BETRAY THIS COUNTRY TWICE, SHAME ON ME.

Tuesday was a dark and disgusting day for this country. And for me, one of the worst parts of the last 48 hours are all the “but let’s still love each other no matter how we voted,” “let’s talk and learn from each other,” and “we need to work together” posts and memes. Sorry. Betray this country once, shame on you. Betray this country twice, shame on me.

I cannot forgive people who KNOWINGLY voted FOR an adjudicated rapist, sexual predator, racist, bigot and convicted felon who acts like a child; has filed for bankruptcy six times; incites hate and violence; attempted an overthrow of our government that was deadly and called it a “day of love;” was twice impeached for criminal behavior; and is a proven threat to our national security to “lead” this country…AGAIN. A man whose first presidency has been identified by historians, economists, constitutional scholars, etc as THE WORST in American history, and whose next presidency will be a repeat or worse of the first.

I cannot forgive people who KNOWINGLY voted FOR putting women’s lives at risk because of draconian reproductive freedom and healthcare laws. How many more women will die in the next 4, 8, 12 (or more?) years because of your vote? Because the newly-ChristoFascist-controlled government will federally ban abortions leaving no more safe havens for women to go to for wanted and needed care? Because doctors and nurses are afraid to perform life saving procedures for fear of being fined, being jailed and/or losing their licenses?

I cannot forgive people who KNOWINGLY voted FOR another 4, 8, 12 (or more?) years of children and adults being massacred in schools, churches, elsewhere because no new gun control laws will be passed during that time. Rather, existing laws are likely to be further loosened and the solution will continue to be “prayers and more guns!”

I cannot forgive people who KNOWINGLY voted FOR the rounding up (detainment camps!) and deportation of millions of HUMAN BEINGS; hard working people who keep this country running and who are just trying, like you, to give their families a better life. All because you’ve allowed yourselves to be convinced that they are stealing jobs from you, are being financially supported by the federal government and are more responsible for crimes in this country than actual citizens (NONE of which are true). By the way, these are people who actually help keep things like Social Security and Medicare afloat by paying their fair share of taxes (nearly $100 billion in 2022); resources and programs, mind you, that they DON’T benefit from because of their current status, while YOU DO benefit from them. Who do you think is going to make up that $100 billion deficit when they’re gone? And if that deficit can’t be made up, what do you think is going to get gutted first? And the ultimate hypocrisy of these voters? Being anti-immigrant, even anti-legal immigrant, when the very people they voted for have wives who are immigrants themselves or the first born of immigrants.

I cannot forgive the people who KNOWINGLY voted FOR the destruction of our democracy simply because they couldn’t bring themselves to vote for a female president. And yes, there’s a whole lot of misogynists out there who did just that.

I cannot forgive people who KNOWINGLY voted FOR the destruction of our democracy because of some perceived immediate personal benefit without considering what it means for others or what the long term effects of their vote will be.

I cannot forgive people who KNOWINGLY voted FOR the destruction of our alliances and our environment as the new regime has promised to pull us from agreements like NATO and the Paris Accords and to allow Putin to destroy the lives and home of the Ukrainian people, to name a few.

I cannot forgive the people who KNOWINGLY voted FOR politicians who will repeal the Affordable Care Act this time around, leaving millions without coverage. And that’s straight from the Speaker of the House’s mouth. And God forbid you need to get new insurance after they repeal it should you have cancer, need dialysis, be diabetic, etc, because the ACA requires insurers to cover preexisting conditions.

I ESPECIALLY cannot forgive people who KNOWINGLY voted FOR hate and put my life, my husband’s life, the lives of my entire LGBTQ+ community and the rights of all of us at risk for the next 4, 8, 12 (or more?) years; people who KNOWINGLY voted FOR politicians and their backers who not only believe we don’t have rights, but also believe that we shouldn’t even exist and who incite hate crimes against us because of their virulent anti-LGBTQ+ propaganda. It’s only a matter of time, with a ChristoFascist-controlled government, before our rights and freedoms are challenged and taken away. In fact, it’s called for in Project 2025. And while you may call it alarmist, my community has a VERY RATIONAL fear that we are next to be rounded up and removed, jailed or worse under this new regime.

And then there’s the IRONY of it all, which would be hilarious if it wasn’t so sad and horrifyingly dangerous.

There’s the people voting because of the “economy” for the person who is responsible for where it is in the first place (because of his failed 2020 pandemic response) and who will destroy the hugely positive progress made over the last four years to restore it. (In fact, our economic recovery under the current administration has been better than any of the other G7 countries.) Leading economists have said his economic policies are going to cost the average American an ADDITIONAL $4000/year. Why? In part because the tariffs he’ll impose on foreign products will get passed to you, the consumer. That’s how tariffs work. Further, his mass deportations are going to wreak havoc on our GDP, dropping it by an estimated 8+% which is guaranteed to send us into a depression similar to or worse than 2008. People like Elmo Musk have literally said “a complete economic collapse and even higher prices are a necessary side effect of [the president elect’s] economic agenda.” He also said that “people need to learn to live within their means.” F*ck that arrogant, richest-man-on-Earth douchebag. People are just trying to make ends meet while billionaire assholes like him and Bezos pay little to no taxes. But, I digress. As for any tax cuts people think are coming, if at all? They’ll benefit the rich and corporations, not the average American, just like those in 2017 were proven to do.

And then there’s the people voting because of the “genocide in Gaza” for the man who is buddies with Netanyahu and who will give him free rein to continue what he’s doing. Why do you think Netanyahu was the first to congratulate him? And by the way, have friends or family from there attempting to relocate or friends and family from other Muslim countries who just want to visit? That’s never going to happen because of the Muslim ban he will reinstate.

And the people voting because of “democracy” or “freedom” for a man who wants to emulate Putin and has literally said he will be a “dictator from day one.” A man many former generals, former administration members and others have called a fascist and a danger to our 248-year-old democracy. The NYT clearly spelled it out before the election when they said to “believe him.” Sadly, so many did not. And in case you’re confused, the impending Fascist policies and losses of freedom and democracy will affect both Democrats AND Republicans. It’s not just a one party thing.

But, you say, we’ll continue to fight! We’ll protest, we’ll file lawsuits to uphold our constitutional rights, we’ll vote them out! And I say back, good luck with that! Protesters are arrested under Fascist rule. In fact, he’s literally promised to arrest and jail his opponents. And with loyalists placed in the DOJ, which is part of the Project 2025 plan, don’t kid yourself that that couldn’t or won’t happen. Lawsuits? The courts have been stacked across the country with loyalists and ultra right conservatives, including the Supreme Court. Over the next four years, Alito, Thomas and perhaps even Roberts will be replaced with 40-somethings like Kavanaugh and Coney Barret who will continue to strip away rights and deny progress, sending us backward for the next 20-30 YEARS. (Which equates to the rest of my natural life, so thanks for that, too, Tr*mp voters!) Oh, and any future election is likely to be an “election”—in name only, much like other Fascist countries where elections aren’t fair, where people are watched and fear voting against anyone but the current regime. You may think this, too, is alarmist, but be honest with yourselves, in this moment and time, with our government being controlled by who is now in charge and with the loyalists who will make up his administration, do you really think it’s THAT far fetched? Do you really not think we’re headed toward becoming the next Russia or Hungary? Do you really not see that this is how every dystopian future, apocalypse book and movie storyline starts?

That’s it. That’s how I’m feeling right now. Things could change, but it might be a long while.

And thanks if you made it this far.

P.S. F*ck you, Merrick Garland, for sitting on your f*cking ass and not doing a f*cking thing for the last four f*cking years to hold him accountable for his f*cking crimes.

(This post came about because lots of concerned people were asking me how I felt. It took me two days, but these were my thoughts. And NOTE: Not being able to forgive per the above DOES NOT equate to not being civil, cordial or kind to people.)