Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Bartering Decency

Yesterday we traded human decency for personal benefit, whether financial, social or emotional. We elected a candidate who mocked the handicapped; denigrated women; explicitly incited the crowds to violence at his rallies; called Mexicans rapists and suggested banning Muslims from the country while relentlessly banging the drum of xenophobia. He did all these on national TV. Watching a Trump rally you saw him egging on angry crowds, chants of obscenities towards any who wo...uld disagree. It was grotesque.

I am a woman. I have friends who are black and friends who are Muslims. These are people I have worked with at various organizations in Boston. These are people who Trump supporters were willing to deny basic respect and human rights for whatever personal advantage they felt they would get by voting for Trump. I know people willing to deny basic human rights and respect to my friends if it is expedient.

I’m old enough to have learned that if someone is willing to treat others badly, then they will treat you badly if it is to their advantage. The profound sadness of this election is twofold, first a worry for the vulnerable populations in this country, and second the personal sadness of realizing and adjusting to people in our lives who would trade our basic rights and respect for some personal benefit.

No comments:

Post a Comment