By Madison McManus
With bated breath, the entire nation watched as each state was colored red, as the future of the country began to take its first few steps in a wildly different direction. And for so many Americans, the most horrifying detail about the narrative being told in the form of brightly colored maps and intensely shaded diagrams was the fact that this was, indeed, reality.
It would be an understatement to say that the 2016 presidential election was polarizing; it could easily be considered one of the most divisive campaigns in American political history. However, in the midst of all the hateful rhetoric and violent outbursts, there remained a nation of people that was raised with promises of an American dream, of a nation solely fueled by dedication and compassion. But as the map was engulfed in red, it felt as if the America that had once rallied against hatred and oppression had never existed, as if the past 239 years had been a ridiculously elaborate masquerade ball: the nation that had prevailed time and time again in the face of inequality and injustice was finally revealing its true colors, and for many it was a horrifying revelation.
With the results of this election, the nation is reminded of our divided past, of an America that has been left out of our history books: a country founded on oppression and bias, a place known to have supported the persecution of millions. But, up until the final votes were tallied and a winner was declared, it was nearly impossible for most Americans to internalize the parallels between the modern-day United States and the country brought into existence just over two centuries ago. If anything, this election reminded millions of people that the war is not yet won, that America is not yet the “land of the free and home of the brave,” and that the idealistic images of harmony and peace taught to American children still remain naive viewpoints as our nation struggles to remain unified.
Amidst these realizations, however, there is hope. We must hold on to those portraits of America painted for us as young children, those images of everyone walking through life together, hand-in-hand. It may sound cliche or overly optimistic, but as a nation it is more important than ever that we prevent further division, that we fight for the images of equality promised to us by the institution in which we have put all of our trust. As this election has shown us, we are still held back by prejudice and injustice; we have not yet overcome the ghosts of our past.
In the aftermath of this election, we must believe that goodness will prevail; that one day we will be able to end this chapter and begin anew. Until then, it is important that we reflect upon the election that unfolded on November 8th, 2016. Now, more than ever, it is integral that we celebrate our differences and discuss the progress that has been made over the past few decades. Most importantly, we must continue to believe that there will be change, that there will be equality. Today we reflect, then tomorrow we may finally begin to heal these century-old wounds.
Comentarios