Punched in the gut

Well, this morning has been a major disappointment. After hearing about the results of the American election, it has left me feeling as though the wind has been knocked out of me. Donald Trump, a man with no government experience, had 4 bankruptcies, doesn't pay for work done, evades paying taxes, sexually assaulted double-digit amount of women, and raped at least one 13 year old, has become the President of the United States.

I know I'm Canadian and shouldn't care so much what America does, but how can I not? We are neighbours. They are so close to me, in fact I could get into the states within 20 minutes if I wanted to. They also hold a vast amount of nuclear weapons and have a spy state in effect at the moment. He has spewed hatred towards Mexicans, accusing them of being rapists (ironic that he would accuse them of being rapists when he brutally raped a 13 year old girl), Muslims, Syrian refugees, women, gays,... I could go on and on and on, but it upsets me.

I wake up to the terrible news that Trump became the President, but also the Republicans now control both the House and the Senate. It feels like I've been deflated. Naturally, one begins to wonder how the Hell such a thing can happen? Will this be the end of the Middle Class in America? Will it signify the fall of the American Empire? Will the world's economy take a massive blow bigger than we have ever seen in our lives? Is it the end of an economic system completely? Will we see a new world war where a man who has the temperament of a toddler now has the access codes to nuclear weapons? Will it start a new American civil war?

Should I care so much about this? I don't know. I'm empathic. It means I care. It makes me wonder where we went wrong in this world, especially when I see KKK members marching in pride overnight at the results. Have we reverted back 100 years? Is this what Trump meant by "Make America Great Again"?

Naturally, this had made me extremely angry, shocked, confused, annoyed, and enraged. As much as I loved the idea of a woman for President, I wasn't that keen on Hillary in this election. In 2008, I was fully backing her and was hoping she would win. It's not that I had anything against Obama, I just didn't know anything about him and really wanted to see an end of the GW Bush years. At this point, I am almost wishing it were him instead of Trump.

I then hear people complain that the reason why Hillary failed is because of third party candidates, or because of non-voters, or whatever reason they can think of besides the truth. The truth is people were demanding change and the Democrats ignored that cry.

We saw over the last few years countless protests about inequality, namely the Occupy and Black Lives Matter movements, not to mention the current protest underway in Standing Rock. People were demanding change. They were sick of the same old bullshit, time and time again. It is not the fault of third party candidates or non-voters. The blame has to be placed on the Democratic Party and Hillary.

Bernie Sanders stirred something in people. He affected me. He made me feel like there was a glimmer of hope in this world that things would finally balance out and work for actual workers. I'm tired of seeing rich entitled people sitting in their comfortable mansions on the backs of the working class who make them rich. I want to see some breaks for the low and middle class people out there and am so sick and tired of the breaks going for the wealthy elite. Bernie struck a chord with many people out there from many different backgrounds.

The Democrats had an opportunity to capitalize off of that cry for change, but instead decided to throw all their efforts behind Hillary, who had massive fodder in her past that if thrown at her were stick, and who seemed to be working for Wall Street. It is odd to me that the fodder Trump had didn't seem to stick to him at all, but hey, that's America for you.

I am very disappointed in Americans right now. I tried not to watch any election coverage and decided to watch the Eight Days a Week documentary Ron Howard did on The Beatles' touring years. During commercial breaks I would look into Facebook to see what people were saying. At about the same time Trump started to seriously look like he was going to sweep this thing, was the time in the documentary where the touring years started falling apart. That too was because of crazy Americans. The mob mentality got to be too big and nuts that they all decided they had enough of it.

Is it their Puritan heritage that makes Americans so crazy? Pollution? Climate change? Cut backs to education over the years? I just don't get it.

All I can do is hope that this is some huge joke the Universe is playing on all of us, and hope whatever damage Trump and his party does can be reversed. Okay, Republicans. It's your turn now. You've been complaining for years about how Democrats do things and blame them for everything. It's all in your corner now. When you fail, you will only have yourselves to blame.

Just please, for the sake of this world, stay away from wars and other countries' affairs. If you want to destroy yourselves, that's fine, but please leave everyone else alone. Okay?

Well, I guess I should wind this post up now. As Bernie would say, the struggle continues...

You say you want a revolution Well, you know We all want to change the world You tell me that it's evolution Well, you know We all want to change the world

But when you talk about destruction Don't you know that you can count me out Don't you know it's gonna be All right, all right, all right

You say you got a real solution Well, you know We'd all love to see the plan You ask me for a contribution Well, you know We're doing what we can

But if you want money for people with minds that hate All I can tell is brother you have to wait Don't you know it's gonna be All right, all right, all right

You say you'll change the constitution Well, you know We all want to change your head You tell me it's the institution

Well, you knowYou better free you mind instead

But if you go carrying pictures of chairman Mao

You ain't going to make it with anyone anyhow

Don't you know it's gonna be

All right, all right, all right

All right, all right, all right

All right, all right, all right

All right, all right