Congratulations. You won. I don’t mean that sarcastically. I don’t mean that in any passive aggressive way. I know you’re overjoyed right now. You feel validated. Accomplished. You feel like right won the day. You feel like your moral compass is now guiding the country on its rightful path. You’re satisfied. You’re happy.
I envy you. I do. I’ve tasted triumph. I’ve enjoyed victory. I know what it means to have your opinion, your convictions, your sacred beliefs validated. I know how it feels to be a winner. God, it’s good. It’s such a warm sensation. You fall asleep at night full of contentment; you wake up in the morning and see the promise of a new day, a new sense of hope and security. We all crave that feeling and you did not crave it in vain. You won. And I’m happy you’re happy.
Now, please understand how difficult those last two sentences were for me to write. “You won. And I’m happy you’re happy.” I honestly mean that. I’m not happy you won; I’m happy you feel safe and secure.
But I’m a bleeding heart liberal, a social progressive, a conscientious objector to everything Donald Trump and the GOP stands for. You and I could not be more different. And I, along with others of my ilk, have gone through such an emotionally tumultuous roller coaster the past few days.
On Monday, I had every reason to believe that my ideology would win out. I expected Trump to lose. I was confident in that. On Tuesday, I watched in horror as I came to the reluctant realization that I don’t live in the country I thought I did. On Wednesday, I fell into the deepest despair I have ever known. I ugly cried harder than I have for years. I write this days later and I am still reeling.
Before you call me melodramatic or say I’m overreacting, let me be clear. I’m not being petty. Of course I’m angry and wounded. That’s a completely natural human response to such resounding defeat. Particularly when you consider the moral gravity of such a defeat.
No, I’m not being petty or butthurt. I’m heartbroken. I did not weep because I lost. I wept because I could feel all the fear and despair of every disenfranchised individual who doesn’t know what the future holds, who now questions his or her place in this nation, who fearfully wonders what will happen in the days ahead.
In your celebration, Conservatives, I ask you to be kind. Be the bigger person. You are the victors and, as such, I implore you to remember the words of former President Wilson: “There must be peace without victory.”
Don’t be smug, Conservatives. Don’t gloat. Don’t belittle your political opponents. You won and you can be happy about that, but keep in mind that this nation is still severely divided in every important way. Don’t add to that. Don’t rub our faces in your triumph. Don’t flaunt your success and patronize your progressive brothers and sisters.
“But those libtards would patronize us if the shoe were on the other foot!” I can hear some of you say. And you’re right. Many of us would do exactly that. So prove to us that you truly are nobler than we give you credit for. Extend an olive branch. Let’s make peace and work together.
I truly believe, at the core, the majority of people in this country have the same goal: freedom and prosperity for all. We clearly disagree in just about every imaginable way as to how that can be accomplished, but let’s not let semantics get in the way of the simple truth that most of us are just trying to do the best we can with what we have. Our perspectives are different, but we all have to share this place regardless.
“Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but enjoy the company of the lowly. Do not be conceited” (Romans 12:15-16).
I rejoice with you, Conservatives. I understand how happy you are. I’ve felt such joy before and I know I will again. I do not begrudge you your elation. But I ask that you please weep with me. Imagine if every value, moral, and ethic you hold were to come crashing down around you in dramatic fashion. That is how Progressives feel right now. That is how I feel right now.
You won, Conservatives. Enjoy it. Be content. Be happy. But understand how badly your victory hurts me and others like me. Let your joy show, but let your empathy extend beyond the limits of partisan politics. To the victor go the spoils, but also the responsibility to lead by example.
Resentment breeds resentment, hate breeds hate, compassion breeds forgiveness. You claim the moral high ground. So do Progressives. Prove us wrong. Prove that you’re kinder than we believe you to be. Prove your compassion is stronger than we think it is. Take the high road and invite us to join you as we venture into the future together.