superfitbabe

For everybody who resides in the U.S. or has been heavily informed about the media lately, it’s been a very, very rough week. Same here. *raises hand* And not just because of the American election results, the political disagreements online, the protests and that computer movie programs have been failing on me.

I understand if you weren’t expecting me to talk about something as sensitive as politics, and you don’t want to see any of this kind of value on my platform. That’s okay. This IS the “superfitbabe” blog after all–just food, exercise, health and mindfulness-related content, right? But I cannot stand to not address something as important as what’s been occurring in my country right now. It’s not okay.

Most of you know that our electoral college has now instigated the election of Donald Trump, a GOP candidate that the majority of the American citizens are not-so fond of for numerous reasons. Trump has instigated so many controversial values and fear-mongering plans for presidency that endanger the lives of so many innocent individuals, including those of Muslims, minorities, females, the LGBTQ community, the disabled, immigrants, the list goes on. And the superfitbabe blog is run by a female of a minority background. Of course I’m on some level of danger.

The day before yesterday, I called my dad on the phone, all riled up about how so many lives of my old high school classmates, my friends, my classmates, my relatives and everyone else across the nation now wear this cloak of fear around themselves because of Trump. Engulfed in frustration, I told him that I fear for myself, for all of us. But he doesn’t (and that is not just because he is the most practical human being I know). Sure, he admitted that he wasn’t sure what the potential immigration policies would entail for him and my family, but he told me that he lived with Bush as a president and Obama as a president, one Republican and one Democrat. For all of those years, he has still maintained a successfully self-sufficient business and kept our family safe and healthy. One person didn’t determine whether or not his life would suffice his personal needs. Politics is not the main concern. It’s the people.

In just nearly three days after the election’s results, Trump’s supporters are having field days by taunting, assaulting, threatening and endangering the lives of many. Those who have voted for him may say that this will only last for a short amount of time, so we can be safe, right? What they do not understand is that a dangerous gesture can be initiated within a second, and the trauma lasts forever.

Having been raised in California my entire life, I can say that I do have privilege. California is a dominantly liberal state–not to mention that I’ve also grown up in a relatively wealthy area and continue to enjoy an education. But as the movement of hatred spreads, I might not even be able to walk around my campus without fear that I could be taunted for my Vietnamese ethnicity, let alone sexually or physically assaulted on the streets because I am a female. Yesterday, I actually contemplated carrying a hand-knife in my purse because I was so scared of leaving the apartment complex without getting hurt.

And even before the election, I was concerned when I first stumbled upon Trump. It wasn’t entirely because of what was being said and written about him. I was more concerned because he was trending. Trump had been doing something right all along, and that was drawing attention to his campaign. As an influencer, attention equates to power. It didn’t matter if the attention was positive or negative–the public ultimately gave him power by showing curiosity of what he’d say next. They already voted with views, likes, dislikes, shares, comments, etc., and somehow, Trump made his way to the top and conquered. Controversy and negativity brought him there. Unfortunately, the mass public thrives off of that. And that is what saddens me the most out of everything that has happened.

By the way, it’s 11:11 P.M. on the 11th of November, isn’t it? I’ll probably be asleep by the time the clock strikes 11:11 and this post has been published, but ultimately my wish encompasses our culture. I agree that our political system is flawed. The electoral college has a very interesting procedure as to how it works, and it doesn’t always result in the best outcome. But the result of the election is far more historical: we are once again a divided nation…

• So you’re a Trump supporter? You’re a self-righteous, racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, privileged bigot who doesn’t care about anybody else’s rights!
• So you’re a liberal? Wow, what a sorry-ass sore loser you are who can’t accept that our president won fair and square.
• So you’re a third-party voter? Way to waste your only chance of preventing Trump in the first place.
• So you’re a non-voter? How could you not fulfill your basic civic duty as an American? Shameful.
• So you want California to secede? Go ahead and leave, we don’t want you here anyway. But tell me how you’re going to come crawling back to us because you’re stuck in your drought and you can’t provide fresh water.
• So you want California to stay with America? Why are you being such a coward and not fighting against a country that doesn’t even understand its own values?
• So you’re not scared for your life? White-privileged asshole!
• So you’re scared for your life? Nothing’s going to change, you pussy!

I will not deny that Trump’s campaign victory has ignited a terror-filled movement of hatred and violence in our country. Ultimately, I wish to bring peace and justice back to the people. I wish for our culture to be fueled by happiness, love, unity, fairness and harmony. The public feeds off of the conflict and the scandals. It’s what maintains the excitement. Yes, I’ve seen so much fracture with this election. But it’s brought many people together as well. When the country elected its first African-American president, the country exulted. Same when the LGBTQ community finally got the legal right to declare marriage. It can happen. I have faith.

For many of our ancestors, it took a lot of blood, sweat, tears, bravery and pain to earn their equality and establish what they believed in. Along the way, they became stronger, wiser and more empowered individuals. Hardship builds character. We can only benefit from controversy if we look at what has been presented to us, understand what is right, understand what is wrong with it and how we can fix it. With this, we can only move forward, grow stronger and grow louder. Do not lose hope. I am here. You, me, them, we. Love will prevail.