“Growing up with two parents who are Political Science enthusiasts, I’ve paid attention to government and politics for as long as I can remember. The West Wing from the genius that is Aaron Sorkin is my favorite show because of its very real, if not overly optimistic, portrayal of the White House and D.C. politics. Election day excites me. It’s almost like the Super Bowl – minus the great commercials. I woke up Tuesday with a healthy sense of optimism that it was going to be a historic day. I didn’t expect it to be historic like this.
“Plain and simple, this has been hard for me.
“Throughout this whole election cycle, I’ve been resolute there is no way Donald Trump would ever make it to the White House. When he announced his candidacy, I said ‘It’s a stunt. He’ll drop out soon.’ When he led in the primary polls, I said ‘As soon as others begin dropping out, the base will support one of their more moderate candidates.’ When he won the primary, I said, “Well, we’ve got this in the bag.” And when he won the election, and was voted President-Elect early Wednesday morning, I said nothing.
“Donald Trump’s path to victory is one that doesn’t take much to understand. He campaigned on hate, he fear-mongered the public, he made promises of Making America Great Again. People took the bait.
“Today my heart is breaking for the Muslim student in my office who is afraid to leave her dorm room now. For the student who cried in my office afraid for her safety from men, and for her mom’s healthcare. For my black colleague who had racial slurs thrown at from students. For the LGBTQ+ individuals and so many others who have flooded the suicide hotlines in recent days. For the middle schools students who have listened to their classmates chant ‘build the wall’ or have been confronted with a literal human wall on their way to class. For my friend who was asked ‘What does it feel like to be a faggot now that Trump is President?’
“My heart is breaking now. But just like the bones and muscles of our bodies, it will heal to be stronger than before. The morning following the election, as I digested to results, I resolved to go to my campus and continue working toward the ideals and values I voted for, and held to be true the day before. To quote Aaron Sorkin, ‘Our darkest days have always been followed by our finest hours.’ I’m not sure what’s down the road. But I’m willing to keep fighting for what’s right and what we deserve.”
– Rob
michael king 