The Election

This election sucked.  I'm pretty sure that is the only thing we can all agree on.  So much mudslinging, playground fighting, hair pulling and childish insults by both the candidates and their supporters.  And yesterday I woke up feeling guilty.  Guilty for being born white.  Guilty for growing up in a white home with white parents who were also born from white parents.

I am a Christian.

A white Christian.
I did not vote for Hillary.
I am pro-life.
I think God created marriage for a man and a woman.

And I shouldn't, and won't, feel ashamed of this.

Just because I am white and a Christian and didn't vote for Hillary doesn't mean I support Trump's name calling, his harassment of women, his sexual addiction or his mocking veterans and the disabled.  So please stop telling me that I do just because I did not vote for Hillary.

I admit, I have never walked in a Muslim girl's shoes.  Nor do I know what it's like to be transgender or a black man being pulled over by a white cop.  I've never had to experience the type of hatred that some of my friends have had to experience.  But that doesn't make me judgmental or intolerant.  So, please.  Stop saying that it does.

On September 11, 2001, a group of radical Muslims attacked our country.  Since then ISIS has raised terror against the United States and has made it clear that their goal is to wage battle against anyone who doesn't share their beliefs.

Fact: Radical Muslims = a threat to our safety.
Bigger Fact: Most Muslims are not radical.

My daughter's best friend is an 18 year old Muslim girl and one of the nicest, funniest and quirky girls I've ever met.  She is awesome.  Her family is awesome.  Yet, they have to live in a country where they are judged solely on their appearance.  This has to stop. I have good friends who are African American.  They are amazing.  Their kids are amazing.  Yet, they too will sometimes be judged by the color of their skin.  This has to stop.  

Stereotypes exist.

They exist for the Muslim girl.  They exist for the black man.  And they exist for the conservative Christian. So please don't tell me that I don't know what it's like to be targeted.  I am judged for my beliefs every. single. day.  Maybe I live in a little bubble where I don't see the worst of the worse.  When I look at Facebook and see stories of things happening I almost can't believe it.  An African American high school girl being told she can't sit in her seat anymore because we are "making America great again", Muslim girls' hijab's being ripped off, Hispanic woman being told to sit in the back of the bus. I don't get it.  It's gross and sickening and makes me want to puke.  But what else makes me sick is looking at my daughter, who was able to vote for the first time in her life, being told that this is all her fault and she is part of the problem because she didn't vote for Hillary.  No matter that she also didn't vote for Trump.  She just didn't vote for Hillary. And apparently, if you didn't vote for Hillary you are a racist bigot who wants to be a follower of Hitler.  What is this teaching our young voters?

I didn't vote for Trump.  I think he acted like a narcissistic pig who didn't deserve for me to check his box.  So I voted for someone who I thought would make a darn better president than both Hillary and Trump.  Please stop telling me that that makes me a Muslim hater, homophobic, judgmental white girl.  I am not any of those things. (except a white girl.  I am that.)  I will pray for our president every day and I ask you all to join me.  Pray that the test of time will show better character than he has shown during the election.  Pray for peace.

Stop.

The hating. The being intolerant of intolerance.  The emotionally charged rants. Please just stop.  Friends turning against friends, father's against sons, neighbor against neighbor.  It needs to stop.

There is a fence and I want to sit on it.  I want to sit atop of it and not choose a side.  I want to sit up there and just tell everyone to shut up and get along.  Sit up there with me please.  There is a lot of room.