I don't know what to say

[lunabee34]

I'm so glad I didn't stay up last night to watch the results come in. I know I wouldn't have been able to go to sleep after. I'm glad I at least got what passes as a good night's sleep for me before having to face this new reality.

spikedluv linked to an article that sums up what I'm feeling right now: Throughout this election cycle I was confident of a Hillary Clinton victory because she is eminently qualified for the presidency and she ran a strong campaign. As I watch the election results come in, I am stunned. I was confident, not only because of who Mrs. Clinton is. I was confident because I thought there were more Americans who believe in progress and equality than there were Americans who were racist, xenophobic, misogynistic and homophobic. (source)

I agree with what Bill Maher said last week about this election finally exposing (most undeniably, most unequivocally, out there in the open for all to see) the hypocrisy of white, evangelical Christianity. At the best times, I find most of the Republican Party platform antithetical to Christianity, but the words that have come out of Trump's mouth and the things he has done over his lifetime are mutually exclusive with Christianity. I would have so much more respect for conservative Christians if they would just drop the Christian part and be honest about their motives: we love money, we hate gay people, we hate brown people, we don't exactly hate women but we want to keep them subservient and subordinate, and we want to bow out of our part of the social contract (agreeing to give up part of our liberty) but we want the government to keep its end of the bargain (insuring our security, etc.) without having to pay for it. The suggestion that Jesus wants us to earn as much money as possible by any means possible or that he wants us to have guns and shoot people with them or that he doesn't want us to take care of the poor, the disabled, the vulnerable or that he wants us to merrily burn this world he made to cinder--this is like the opposite of everything Jesus ever says and does in the Bible. I long ago lost my patience with people whose every word is about Jesus and their faith and who talk about how Christianity informs their every decision from where to buy their toilet paper (definitely not Target, amirite?) to the makeup they use (my mom trufax stopped using Clarins, a French makeup brand, and called fries freedom fries after 9-11), but now my rage at them is incandescent.

There's a reason the KKK never supports a Democratic candidate. When white supremacists and hate groups are drawn to a party, that says more about the party than it does the hate group. The KKK never goes, "Oooooooh, equal access to health care and paid maternity leave and more protections for vulnerable groups? Sign me up!"

It's very difficult to wish the Trump voters would reap the foolishness of this election because that would just hurt me, too. I've already been thinking about how I might not be able to leave this job if I wanted because I have two pre-existing medical conditions, and I don't know if I could get insurance somewhere else or be able to afford the premiums if they deign to insure me after Obamacare is dismantled.

I'm mostly just shocked and dismayed and sad. I woke up to Emma crying. I hope she has managed the day alright. I told her to keep her head down and not to engage; if she hears someone gloating or knocking Hillary just walk away because she's outnumbered and it's a fight she can't win. I hope she didn't get too hassled.

Comments

[executrix]

this is like the opposite of everything Jesus ever says and does in the Bible

And look at where it got him! Actually I comforted myself this morning thinking of the goldfish-like attention span of the electorate, they'll swing back soon enough. The time gap between "Hosanna!" and "Crucify him!" is about a week.

[lunabee34]

*snort*

I agree with you re: attention span, and I think he is likely to do many things to piss off the people who elected him eventually. I would lay all my down on those people somehow blaming Obama for whatever Trump does to piss them off, though. Remember, these are people for whom logic and facts do not register. LOL

[executrix]

What we know for sure about Obama is that he isn't going to be running for president again, whereas Trump will be around to be blamed.

And logic doesn't register, but what registers is a yuuuuuge paycheck deduction if the Trump voter's employer is allowed to transfer the full cost of health insurance to the employee and does it. Or what happens to a person who used to have insurance and now doesn't when ze has to produce $300 for every visit to the doctor (plus hundreds or thousands more for tests).

Although, considering that PPACA is an immense give-away to the insurance industry, I don't think the insurers will let their Congresspets shut down the flow of dollars by repealing PPACA.

[lunabee34]

I completely agree with you that people who think they want Obamacare repealed don't really want it repealed. They want their kids to stay on their insurance until they're 26. They want to be able to get affordable health care even with pre-existing conditions. And they don't want their employers to force them to pay for it all. Considering how many times Congress voted to repeal the ACA, I'm certain they will repeal it the instant he's in office. As long as we keep these jobs, I don't think we'll be affected overmuch, except that I'll go back to paying for birth control. But IDK how it all works.

Follow the Money

[executrix]

IDK either! But consider that Congress is pretty much for rent to the highest bidder. PPACA is a giant give-away to the insurance industry, and they're one of the highest bidders. They're not going to passively accept shutting down the gravy train.

[karmageddon]

"Congresspets" is going to stick with me forever now

[executrix]

They're kind of all-purpose: memory of a goldfish, obsequiousness of a lapdog, but lack of loyalty to the wielder of the catfood can opener.

[lunabee34]

*dies laughing*

Thank you for that.

[kore]

I actually said "HAH!" like someone in a book

[karmageddon]

all hugs for you both

[lunabee34]

Thank you.

She actually had a good day. I think she was most worried about her teachers gloating, and she said none of her teachers said anything about the election.

[karmageddon]

I'm glad to hear it! It would be so unprofessional, IMO, but not surprising.

[lunabee34]

Oh, the teachers in this school district are nothing but unprofessional--from refusing to show Obama's address to school children eight years ago to making the class say a prayer (to Jesus) every lunch in fourth to last year's teachers talking about how amazing they thought Ben Carson was. It's boggles the mind.

[karmageddon]

That's terrible. I'm sorry.

[lunabee34]

At least most of my colleagues at the college are transplants from elsewhere and are not like this.

[wendelah1]

As a liberal Christian, I share your frustration with Evangelicals. And you're right, we can't wish the worst for anyone. It's the most vulnerable among us who stand to be hurt the most.

(As far as health insurance, most group plans do cover pre-existing conditions, but you would have to check.)

I feel for your daughter, for all of our children, all over the world.

[lunabee34]

(As far as health insurance, most group plans do cover pre-existing conditions, but you would have to check.)

This is good to know. I also forgot to mention that Fiona's got a pre-existing condition, too, (asthma). And we're paying a lot of money each month for medication.

*hugs hugs hugs*

I am so grateful for the work that you and your family did to campaign for Hillary.

I am so grateful for liberal Christians who are actually embodying Christian teachings. I didn't know you could be liberal and be Christian until I was an adult. If I had been raised as a liberal Christian, I might still be one. I just can't bring myself to get over my kneejerk reaction to repressive way I was raised.

[umadoshi]

I'm ill with anger and horror, and that's at my "safe" (ha!) distance across the border. I can barely imagine. ;_;

I'm glad to see in the comments that Emma's day wasn't bad after all.

[lunabee34]

No, her teachers were actually professional for once, so that's a small mercy.

*hugs*

[kore]

I would have so much more respect for conservative Christians if they would just drop the Christian part and be honest about their motives

Yeah. It's the lie that allows them to believe what they do is righteous, rather than horrible.

[lunabee34]

Agreed. They use that to justify what they're doing even though the justification makes no sense.