After listening to yet another affluent white man in the entertainment industry pontificate about how he’s “optimistic” about the incoming president because “love conquers hate” or “people are inherently good,” or “the system will work to check him.” I lost my shit and decided it was time for Spazzie Girl’s first socio-political-economic rant!
Post-2016 election night, I was discouraged. The fact that a man, who advocated for nothing except hate and fear, was not only a viable candidate but could win the presidency, depressed the fuck out of me. It made me afraid.
Privilege. Many people are tossing this word about right now, but few white folks are considering what having privilege means. At the most basic level, “having privilege” means we don’t have to care that much. It means we have the luxury of choice. We can CHOOSE to be optimistic/pessimistic/oblivious about the damage the incoming administration will wreak on our democracy, and the horrifying impact this damage will have on People of Color (PoC), the LGBTQ community, non-Christians, and the economically disadvantaged — especially single mothers — regardless of their race.
Our PoC, LGBTQ , non-Christian, and economically disadvantaged citizens do NOT have this same choice!
According to the New Republic, both college-educated white men and college educated white women voted for Trump by much higher than expected margins. WTF, people? I know, I know. I’ve heard your rationalizations! You’re not racists you just believe [insert ANY reason other than the Trump campaign’s manipulation convinced you that you are fine getting very little, as long as those less deserving than you get NOTHING].
I was not excited about Hillary Clinton running for president. It was too damn easy for you to vote against her, you believe she’s evil. But in voting against the little evil (i.e. establishment Washington), you elected SATAN! I’m tired of your rationalizations, and it sickens me that so many of my fellow white Americans continue to vote against non-white Americans, because “reasons.” The real reason you voted for Trump is that you believe, maybe subconsciously, maybe not, that because you’re white, you deserve more.
Ponder this, will you? Why do you keep voting for these “pull you up by your bootstraps” politicians? Has your life gotten measurable better? No? Well, that’s on you. According to the guy you just elected president, it’s your fault your life is difficult. Maybe you’re just not pulling up on those bootstraps hard enough. Or maybe it’s time to check your privilege, stop being defensive, and seriously examine why the only people you seem comfortable following are people that look AND think exactly like you.
There is one truth about our political system: only wealth matters to those in power, and only those with wealth have power. So pull your head out of your racist asses and realize that those in the top 1 percent (Trump, is one example) only give a shit about those also in the top 1 percent. Not in the top 1 percent? You’re shit out of luck, just like all those “other” Americans against whom you voted.