also believe in standing up for unity and fighting unjust legislation in our communities.
It is a start.
And if you need a good cry to start with, then take it, knowing you aren’t the only one. And then do what women have been doing throughout history. We pull the loose threads together and do what needs to be done.
And as you march, remember, I may be 9 hours behind you, but I’m marching with you.
Hugs and Hope.
Yeah, I didn’t watch it either – I watched the Georgia Eurovision National Selection Final – way more fun.
I actually can’t bear to look at the man (the hollow man), or listen to his voice when he comes on TV. As a friend put it the other day, in one simple sentence, ‘He makes my skin crawl’. I cannot believe or understand why ANYONE would vote for him. I read this article a while back:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jun/23/donald-trump-faces-wall-of-opposition-as-he-returns-to-scotland
If he’s made such an amazing cock-up of a golf course how in the hell can he possibly run a country!!! He’s a blustering, obnoxious fake of a man.
I went on the March today – the little kids loved shouting ‘boo to Trump!’ but I couldn’t even say his name. I cannot say I’m sorry that I left – the ones who support him say if you don’t like it, leave! Well, I did – during round two of Bush! I have some thoughts percolating about some of the nonsense that people have slung toward us who are disgusted, dismayed, and worried.
I just find it incomprehesible how so many people couldn’t see through him! We were speechless when we heard the results. 😵😨
I know. I know. Just posted about the other thing that has been eating at me. Expect more stupid hate because I spoke my mind! How dare I, even if I never was nasty to anyone…
I have a lot of beloved people who voted for someone who never had a chance. I knew dammed well this one was a game changer and didn’t go for anyone but Clinton. No, not my favourite but a dammed sight better than this psychopath.
Beggars belief how people couldn’t see through him. And what a laugh after the inauguration, he has to insist that the press lied about the numbers attending. Methinks even being president will never relieve him of his obvious inferiority complex – the one he tries so hard to hide.
Not very well hidden. I wouldn’t even care about that if he wasn’t replacing capable people with the LEAST appropriate people, killing the ACA just to give his business buddies tax breaks without any sort of viable replacement option, flouting the law, conflicts of interest everywhere, and now this: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/carl-pope/the-most-dangerous-bill-y_b_14067390.html
All I can say is, it’s frightening. So much power in the hands of a megalomaniac. All we can do is watch it unfold in a sort of mute horror.
It’s worse every day, now.
Spoke too soon. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38724063
Could someone bring in a ban on arseholes becoming president?
Oh, and the conflict of interest by his ‘expansion’ of that course while potus is beyond illegal.
Absolutely!!
Your post resonates with me. You’ve expressed so many of my own thoughts on the Trump and the times. Thank you!
And it just keeps getting worse. The gaslighting is outrageous, but doesn’t work on anyone but his own supporters. I hope.
What’s your impression of his supporters? What kinds of people are they?
I think some of them were accurately described by Clinton as “deplorables”, but others seem to be decent people lacking discernment. What do you think?
I’m going to go play in the dirt for a bit, and will think this over while doing so!
I’m mostly ready to respond to this now.
Some are, awfully, the of white power mindset. Those are the deplorables. That Trump has done a little a little too late to prevent or discourage the violence, bullying and actual murder of people in the name of his campaign rhetoric that inflamed these people is… reprehensible.
Some have no grasp of what voting for a president meant, after years of voting or even just rooting for someone to be voted off the island, or more aptly, the Apprentice.
Some picked one topic and that was it – abortion was the thing for one of my childhood friends. If her husband, an OBGYN, can’t explain to her why it is sometimes necessary even for a wanted pregnancy? Either she doesn’t listen or he is also one that believes a woman should host a dead or nearly dead fetus until labour starts. Ah no.
Some are exhausted by seeing their livelihoods moving away – and hoped he would help. The opposite is happening.