Anyone who has been following my blog for any amount of time knows that I always start my post with the preface that I in no way intend to cause discord among the people viewing it and that I respect all viewpoints equally.
This post is to anyone who voted for Donald Trump but it will mainly be aimed at my family and friends, who I hold dear. Here is what I need you to know.
I love you. You are a valuable person in my life and you are my friend. And nothing will ever change that. Not even this election. I hold no hatred in my heart for you OR Donald Trump and I wish neither of you harm. The night before the election I stated that no matter who you voted for I would remain by your side, and I meant it and still mean it. If any of you decide to remove me from your life, either temporarily or permanently, because of what I am about to say, I will not blame you and I will not hold it against you. I will be ABSOLUTELY DEVASTATED to see you go. But I will respect your choice and will believe that you had valid reasons for doing so. I will pray for Donald Trump and for our country. But the world that you and I built our friendship upon has changed. I HAVE changed as a result of this election. I am not the same person I was before Tuesday night. My eyes have been opened to an America that I didn’t want to believe existed but, I suppose deep down, always knew did. People forget that when they go into that voting booth they are not just voting against something, they are voting FOR something. Always. And what Donald Trump is “for” is fundamentally opposed to everything I value about human life. So, in honor of his election, here is what I need you to know.
I no longer consider you an ally with me in the fight against sexual violence. You forfeited that right when you elected a man who has been accused by 13 women (not including a 13 year old girl) of sexual assault. You forfeited that right when you elected a man who bragged about being able to grope women’s pussies just because he was powerful. You forfeited that right when you elected a man who, when confronted about these comments, dismissed them as locker room talk and gave an insincere apology. You forfeited that right when you elected a man who bragged about going into pageant locker rooms unannounced so he could check out the women. You forfeited that right when you elected a man who when confronted with the accusation of sexual assault by one of his accusers, responded with “ trust me, she would not be my first choice.” You forfeited that right when you elected a man who, upon seeing a 10 year old girl, said “I will be dating that in 10 years.” You forfeited that right when you elected a man who, when somewhat laughingly called a sex offender on the Howard Stern show, literally laughed and shrugged it off. You forfeited that right when you elected a man whose ex-wife once accused him of rape.
I no longer consider you an ally with me in the fight against the bullying epidemic sweeping our nation. You forfeited that right when you elected a man who criticized women for their weight and made disparaging remarks about women’s breasts. You forfeited that right when you elected a man who made a joke about Megan Kelly about bleeding out of her whatever. You forfeited that right when you elected a man who, when criticized twitter, lashes out at others in the most juvenile of ways.
I no longer consider you an ally with me in the struggle for LBGT rights. You forfeited that right when you voted for a man who chose as his running mate a man who supports conversion therapy for gays and who signed off on a bill in his state that would allow private businesses to refuse service to a member of the LBGT community based upon personal beliefs.
I no longer consider you an ally with me in the struggle for human rights. You forfeited that right when you voted for a man who said we should kill the innocent family members of SUSPECTED terrorists. You forfeited that right when you elected a man who said he wanted to bring back torture even if, and I quote “it doesn’t work.”
I no longer consider you an ally with me in the fight for international diplomacy. You forfeited that right when you elected a man who is so thoroughly disliked across the world that even the Pope spoke out against him.
I no longer consider you an ally with me in the fight for environmental preservation. You forfeited that right when you elected a man who denies climate change and has already stated that he intends to nominate a man to the EPA board who believes the same.
I no longer consider you an ally with me in the fight for religious liberty. You forfeited that right when you elected a man who wants to ban an entire religious group, Muslims, from entering the country
I no longer consider you an ally with me in the fight against racial prejudice and belief. You forfeited that right when you elected a man who referred to a man at one of his rallies as “My African American.” You forfeited that right when you elected a man who has been endorsed by the The Klu Klux Klan and other white nationalist groups. You forfeited that right when you elected a man who had people at his rallies yelling “ fuck that nigger” when speaking about Obama and yet remained silent about such rhetoric.
I no longer consider you an ally with me in recognizing the bravery of our amazing military family. You forfeited that right when you elected a man who when speaking about John McCain, a POW survivor and hero, that he would rather elect the man who got away.
I can only imagine how this blog post of mine has offended you. But I suppose for those of you closest to me, you know it is not in my nature to stay silent when I perceive an injustice happening in my presence. To do so would be to betray the core of my being. I have made it a point all my life to surround myself with people from all walks of life. I do not regret that decision. I get it. I really do. Few people liked the choices we were left with this election cycle, including myself. If you dislike or even detest Hilary Clinton, you have valid reasons for doing so. But Trump is not a stupid man. Demagogues rarely are. He was counting on using the frustration and fears of average citizens to cause enough of a backlash that he could use it to his advantage and get elected. His strategy worked. It often does, as history continues to show us. You might be of the opinion that this blog of mine is too divisive. You are right. It is divisive. I intend it to be so. But perhaps before you ridicule me for writing such a blog, you should have considered that you elected a man whose ENTIRE platform was about causing division, not inclusion. You voted for division. You got it. Here it is. I do not know what the next four years have in store for us and the rest of the world, but here is what I DO know. A house divided against itself cannot stand. Two Americas have emerged this week. Two polar opposite visions of what America should look like and stand for are now before us. Both sides have their strengths and their weaknesses as no movement or ideology is perfect. But I have decided to pick a side. I have decided to pick the side that I see as being the most loving, most just, most inclusive, most humane as these are the values that I hold dearest and which guide my life. I am ready to fight for my side, are you ready to fight for yours?
Love to you all,
Leia Peison
