Crash.

A few of my friends (old and new, from all walks of life) have asked those in their circles not to speak out to say we are ashamed. Sorry -- no.

 

I am ashamed.

 

I am ashamed of my country. I am ashamed that our collective, democratic voice has risen up as an outcry against people of color, people of non-Christian religions, LGBTQ families, environmental protections, and women's autonomy.

 

I am ashamed that our collective power now stands behind a man so racist he wishes to create a barricade between us and a non-white nation. A man who conflates black people with criminality in a time when their lives are deeply at risk in an onslaught of near-daily police shootings. I am ashamed that our nation will now be led by a man championed by the KKK, an organization which continues to terrorize, threaten, and kill members of our communities.

 

I am ashamed of the harm we are doing for people of low income and people with disabilities, who rely on our health care system to ensure that they have access to the medical care they need to survive.

 

I am shocked and hurt that we have put our collective support behind a man who wishes to take away my rights as a queer person, who threatens to revoke my right to marry, my right to have and protect a family.

 

I am deeply, profoundly ashamed that we have invited a man who openly brags about committing sexual assault to be the leader of our country. We have stepped beyond sexism. When our leader boasts about such action, he reframes it as a point of pride. By electing him, we are not merely condoning rape and sexual assault -- we are promoting it.

 

This is our president. The person children strive to be when they grow up.

 

Yes, I am deeply, painfully ashamed.

 

You should be too.

 

I am ashamed to be a white women, when the records show that women like me all over the country chose to set aside our endangerment and marginalization, shrugging off attitudes and actions that are destructive and outright violent.

 

I am ashamed to see that our value system favors ego and anger, fame and notoriety. We were confronted with a choice between a woman with decades of experience in policy, government, and international relations, revered by her colleagues and constituents, or a man with literally no experience in elected office or government, famed for volatility, malpractice, and abuse. I am ashamed --I am appalled-- that we chose a reality TV monster over a seasoned, proven professional.

 

And yes, I am ashamed to see us reinforce the message that experienced women are less qualified than men with no experience at all.

 

I am baffled that in considering the office of our presidency, we created a conversation about likability rather than experience, aptitude, and success. I am ashamed that the conversation started, and I am ashamed that it has continued.

 

And, most shamefully, I am guilty for my own part in this election. Guilty that I did not speak out sooner, speak out louder. That I chose not to make waves, not to argue with those who claimed Clinton and Trump are interchangeable. As they claimed that politics are private. They are not. They affect us all. The choices we make will elevate our neighbors, or endanger them.

 

So I am astounded by our collective apathy, by the number of Americans who shrugged their shoulders at the marginalized, terrified people who are directly endangered by Trump's threats, and his newly empowered followers.

 

I am ashamed to see how many Americans chose not to vote.

We have an incredible system of government that allows individual people to raise their voices and stand up for their values. That allows us as a nation to raise our collective voice and declare what we stand for.

 

This week, we have witnessed our values laid out on stark contrast:

 

We have told immigrants that their incredible contributions are not valued.

We have told Muslims that they will always be terrorists in our eyes.

We have told women that their bodies are the property of powerful men.

We have told the LGBTQ community that they deserve a lesser life.

We have told children that we don't care about the world we leave for them.

And we have told black people that their lives do not matter.

 

I am ashamed. I am sick.

 

I am humiliated to be complicit.

 

And I really, deeply hope you are too. It's the only way we can move forward.

Done