The Day After

I am still stunned!

Photo by Mark de Jong on Unsplash

I went to bed around 11 p.m. last night, but I knew it was over. I thought maybe a miracle would happen while I slept. I didn’t sleep well, and a miracle didn’t happen. When I woke up, I dreaded seeing the confirmation of my worst fears blasted all over the Internet. But I was prepared but heartbroken.

In the morning, I checked my Medium stats. There was little activity, and I wondered why. I saw a few stories where people shared their feelings about the country’s loss. I also saw a couple of stories joking about the loss—yes, from white privileged males.

For a while, I debated whether or not to write about my feelings after Trump’s win. I wasn’t sure what to say or if it was worth saying. Then, I became a little paranoid. Because I have been critical of Trump in the past, would writing another article move me up the list of those he seeks revenge on? It’s probably too late now.

I don’t know when the retribution begins or when the mass deportations start. Returning from the grocery store, I saw a Guatemalan woman walking on the sidewalk with her child. I wondered to myself how much time they had left to live here. We have a small community of Guatemalan immigrants living in our area. I’m sure they will soon disappear.

I know Trump wants to dismantle the government, but that should take some time. Hopefully, my husband and I will be safe. I don’t think our marriage will be nullified for some time, even though Alito and Thomas have plans to do just that.

What I worry about the most is the loss of Social Security and Medicare, both of which have been targeted by Trump, Speaker Johnson, and the rest of the GOP. They have tried to weaken or destroy it before, but now they have the votes and the Presidency to do it.

The people who have the most to fear are women, especially poor women of color, who cannot afford healthcare. Community centers serving such women, as well as poor members of the LGBTQ community, will lose their funding and slowly disappear. This will eventually cause a rise in homelessness.

I won’t mention how the map of Europe could change. When Trump lets Putin annex it, there may be one less country on the continent. Will Taiwan be next?

I’ve been through one Trump administration and survived. Now that he has near complete immunity, things will be different. I have no confidence or respect for the Supreme Court, the Justice System, or Congress to do the right thing. We are in this mess because of them. I used to believe that no man is above the law and that this country is a beacon for freedom, but no longer.

I’m sure half of this country is as happy as I was when Biden won in 2020. That half has demonstrated they prefer racism, hate, bigotry, and misogyny over democracy. I hope they get what they voted for. I will only say, “I told you so.”

Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed reading this article and wish to subscribe to my newsletter, click below.