This is one of those moment where I'm going to ask another uncomfortable question, that probably will be interpreted the wrong way for the wrong reasons, but eh, fuckit.

Let's start with a personal anecdote, me on the night Obama was elected the first time. I distinctly remember watching those cheering crowds, the hope in peoples eyes, and my cynical ass was saying, "Oh you sweet little dears, you really think he's going to change things..."

Now of course in some regards it did change for the better, LGBT rights for instance, and in others, well that economic "recovery" blew past me, and I personally think the ACA is little more at this point then a tax payer funded handout to the insurance companies. But I'm getting off track, what didn't change during Obama's 8 years?

Sexism still existed.
Racism still existed.
Xenophobia still existed.
Police brutality towards minorities still existed. We know the names, we know the stories.

Now....

And this is directed at those who are still sitting there a mix of scared and/or terrified of what just happened.

Do you honestly think we wouldn't be seeing the same thing on day 1 had Hillary won? Do you think everything built up would have just gone away with a wave of her hand?

Do you want to tell me we still wouldn't be seeing this level of violence? Perhaps even more so as rather then being emboldened they would be pushed even further against the walls they perceive to be there?

And let's talk about that build up, let's talk about that fear, and let's ask another question. While one side was saying the things that rightfully were labeled as pure hate. Which side however was then amping it up, giving it full airtime, telling you to fear, fear, fear, instead of what we do to solve it?

And while you were being turned against them by the peddlers of that fear keep in mind you were supporting a woman (and this can't be said enough) who in her first run eight years ago waffled and wavered in her support for you, because it wasn't good politics at the time. And it was her husband who signed DOMA. Do you honestly think they care about you, or do they care about your vote? The left dangling social issues every eight years is just the mirror of the right. Gin up the base, make em scared of the other side, keep them divided, and all the while don't discuss what actually matters. Looking at it from the outside with the blinders removed it's amazing how similar the tactics are.

Instead it was vote against that, be afraid of that, hate that. They are the enemy. they are out to get you. Well guess what, you made them that, sure as they made you. Anger feeds anger, hate feeds hate. And for a group of people who despise being labeled we certainly have no problem labeling entire groups of people as racists, homophobes, and so on. Do they exist? Well duh, but when you lump sum every white dude who voted for trump (and in PA 2012 a lot of those same white dudes voted Obama) as one, what incentive do you give them to give a damn about anything you have to say?

And don't tell me you didn't hate either. I've seen enough anti Trump meme pics and comments that frankly I found just as vile as anything the right can dish out. 'hay Donald' (this would be from my future mother in law) and the suggestion of burning him in effigy still near the top of my list. Right up there with calling him a cokehead. As my future father in law said in a different FB tangent earlier, you may hate the man but he's still a human being, and he was still a nominee for the highest office in the land. Now he is our president, deal with it, saying he isn't just again proves my personal belief in the hypocrisy of the left that has become everything they hated to try and win.

How'd that work out again? Vote for fear and all you have is fear, vote for evil all you get is evil. Like it or not I'm proud I said no more to that. Even if some of my estranged friends want to say that means I don't care. since my Jill Stein vote means I believe in abstract principles more than people. (so sick of that meme pic)

You'll pardon me if my caring extends to a few other places round the world. As I note that in all the political meme pics and privilege posts I saw flying round no one seemed to give a rat's ass about the right to not live in fear of a US made bomb coming through your home. Or the privilege of not having your country (Libya) be used as a geopolitical example of rebel success to embolden the US backed rebels in another (Syria) which is being attacked on behalf of another (Israel) so we can plot the next war once we have the leverage to do so. (Iran)

How's that for "emboldening"? Oh and all of that was in those "damn emails" you never took the time to read either.

And yes, that is my big issue. Oh excuse me, "Abstract principles." which clearly matter not, since they aren't under siege by the legions of Trump fans out there right now.

And before one person out there is telling me I'm trivializing what's happening out there right now I will once again loop back to the start, "Do you think it would have been any less otherwise?" and add this. "Is it any more or less significant an issue because of who won?" Finishing with "What are you going to do about it?"

I hope the answer to that is, "Fight like your life depends on it! Cause one day it might." I know I certainly plan to like I always have. But... I'm not going to do it like this. I won't post a single one of these, I won't share them, and I won't comment on them. Because all it's doing is continuing the cycle of fear, anger, and hate.

And it solves nothing except just fostering further division. and this us vs them bullshit has got to stop.

Teach "This is not who we are, and this is not who we should be." To your kids and your friends, but if you teach instead, "This is who we have to be afraid of, because this is the enemy of your rights and our gender." and if you just fling that hate into world without a solution past telling people to get angry about it? Again, you're no better then what you claim to be fighting against. In fact, you're the same damn thing. And I reject it.

I reject hate.
I reject anger.
I reject wallowing in this sea of negativity.
And I am not afraid.

And even though some of you may hate it I will keep fighting in my own way how I see fit, I'm not beholden to a person, to a party, or to anyone but myself and my belief. I have no issue calling out friends as well as enemies, and placing the blame equally on a party along with it's supporters that need to take a good look inward too at how we got here because of how they acted. Instead of just pointing those fingers out with the overly simplistic solution of "everything is the fault of sexism, racists, and Russia!"

So you're just going to have to deal.

And if you want to call that "Straight white male privilege?" Let me just had one other thing I'm finally not afraid to say, and something I easily could have kept hidden in this age of Trump too.

"Well, you got the white male part right anyway."

I've been Bi since I was 16, (36 now) so let that little fact sink in for a moment the next time you don't think I give a damn as well. And don't have a dog in this fight.

Consider this my personal coming out rant. Happy post election day everyone.