By Samy Long, Editor-in-Chief
https://www.papermasters.com/first-amendment.html
As a Liberal in the United States, post-election America has been a scary time for those of us who feel like our country’s new President-elect does not represent our rights, lives, and values. I include myself in that group. After eight years of having our first black President, who would have thought history would rewind and America would elect a KKK-endorsed, neo-Nazi approved, conspiracy theorist (e.g. Obama was not born in America), and corrupt businessman? To women, LGBT+ folks, people of color, immigrants, non-Christians, refugees, and disabled people who are afraid - your fear, anger, and sadness is completely justified and rational because even if some of Trump’s alleged plans do not turn into actions, he still awakened a once socially-unacceptable and evil group of Americans, and allowed these racist, sexist, homophobic, Islamophobic, and xenophobic ideas to become normalized. Do not let this become normal. Reject magazines and news sources that try to show “25 Cutest Pics of the First Family” or “Fashion Tips from Ivanka” because acting like this election and upcoming presidency is anything but abnormal is absurd. This is way bigger than Democrats versus Republicans or even Liberalism versus Conservatism. People’s lives are at stake because Trump ran a campaign fueled by fear and hate allowing white-nationalist neo-Nazis to feel entitled to their bigoted behavior. This should not and should never be normal. The leader of our country should not cause so much fear.
If you are struggling and fearful please know that you are not alone. We cannot let hate win, and now more than ever must fight for the equal rights we all deserve. Now you must take action and get involved. Many protests occurred following the results of the 2016 Presidential Election, but there are still more in the future. Check Facebook for your nearest inauguration protest happening anytime during the week of Trump’s inauguration in January (for Bay Area locals, marches are being organized for January 21st from 4pm to 9pm in San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose). These nationwide protests are a means of solidarity for those marginalized, and a way of showing the rest of the world that the majority, yes majority because Clinton leads the popular vote currently by 2 million votes and many others who voted for third-party candidates, of Americans do not stand by the ideals put forth by the Trump campaign. In a country where the majority voted for the losing candidate, you begin to question the functionality of the Electoral College after numerous losses for Candidates who won the Popular Vote. Outrage against the Electoral College is rampant and rightfully so if the candidate who got the most votes still loses. Voter Suppression was also a proponent of why states like Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Florida after months of being blue turned surprisingly red. This was the first presidential election in half a century that wasn’t fully protected under the Voting Rights Act of 1965 where thousands of voters were turned down because they did not provide the correct identification to vote. I would go on about the absurdity of voter identification laws, but that’s an issue for another time. We the people may not be able to stop his Presidency, but we are passionately going to fight it.
If you are fearful for the future of the environment and the planet donate to the Dakota Access Pipeline protests at Standing Rock (standingrock.org), the Union of Concerned Scientists (ucsusa.org), or the National Resource Defense Council (nrdc.org). If you are concerned for women’s health rights donate to Planned Parenthood (plannedparenthood.org) or the Center for Reproductive Rights (reproductiverights.org) and/or volunteer at your local abortion clinic by assisting women who may be afraid of anti-choice protesters outside. If you want to support refugees donate to the International Refugee Assistance Project (refugeerights.org). If you want to protect the legal rights of our Mexican brothers and sisters from Trump’s heinous immigration plan donate to the Mexican Legal Defense and Education Fund (maldef.org). If you are afraid of homophobic Vice-President-elect Mike Pence’s favors for conversion therapy for LGBT+ folks donate to the Trevor Project (thetrevorproject.org) or the Human Rights Campaign (hrc.org). If your are tired of the racial injustices in America support movements like Black Lives Matter (blacklivesmatter.com) or donate to the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund (naacpldf.org). And lastly support journalism. The media came under fire during Trump’s campaign and freedom of press is being threatened. Support your local newspaper, like this one, and buy subscriptions to help preserve the freedom of speech and press. Or donate and support ProPublica (propublica.org), an independent and non-profit investigative journalism site. Making a call to your local representative can help in the process of blocking some of Trump’s extreme and unconstitutional policies, so please, get involved.
Now is not the time to sit idly by as we survive the next four years. We cannot assume that everything will be just fine when America’s next President has promised to dismantle the freedoms and rights women, LGBT+ folk, people of color, immigrants, refugees, non-Christians, and disabled people deserve and have fought so long for.
If you are struggling and fearful please know that you are not alone. We cannot let hate win, and now more than ever must fight for the equal rights we all deserve. Now you must take action and get involved. Many protests occurred following the results of the 2016 Presidential Election, but there are still more in the future. Check Facebook for your nearest inauguration protest happening anytime during the week of Trump’s inauguration in January (for Bay Area locals, marches are being organized for January 21st from 4pm to 9pm in San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose). These nationwide protests are a means of solidarity for those marginalized, and a way of showing the rest of the world that the majority, yes majority because Clinton leads the popular vote currently by 2 million votes and many others who voted for third-party candidates, of Americans do not stand by the ideals put forth by the Trump campaign. In a country where the majority voted for the losing candidate, you begin to question the functionality of the Electoral College after numerous losses for Candidates who won the Popular Vote. Outrage against the Electoral College is rampant and rightfully so if the candidate who got the most votes still loses. Voter Suppression was also a proponent of why states like Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Florida after months of being blue turned surprisingly red. This was the first presidential election in half a century that wasn’t fully protected under the Voting Rights Act of 1965 where thousands of voters were turned down because they did not provide the correct identification to vote. I would go on about the absurdity of voter identification laws, but that’s an issue for another time. We the people may not be able to stop his Presidency, but we are passionately going to fight it.
If you are fearful for the future of the environment and the planet donate to the Dakota Access Pipeline protests at Standing Rock (standingrock.org), the Union of Concerned Scientists (ucsusa.org), or the National Resource Defense Council (nrdc.org). If you are concerned for women’s health rights donate to Planned Parenthood (plannedparenthood.org) or the Center for Reproductive Rights (reproductiverights.org) and/or volunteer at your local abortion clinic by assisting women who may be afraid of anti-choice protesters outside. If you want to support refugees donate to the International Refugee Assistance Project (refugeerights.org). If you want to protect the legal rights of our Mexican brothers and sisters from Trump’s heinous immigration plan donate to the Mexican Legal Defense and Education Fund (maldef.org). If you are afraid of homophobic Vice-President-elect Mike Pence’s favors for conversion therapy for LGBT+ folks donate to the Trevor Project (thetrevorproject.org) or the Human Rights Campaign (hrc.org). If your are tired of the racial injustices in America support movements like Black Lives Matter (blacklivesmatter.com) or donate to the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund (naacpldf.org). And lastly support journalism. The media came under fire during Trump’s campaign and freedom of press is being threatened. Support your local newspaper, like this one, and buy subscriptions to help preserve the freedom of speech and press. Or donate and support ProPublica (propublica.org), an independent and non-profit investigative journalism site. Making a call to your local representative can help in the process of blocking some of Trump’s extreme and unconstitutional policies, so please, get involved.
Now is not the time to sit idly by as we survive the next four years. We cannot assume that everything will be just fine when America’s next President has promised to dismantle the freedoms and rights women, LGBT+ folk, people of color, immigrants, refugees, non-Christians, and disabled people deserve and have fought so long for.