The other day on Facebook, I asked for a favor. "To my friends who voted for Trump," I wrote, "Please tell him to get his shit together."

A few minutes later, a Trump supporter emerged, explaining that if he'd voted, it would have been for Trump. Next, he told me to think outside of my liberal box and to ask myself why I was hating on the man. He continued, "Why are you so offended by or scared of Trump? Why are you doubting his methods already?" He went on to say that my "beloved Obama" killed healthcare, didn't care about the police, and had racially divided the country. But my favorite line from this ignorant analyst was that white privilege doesn't exist anymore.

How did I respond to all of that? Like this:

My views come from me being a human, not from me being a liberal. And I’m not hating on Donald Trump. Hate is an emotion that I don’t like to feel.

I will admit that his campaign has released the hate within some, although not all, who voted for him. Despite this, as an American, it is my hope that the new president will run this country with dignity for all, and not some.

As for doubting his methods? Which methods might you be speaking about? His immigration ban or his ability to tweet 120 characters on Twitter? Methods like his inability to understand the importance of the intelligence community or methods like hate speech? I just want to be sure before I give an answer.

I’m going to ask you a series of questions and if they apply to you, then maybe you will be able to understand why some Americans disagree with this notion of giving a Trump presidency a chance.

Alright, yes or no to the following:

1. Have you ever been discriminated against based on your gender, sexuality or race?

2. Have you ever been African-American, Pacific-Islander or Hispanic?

3. Have you felt that your race has been seen as less than or not equal to?

4. Have you feared for your life because you didn't meet the status-quo?

5. Were you denied a marriage license because of the one you love?

6. Have you been fearful of a possible deportation of a loved one?

If you answered yes to any of those, then you may understand why some Americans disagree with Trump's positions on domestic and/or international issues, or even his cabinet picks. Vice-President Pence has advocated for sexual conversion therapy for Americans who are homosexuals. You were in the military correct? Pence stated that homosexuals shouldn’t even be in the military because it would weaken the morale of a unit. Crazy, right? So, forgive me, if my faith in this new era of politics doesn’t match yours.

Beloved Obama, you say. Yes, I love him. I love the way he makes me feel like I matter, especially in our country.

And on that note, I'd like to focus in on your comment about the president dividing our nation racially.

That wasn’t my man Barry who did that. The country was divided long ago. Like in 1619, when the social status of someone from Africa was seen as barbaric, but good enough to be a slave. Or when African Americans who were newly free citizens were discriminated against by the Black Codes during Reconstruction. The racial divide was clear when the Supreme Court deemed it necessary to make separate but equal constitutional, and when it became acceptable for African Americans to be hosed in the streets while peacefully protesting.

But you’re right, Obama did racially divide our country. My favorite quote about Obama is this: “People yell that Obama has divided America! But Obama didn’t divide our country, their unwarranted hatred of him did.” I could go into detail about law enforcement, thugs and police brutality, but I’m exhausted.

Not being able to recognize the existence of white privilege strikes me as odd. While it would be easy for me to share my experiences with you, almost 28 years worth, we will just have to agree to disagree. If you are unable to see privilege, as a white male in America, this blackity-black chick’s experiences won't sway you.

So, that's exactly what I said. I was hoping that we could, like Obama suggested all Americans do in his farewell speech, dialogue about our differences and points of view. Maybe this Trump fan will reply, maybe not.

In the meantime, I can only pray that the next four years will be better than the bullshit we’ve seen over the last few weeks with Donald Trump. At the end of the day, love will always win. He may our president, but because I am the daughter of a King, I won’t carry fear in my heart, but I will carry only compassion for my fellow Americans.

avcarter11

Writing since January 2017 · 1 story contributed