Getting Honest with My Fears

Disappointed. Upset. Despair. Frustrated. Afraid. Scared.

These are strong feelings I felt with the result of the presidential election last week, where Vice President Kamala Harris failed in her bid to become the first American woman president. It was the same feelings I felt when former Vice President Leni Robredo lost to now Philippine President Bongbong Marcos, the son of a dictator, in a hotly contested election more than two years ago.

It’s tough to deal with painful emotions. They are unbearable at times. But we cannot ignore them; we have to face them. To maintain my sanity in the midst of my disappointment, so to speak, I didn’t indulge myself in finger pointing on why Harris lost. I accepted hook, line and sinker the decision of millions of Americans, including people I know, who expressed their support for a candidate who consistently lied to me, demeaned people of color like me, and whose values happen to be the exact opposite of mine.

True, the people have spoken and expressed their confidence in Donald Trump. From all accounts, the election was fair and square. But the thought that a sexist, a congenital liar, a misogynist, an anti-immigrant, a vindictive politician, a wannabe dictator (even for a day, according to him), and a twice-impeached politician is now the president of the United States continues to haunt me.

I am bothered by the truism that the character of this elected president, as we all know, can influence how people make decisions, both big and small. I am absolutely convinced that the decisions that will be made by Trump’s political appointees in government will be a reflection of Trump’s wishes.

Thus, from the outset, I see Trump’s victory as a bad omen for many people and minorities across the country.

I am scared for the members of the LGBTQ who Trump consistently attacked with his anti-trans rhetoric throughout his campaign.

I am scared for the undocumented workers – most of whom are not criminals – who have been in the country for more than 10 years. They may be subject to mass deportation and lose their pathway to citizenship and may end up being separated from their young children with US citizenship.

I am scared especially for those with limited income who will be adversely affected by Trump’s promise to impose extreme tax cuts for the rich and higher tariffs on goods from China that reputable economists say will likely worsen inflation and make people worse off.

I am scared for women whose reproductive freedom will remain curtailed after the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn women’s federal right to abortion and do what they want with their body. Trump described the Supreme Court decision as “beautiful.”

I am scared for legal immigrants falsely accused by Trump of stealing jobs from American workers.

I am scared for the undocumented immigrants who fled from the inhumane conditions in their respective countries in search of the “American dream” yet branded as “poisoning the blood” of America. This language of “poisoning the blood” is clearly a Nazi rhetoric.

I am scared for the so-called “radical-left lunatics” who may end up victims of Trump’s promise to unleash the military against them in cases of civil unrest.

I am scared for Trump’s political opponents because of Trump’s promise to use the power of the presidency to crush them for disagreeing with him.

I am scared for many students who will be deprived of being able to discuss in the classroom relevant concepts such as race, gender, systematic oppression because of Trump’s promise to cut federal funding for schools with curricula that teach these concepts.

I am scared for the 40 million Americans who will lose health coverage if Trump gets rid of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Simply put, I am scared about what Trump is capable of doing.

I get it if people will disagree with me. In a free and democratic society, people have different opinions and priorities. Democracy is also not just about respecting the result of the electoral process. Democracy is also about free discussion of diverse ideas and respecting the minority

As Gigo Alampay, a University of the Philippines (UP) student leader, opined in his article It’s the Message, Not the Messenger, “Democracy is not merely about offering the best candidate. It is about giving people the sense that their voices are being heard, and that their fears are going to be addressed.”

Thus, I hope and pray that all the critical decisions the president-elect will make will be for the greater good of all Americans.