Election Wounds: How Does A Nation Heal After Such A Tragic Loss

People are still feeling the effects of the 2016 election results. While few are still celebrating, most of America is still mourning…

“What do you say to a Muslim child when asked ‘what will happen to me? The new president doesn’t like us,’ or a child of Hispanic decent who asks ‘is my family really going to have to leave this country?’ And the African American child who is now concerned about being a slave asking questions that it may happen to them….” Tina Scott, a first-grade teacher posted to facebook after her students bombarded her with questions the next morning after the election results came in. How do you answer such questions to terrified children?

CNN’s Van Jones asked, “How do I explain this to my children?” In the video below Jones stated it was hard being a parent that night because you teach your kids to do your homework, don’t be a bully, and don’t be a bigot, yet their next elected President defies what their parents have tried to instil in them.

What was suppose to be a celebration of the continuous change in America became a painful victory across the land. Many people feel as though this was a ‘whitelash’ to the changes that this country has made and to those that they were looking forward to seeing.

iheart Radio’s, Charlemagne’s tha god, said on his live podcast The Breakfast Club, that he would have loved to see a woman president because of what it could have represented for his daughter. You have to think, were people who voted thinking about who they were trusting their children futures with or the future of all children in that matter. What about those who decided to sit this one out; were they thinking of what it could have meant for the youth or the next generation when they made their decision?

Trump has instilled fear not only in the children of America but the adults as well. Jones also stated how he has had close friends asking if they should leave the country. Google’s most searched topic that night was “How to move to Canada.”

While some people are trying to leave the America that has led them to believe that because they are different they will be deported, have their rights taken away or worse, others want to stand and fight for better. They too belong here just as anyone else. Students have since protested and lead walk-outs across America to let their own voices be heard after being let down by their electorates. People had taken to twitter to express their hopes for change with trending hashtags like #prayforAmerica#mywishforthe future #notmypresident. Petitions were made to get the next elected President impeach and he has yet to even get sworn-in. Others have even started campaigning for our First Lady, Michelle Obama to run for Presidency in 2020. Talk about planning ahead.

What is to come for the land that once was the land of the free to so many?