A Letter To My Dad About The Elections

Part 1

Hey, how are you? We haven’t really talked since before the election. What a time for the US. I miss home! DC is great but there’s no place like home. I heard Bill’s old parts shop closed. Shame. How’s the family? Have there been protests over there? There are protests in DC every day.

My friend Sam from work joined one last week. He came to the studio the next day wearing a “Not My President” t-shirt. Our boss asked him to take it off. Everybody here is always talking about the election. The feelings are as strong as I’ve ever seen them. On the Wednesday after the election, business was way down and two colleagues didn’t even show up! Sam and a woman from the front desk both showed up with tear-stained faces.

I think it’s really hitting people hard. It’s the mixture of shock and disappointment and uncertainty that really gets them. Sam remembered that I was from Ohio and asked if my family voted for Trump. I don’t like to lie, so I told them that you did. He was surprised, and didn’t look happy with me. “He’s racist!” he yelled. I told him what I know is true. You guys felt really uncomfortable with how he referred to Mexicans and his plans for Muslim immigration. You were angry and worried about the careless and dangerous recording of him talking about what he used to do to women. You guys know that he’s unpredictable and flawed. That’s what I told Sam. I think he got more mad hearing that than he was before. “Why the hell did they vote for him then?” he asked.

There weren’t many customers so I had time to talk a little about you guys and the last eight years. I told him about our little town, and how it gets littler and littler every year. I told him about the factory that kept jobs in our town, but then moved to Mexico because taxes here got too high. I told him that you voted for Obama in 2008, and reluctantly in 2012, but the only results you ever saw were higher taxes and fewer factories. The only people who seemed to reap any benefits were the progressives in the cities, who got to marry whomever they wanted and smoke all the marijuana in the world. They got what they wanted, and you still need food stamps.

The Democrats didn’t help you and you wanted a change. So you voted for the ultimate change. I think Sam understood. Sometimes you just have to think about what’s best for your kids and your family. Anybody can respect that.

Anyways, I want to come visit over Christmas. Tell everybody I say hi.

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Part 2

Great to hear from you, man. The election was crazy! I hope I voted right. I really needed a change from the last 8 years. Look, I know he’s not perfect. He’s said some crazy things, and I hated how he treated that military family that spoke at the Democratic Convention. They deserved better. The only good thing about our town getting smaller is that there are less men to date the ladies! I went out with a nice woman from Chicago the other day. Didn’t end well, though. We talked about the election, and when it came up that I supported Trump, she blew up in my face, yelling “Don’t you know he’s a racist rapist?” She got all worked up and left. Too bad, she seemed nice. I wanted to tell her that I understood why she got so upset.

Trump stands against everything progressive and his language is inflammatory. I understand that it is terrifying to have a president, a role model for millions of Americans, that has been accused of sexual assault multiple times. People can get to thinking, “If he can do it, and he’s President, why can’t I?” I know that’s really scary. I know that Pence is bad news for the gay people. I don’t know much about those gay people, but I can get why they’re scared. Pence isn’t known for his tolerance. I say that what someone does behind closed doors and who people marry is no concern of mine. I try not to get too involved with people’s affairs. I know some women who were seriously disappointed. Still look really down.

Man, if you had told me thirty years ago that there would be a woman nominee, I would’ve laughed in your face. Now, I don’t think that woman nominee was right for the presidency. I just couldn’t trust her. But I know she’s not a criminal, and I feel uncomfortable when people yell at rallies to “lock her up.” I just don’t think she’s trustworthy. And I don’t think another two terms of Obama would help my family. Some of my buddies really laughed watching Hillary’s concession speech. They thought the part about the “glass ceilings” was hilarious. “What is she talking about?” they asked. “She doesn’t need to play the woman card anymore, she lost!” I didn’t want to be the buzzkill, but I corrected them a little. I told them why it’s reasonable to be disappointed, and even afraid, as a woman. I told them that the Trump win is the polar opposite of the history that they expected in 2016.

You know, I’m not sure about the whole thing where people just voted for her because she’s a woman. And I don’t think she should talk about it every time she talks. But I could kinda understand where she was coming from with the glass ceilings thing. She was supposed to be the first woman President, and she lost. I can understand why the women who love her would be so upset. I get why people are afraid. I get why they protest. They’re afraid for their futures, and their kids’ futures too. Worrying about the family is something we all can agree on.

I want to try to come to DC soon. Maybe you can show me the Monuments. Call more often! See you soon.