11/9...One Year Later...I won't forget

In a few hours it will be 11/9/2017, one year after the current disaster President was officially named through our convoluted electoral system. I believe it was and continues to be an American tragedy.

Early into the morning hours of 11/9/2016 I was in an Uber (don't do those anymore), and I was talking to the driver. The results of the Presidential election had not been officially decided yet but things were not looking good for the future of America.

"Can you believe people voted for him?" my driver asked.

I could not.
I still can't

One of the best unplanned things I ever did was time my vacation the day after the 2016 Presidential Election. When I arrived at the airport after getting no sleep and suffering a minor nervous breakdown at home (watch the first 20 minutes of American Horror Story: Cult. That shit was my life). After I went through the security lines, the newscasters quietly announced that we had a new president, and it was not who I had hoped (and that is putting it nicely). The person the Electoral college would choose was about the worst possible choice I could think of. I still can't say his name and President in the same sentence.  In my mind then and now, America had just committed an act of terrorism--against itself.

It was early morning in the airport, but I have never heard a place so eerily quiet. I was in the airport the day that it was announced Michael Jackson died and this was still quieter and different than that. No one was talking, but you could tell people were thinking. How and why did this happen?

Most of us have survived, but one year later--

I am still angry.

I won't forget.

I am still angry.

I won't forget that when Evangelicals were given choice they chose the least moral option even when they had all the evidence of what kind of man he was right in front of him.

I am still angry.

I won't forget growing up in a conservative environment and having people make judgments about my life, and then they had the nerve to vote for evil. Prior to 11/9, I had always been open minded about people who have different opinions politically than my self. on 11/9 that ended for anyone I know who voted for Trump. I don't think I will ever be able to move past it and have any kind of respect for  those I know who did vote for him.

I am still angry

I won't forget that some people were apathetic. They didn't like their choices and stayed home. Their votes could have put us in a different place one year later.

I am still angry.

I wont forget that people were careless with their vote and voted 3rd party or voted for someone who wasn't even  on the ballot. I am not against 3rd party candidates, but when Donald Trump is one of  two choices, you should not be reckless with your vote. There vote could have made a lot of lives different one year later,  and no I don't care what state you live in.

I am still angry.

I won't forget last night. Hope returned again. Even though most of the elections were minor, I felt a sea change-- albeit a small one. I hope once  again. I hope that  2018 is a disaster for conservatives. I hope in the long run supporting Trump runs people far away from bigoted evangelical churches. I hope that Donald  will no longer be president by January 2021.

Because if this country survives him, the night he is no longer President, I am going to be dancing in the streets. And if you know me you know...I. don't. dance.

But even then I will never forget anyone who played a part in his election.