“OUR campaign was never about one person or even one election. It was about the country we love — and about building an America that’s hopeful, inclusive and big-hearted…To all the women, and especially the young women, who put their faith in this campaign and in me, I want you to know that nothing has made me prouder than to be your champion. I know that we still have not shattered that highest glass ceiling. But some day someone will — hopefully sooner than we might think right now. And to all the little girls watching right now, never doubt that you are valuable and powerful and deserving of every chance and opportunity in the world.” — Hillary Clinton, Nov. 9, 2016.
I do not know how and where to begin.
It feels like mourning my father, a friend wrote me.
Another said, “All I could do is lie in the couch, unable to make coffee. This is unlike Bush, who was just dumb. This man is hateful and hates half of America and the world. How have we become this?”
And, like majority American voters, I expected a Hillary win. Or did the pollsters lull us into thinking that way?
After all, who would excuse a bully, a sexual predator, a person who bankrupted six businesses, a hater of Muslims, disabled, veterans, Filipinos, Mexicans and perhaps even half of the American population?
Yet, the New York Times Election Exit Polls show that 29 percent of Latinos voted for Trump, an increase of 8 percent in his direction from 2012; while 65 percent voted for Hillary.
Amongst Asian Americans, 65 percent voted for Hillary, while 29 percent voted for Trump, an increase of 11 percent.
Amongst Blacks, 88 percent voted for Hillary, while 8 percent voted for Trump, an increase of 11 percent from 2012.
Amongst Whites, 58 percent went for Trump, while 37 percent for Hillary.
Do we attribute this to messaging?
Had these young in age and young in spirit folks been acknowledged for their anger, and how they have been left out by an improving economy, would they have given support to Hillary and come out to vote in the swing states?
For the one-issue Catholic voters, the wrong jacket on Hillary stuck, that her stance on women’s rights as human rights, was translated crudely and inappropriately as “pro-abortion” and grossly as “baby killer” in very conservative and doctrinaire Christian communities.” Indecent below the belt labels stuck as they are easy to remember and do not require inquiry, critical thinking or even research.
“The most appalling moment came two days before the election, when Fr. Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life and an unabashed Trump supporter, streamed a live, 44-minute Facebook video, featuring himself and the naked, intact corpse of an aborted baby on an altar. His message? If you can’t stomach this sight, vote for Trump.
“It’s hard to think of any more literal, explicit way to trade the dignity of the unborn for a political prop,” Elizabeth Hansen of Cruxnow.com wrote Nov. 10.
Fr. Pavone is now under investigation, and “a long standing pro-lifer says Fr. Pavone’s actions show how the pro-life old guard has lost its way and must be renewed.”
As of this writing, the “Amarillo Bishop Patrick J. Zurek has harshly criticized the exploitation of the body of an aborted baby by a pro-Trump activist priest, Fr. Frank Pavone, as “against the dignity of human life,“ Elizabeth Hansen noted.
This has gone on for five decades now, as she described it “as a liberal – conservative dichotomy.”
To me, it is schizophrenia, which I surmise comes from the built-in prohibition of women as priests, yet the institution canonizes women as saints, like Joan of Arc and Mother Teresa. “That is because they are dead,” a friend quipped.
Elizabeth Hansen wrote that Pope Francis in 2013’s interview said: “We cannot insist only on issues related to abortion, gay marriage and the use of contraceptive methods,” adding, “The teaching of the Church, for that matter, is clear and I am a son of the Church, but it is not necessary to talk about these issues all the time.”
With these obsessions, the American culture has become a misalignment of worship with beliefs and actions.
Which is perhaps why Pew Research Center’s Gregory Smith and Jessica Martinez reported that 81 percent of Evangelicals, 52 percent of Catholics, 61 percent of Mormons and 58 percent of Protestants voted for Trump. Their vote to Trump became a compelling religious necessity, whereas perhaps they should have examined a religion that compels them to hatred and bigotry. But do they pause to examine and to research the information on what it means to be an advocate for the sanctity of life? Or do they simply absorb the doctrines without question, as surrogates to Trump?
The good news: even with these innuendoes and ‘below the belt’ slanders of Hillary, with Trump’s debate-staged, repeated putdowns of “crooked Hillary” and “liar,” she embodied grace and professionalism.
It is heartwarming to know that 67 percent of Hispanic Catholics, 71 percent of Jews, 62 percent of other faiths, and 68 percent of the religious unaffiliated believed her and voted for Hillary.
Also, Hillary for America’s Jason Tengco reported 75 percent of Asian Americans voted for Hillary, while 19 percent voted for Trump.
Post-mortem electoral comments
Which is perhaps why I found the timeline Facebook post of Atty. Claire Navarro Espina refreshing and a challenge to be responsible in being informed citizens and voters:
“TO MY FELLOW CATHOLICS AND CHRISTIANS WHO VOTED FOR TRUMP ON THE SINGULAR ISSUE OF ABORTION: I ask you educate yourselves on the greater issues pressing our world: climate change, racial and gender inequality and religious freedom. To end a pregnancy and issues related to it – no matter how divisive and emotion fraught is a limited and narrow issue.
“But climate change and protection of the environment is one which affects all. In my opinion, to have voted for Trump over the issue of abortion is myopic. Individuals can directly affect whether a pregnancy ends – focus your attention to your churches and education and promotion of alternatives such as adoption, sex education and yes, birth control.
“Individuals cannot avert climate change and environmental catastrophe. Only institutions and governments can. And this is where your vote for Trump has hurt all of us, including the future of the children you so want to protect with your pro-life policies. This agenda under current Obama Administration is one of those in danger of being on the immediate chopping block under Trump’s administration.”
On Nov. 10, CNN reports that Hillary got 60,233,982 votes, 47.7 percent of the votes with 232 electoral college votes, while Donald Trump got 59,896,586 or 47.4 percent of the votes but with 290 electoral college votes.
On the same day, Elijah Berg started a petition on Change.org to encourage the electoral college voters to vote for the majority vote-getting candidate, Hillary Clinton.
Elijah argues “Hillary won the popular vote. The only reason Trump “won” is because of the Electoral College. But the Electoral College can actually give the White House to either candidate. So why not use this most undemocratic tool of our institutions to ensure a democratic result?” In less than 24 hours, it had garnered 1,292,236 signatures and just short of 207, 764. In just five minutes, 5,088 more signed.
At 230am, Nov. 11, it had 2,082,962 signatures.
What will happen come Dec. 19? Will this ‘sacred cow’, a traditional system of electoral college be used democratically to correct an enshrined electoral wrong, where a citizen’s vote becomes less than a full vote, at times – marginalized and made irrelevant, because of the electoral college? It does serve a purpose as politicians are compelled to visit even the least populous state and perhaps be made aware of their state’s issues. But now, this tool of compelled access has now become a tool of marginalizing voters and installing Presidents with less than majority votes, and the loser of majority votes is inaugurated. How do we respond with an enshrined contrived undemocratic system of voting, defeating the majority will?
Surrogates of Hope and Grace
Grace characterized Pres. Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama. He cancelled all his appointments on Thursday, Nov. 10 to do a transition meeting with Trump. Expecting only a ten-minute meeting, Pres. Obama briefed Trump for an hour and a half, while Michelle Obama met with Melania Trump.
A day after the elections, Pres. Obama held a conference and challenged us to be Americans first, to give each one a presumption of good faith as a citizen, as this is the very foundation of a vibrant, functional democracy.
He reminded us of our invisible social contract, that we belong to one nation. “Now, everybody is sad when their side loses an election. But the day after, we have to remember that we’re actually all on one team. This is an intramural scrimmage. We’re not Democrats first. We’re not Republicans first. We are Americans first. We’re patriots first. We all want what’s best for this country. That’s what I heard in Mr. Trump’s remarks last night. That’s what I heard when I spoke to him directly. And I was heartened by that. That’s what the country needs — a sense of unity; a sense of inclusion,; a respect for our institutions, our way of life, rule of law; and a respect for each other. I hope that he maintains that spirit throughout this transition, and I certainly hope that’s how his presidency has a chance to begin.“
Another young artist had this reflection:
“The reflection I have had with many of my closest circles is that we are in a time when because of widespread urgency from a very real imminent threat on our communities, with the election of Donald Trump, we are being called on around us and within ourselves to serve our communities deeper than ever before. It is such a complex feeling to look around you and see people who you could never get to a rally, or who never cared to talk “politics” finally show a sense of need to MOVE.
“For those of us whose life’s work has been connected to decolonizing mentalities, resisting the structures of oppression that are in place, defending and protecting communities, speaking and helping others to speak who feel they cannot, healing those (including ourselves) who have been broken by experiences of hate, violence and inhumanity of this country – this time is very different- because this time we are not working behind a veil or iron curtain, this time those who could not see, can see because it’s being lifted so abruptly and loudly to the surface. And because of it they also are looking to us to lead.
“It is complex in the way that it feels so important to be there ready with urgency, to respond to that call to lead, and also, in moments it feels like we didn’t have to let it come to this, had all those that are waking up because of the very real violence and threat that is happening [moved] with immediate response in the streets. They are seeing what we as activists and community workers, just how much we were being fooled into upholding a system that has been built upon the back, the bones and the blood of the marginalized.
“I release this, because this is not the time to divide and stand in any resentment rooted in ego — this is rather the time that we have to look to one another and invite a more powerful unity than ever before. I take deep breaths and look to all those around me rising, and I hold together the pieces of my heart that have been aching and I speak, I act, I create from my deepest prayers of love, that I have always held and I seek to remind us that we belong to each other, and we have so much work we can finally do TOGETHER so that truth can ring the truest for all of humanity.” – Jana Lynne Umipig
I interpret that to mean we as American citizens, whether Filipino-American or Asian Americans, or Blacks or Latinos or Whites, we must be surrogates of grace, hope and love. When we become that to each and everyone, we become the peace we want to see proliferate in the world, much like an ad-hoc group of Fil-Ams, who identified themselves as Fil-Ams For A Progressive America (FAPA) tonight, with this theme, “Love not hate.” They sang “My Way” and some Christmas songs, as if to imprint love on all their hearts and they went home in peace. #LoveNotHate
Prosy Abarquez-Delacruz, J.D. writes a weekly column for Asian Journal, called “Rhizomes.” She is on her 10th year of writing for Asian Journal, this Nov 2016. She also contributes to Balikbayan Magazine. Her training and experiences are in the field of science, food technology, law and community volunteerism for 4 decades. She holds a B.S. degree from the University of the Philippines, a law degree from Whittier College School of Law in California, and a certificate on 21st Century Leadership from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. She has been a participant in NVM Writing Workshops taught by Prof. Peter Bacho for 4 years and Prof. Russell Leong. She has travelled to France, Holland, Belgium, Japan and Mexico and 23 national parks in the US, in pursuit of her love for arts.
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Prosy Abarquez-Delacruz, J.D. writes a weekly column for Asian Journal, called “Rhizomes.” She has been writing for AJ Press for 9 years now. She contributes to Balikbayan Magazine. Her training and experiences are in science, food technology, law and community volunteerism for 4 decades. She holds a B.S. degree from the University of the Philippines, a law degree from Whittier College School of Law in California and a certificate on 21st Century Leadership from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. She has been a participant in NVM Writing Workshops taught by Prof. Peter Bacho for 4 years and Prof. Russell Leong. She has travelled to France, Holland, Belgium, Japan, Mexico and 22 national parks in the US, in pursuit of her love for arts.