Thursday, November 10, 2016

The fear of a Trump presidency is real and justified


Across America (even across the world), people are in fear of the coming administration of Donald Trump. It's not enough that he is unqualified and totally unpredictable.

The bulk of his campaign scapegoated people of color and of different faiths. Also,  many Republicans and other entities who support him do so because he fits into their plans of eliminating Obama's legacy or causing havoc for lgbt equality.

But instead of me talking, I want you to read a something a good friend of mine sent me. It's eloquent because of its brevity :

I am a gay man
I am a US Navy Veteran
I am pagan
I am disabled

All of my rights have been threatened by the president elect.
For the first time in my life, I am terrified to live in "the home of the free and the brave."

My partner and I will not have any of the same rights you and your wife enjoy.

I served my country as a member of the US Navy. I have post traumatic stress disorder.  My rack was set on fire with me in it while people yelled "Burn, witch, burn." No one was ever held accountable for the crime committed against me. I still do not have all of the benefits of a US Veteran. Now I look at the looming fact that I may not even get to keep what I have.

You will never know what it's like to be persecuted. I have been burned for being pagan. I have been attacked three times for being gay. I have had to fight for equal rights all of my life. All I ever asked was to stand as an equal with the rest.

When have you ever had to fight for your equal rights. I fought and bled for this country. I am a citizen and to this day I have never had the same rights and freedoms that you enjoy.  So when someone threatens the few freedoms that I do have, hell yes it does scare the hell out of me. And every other American citizen out there who have any reasons to fear this new administration's professed goals.