It has been a week since the presidential election occurred and I had to take some time to process the results before I made this post. Having gone through all the stages of grief multiple times (except acceptance), I know there are so many others who feel the same way.
This election feels like it carries so much weight for the future of our country, and I'm feeling a mix of anger, sadness, and fear thinking about what could be ahead. It was about hoping for a path where everyone feels seen, heard, and protected. As a woman of color, and for so many of us in marginalized communities, it’s hard not to feel vulnerable and anxious about what this could mean for our rights, safety, and progress. The last few years have shown how quickly gains in equality and justice can be unraveled. One thing is certain: this isn’t just politics; it’s about our lives, our voices, and our communities.
The damage 45 has done to this country through his vitriol/hate/ignorance and policies, as well as the intentional blindness of his supporters is baffling. He is a convicted felon with 34 counts under his belt (for now), a failed business owner, has multiple divorces and children from 3 different women, and tried to pay off a prostitute he was having sex with while his wife was at home with their newborn baby, just to name a few. How anyone can proudly say they want a convicted felon is the highest and most esteemed position in the USA is beyond me. Felons cannot vote, but this clown gets to run a corrupt campaign and "win" the election to become President again? Make it make sense.
He was handed President Obama's thriving economy but tanked it with his tax laws and continued breaks for the wealthy. His policies were in place during the Biden/Harris administration, and they tried their hardest to help the middle class. I didn't always agree with things Biden did during his administration, but at least they tried, which is more than what I can say for MAGA. From Obama to 45, there was a peaceful transition of power. From 45 to Biden, an insurrection led by MAGA cult members occurred on January 6th, 2021, i.e...no peaceful transition of power. Now, with Biden back to 45 in 2025, one can infer that there will be a peaceful transition of power. For the record, if you don't make at least 300K annually, YOU will pay more taxes. Also, tariffs are on imported goods. The USA imports goods from China, meaning WE pay the tariffs. Under 45's increased tariffs plan, importers will tack those tariffs onto the consumer's purchase price to offset their costs. For example, as a business owner who makes custom shirts and my supplies cost $5 and I charge $20 for an item, after increased tariffs, I may be paying $8 to $10 in supplies cost. This means that I as a small business owner have to pay more for my supplies, which in turn increases my customer's (the consumer) purchase price. Before you were paying around $22 for an item with tax; whereas now, you are paying $25 to $30. Not to mention, that's on the low end. Now imagine for bigger purchases like cars and materials to build homes, making house purchasing an ever farther goal for most Americans.
"Last year, the United States imported around $3.1 trillion worth of goods, with Mexico, China and Canada accounting for more than 40 percent of that total. Among the top imported goods are cars, pharmaceuticals and all kinds of technology, be it smartphones, computers or semiconductors. Experts have warned that all of these products would likely become significantly more expensive if president-elect Donald Trump went through with his proposed tariff plans (Richter, 2024)."
What's crazy is that some of the most searched phrases on Google after the election were:
- can I change my vote
- what is a tariff and who pays it
- will tariffs cause inflation
- things to buy before tariffs
- Project 2025
- deportation and denaturalization and DACA
- will I lose my health insurance
- trumps policies
- moving to Canada
- moving to Mexico
Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't you supposed to do your research on the candidates BEFORE you vote in the election?
For those who voted third-party or chose not to vote at all, you do not get to complain for the next four years. Your absence at the polls is an act of complicity and no, it does not absolve you of blame.
Third-party voters, didn't vote at all, and those who voted for 45 are feeling the consequences of their actions within their parasocial relationships. They are being called out, outcasted, and excluded in those relationships and on social media. All I have to say is, I love this for y'all. When you play stupid games, you win stupid prizes. What did people think was going to happen? Did y'all think that we would go back to how it was before this election as though a majority of the country didn't vote to strip human rights away from BIPOC, women, the LGBTQIA+ community, the disability community, veterans, and immigrants. You voting for 45 isn't just about politics, it's a conscious decision that you see me as less than you, not deserving of the same protections as you, and that I don't belong here because I am different from you. You voted to maintain white supremacy, imperialism, patriarchy, all the negaive ism's, and the dehumanization of people who don't look like you. I think this video depicts what those of us who didn't vote for he who shall remain nameless.
Vice President Harris ran a flawless campaign, especially given the timeframe she had with the last-minute dropout from Biden months before election day. This goes to show that an educated and qualified woman will have to work 100X harder and prove she can do a job and still be passed up for a mediocre white man.
The election has come and gone, and with it, I find myself reflecting on the people in my life who see the world through a drastically different lens. This isn’t about holding different opinions but rather facing the stark reality that core beliefs on humanity, justice, and progress don’t always align with those around us.
When the results came in, I felt not only disappointment but a wave of frustration that the values I cherish were met with such a fundamental opposition. It’s one thing to disagree on policy details or strategies; it’s another to see people support someone whose principles feel so antithetical to my own. The realization hit me hard: Not everyone who I once called "friend" sees the world as I do, and that difference feels personal now.
For years, I tried to understand the motivations of those who support a vision of the country so unlike my own. I debated, I listened, I even empathized where I could. But this time, I feel drained. The desire to connect with or understand those who voted for 45 again has faded, replaced by a cold apathy I never expected. Rather than fight, I feel myself withdrawing, emotionally spent from years of trying to bridge a gap that now feels insurmountable.
I know I’m not alone in this. Many of us are waking up to the gap between our values and those held by others in our circle. It leaves us questioning our relationships, our conversations, and what it means to truly know someone. Today, I’m sifting through a mix of anger, disappointment, and, strangely, a new form of acceptance. While I may not be able to bridge every divide, I can choose who I spend my energy with—those who see eye to eye on the issues closest to my heart.
It’s a new kind of distance—choosing to protect my peace over convincing others of my perspective. Apathy feels like a shield, a way of surviving in a landscape where compromise sometimes feels impossible. Maybe it’s not a permanent state, but for now, it’s the only way forward.
One thing is for certain, I am petty as hell and will be "I told you so" ing everything the next administration does, that they said they would do, and now all of a sudden if affects YOU. You chose yourself over the betterment of everyone.. #FAFO
In the words of Cardi B in Bodak Yellow (2017), "If I see you and I don't speak, that means I don't fuck with you..."
My desire is that whatever Vice President Kamala Harris has up her sleeve as a FEDERAL PROSECUTOR brings down 45, his First Lady, Elonia Musk, and all those who aligned themselves with the 45.
