a more reasoned reaction from my FB feed

Posted on: November 11, 2016 at 15:14:02 CT

I speak only my own opinion, and that's all it is, my opinion. I went to bed before the election had been called, but with things quickly turning in Donald Trump's favor. When I woke up Wednesday morning to the news that Mr. Trump had been elected president, my first feeling was gut wrenching fear. Fear, as a gay man, for what the future holds for my fellow LGBT brothers and sisters and me...fear for my Latino friends...fear for my African-American friends...fear for my Muslim friends...fear for anyone who was mocked and made "the other" and "the problem" during this long, dreadful campaign...fear that Mr. Trump's temperament might lead our nation into some very perilous times over the next four years.

I was in a state of fear and dread for quite a while. But, as time has passed, I've begun to get past the fear and dread. I'm a man of faith, and I know that God is bigger than any one person, and that ultimately, my hope and faith are in Jesus Christ, not a politician, political system, or country. I also believe in our system of government and our political system. Mr. Trump has been duly elected president, in a fair and honest way, by the American people. And I accept that decision. He will be my president and my Commander in Chief. And having voluntarily raised my hand and sworn an oath, I will continue to serve, with integrity and excellence, under his leadership.

Furthermore, while I completely respect the right of protesters to peacefully demonstrate and express their feelings of displeasure with the election results, I'm very concerned with them saying Donald Trump is "not my president." Yes, he is president of us all, and to refuse to accept that is to lead our nation down a very dangerous path. If the results had been the opposite, the expectations would be the same. Acknowledging the results of an election does not mean giving up your beliefs or convictions. It simply means accepting reality and respecting our democracy. So, yes, protest and be angry. But better yet, channel that anger into positive ways to express your views. Resist those ideas and policies on which you disagree with Mr. Trump, and work tirelessly for change. But please, don't lead our nation down a treacherous path. Be angry. Grieve. Vent. Cry. I feel it too. But we will make it through. Reality will settle in. We'll press on.

Remember, Jesus drew close to those who were marginalized, excluded, told they didn't belong. Jesus will draw close to us, no, he HAS drawn close to us...and he'll see us through.

To my family and friends who voted for Mr. Trump, congratulations on a stunning victory that historians will analyze for years to come. He obviously hit a nerve with a certain segment of our population, and they came out in droves to vote for him. Your candidate won. Celebrate. Congratulate. Rejoice. And enjoy the victory of a hard fought election. That's how politics works. But please, be a gracious winner. Don't gloat. And please, don't dismiss, or even worse, ridicule the pain and fear that those of us who voted for the losing candidate are experiencing. The feelings are real and the feelings are raw. Allow time for healing. Don't make glib, dismissive comments and posts.

Don't ridicule those who feel their only option to be heard is to protest in the streets. Sometimes words fail and action is needed to express overwhelming feelings. Time is needed. Please allow for that time. Follow that advice your momma gave you when you were a kid, "If you can't say anything nice, then don't say anything at all."

In these days ahead I'll be praying for our nation and I hope you'll do the same. I'll be praying that somehow we can begin to heal the huge divide that exists in our country. I'll be praying that those who are marginalized in our country won't be further marginalized by partisan control of our government. I'll be praying that we can, once again, see each other as fellow human beings who share so many of the same hopes and dreams, but simply have different opinions, not as evil enemies that need to be silenced or destroyed. And, yes, I'll be praying for President-elect Trump...that God will give him wisdom, that he will put the good of our nation as a whole first, and that he will be a president that will not just be president of us all, but a president who will grow to be respected by us all...in time.

Oh, one more thing...please know that who you did or didn't vote for won't damage our relationship. It's much bigger and stronger than politics. But, in the meantime, please understand if I don't want to have a political conversation with you about the election and its consequences. For now, I just need a little time. Thanks. I love you.

Edited by cnk at 15:26:29 on 11/11/16