Dear Everybody,

Just before midnight PST on November 8 2016, the verdict was clear. The bitter war between candidates was over, we would soon be left to reckon with the experiment that has been dubbed the “alt-right”, led by business tycoon Donald Trump.

I am horrified. The America that I know, is horrified. This is not what we stand for. This is not our America. You (whoever you might be) have a place in our America. Whether or not you are a citizen, you are welcome here. Whether you are black, white, or in Trump’s case, orange. The battle against division is far from over. It’s an existential battle, and one that we will not concede, even if today has brought with it a calamitous setback.

To any group that feels marginalized, oppressed or reduced by the outcome of this election – you are not alone. As a heterosexual white male, I am not part of this group – but I stand with you. Take solace in the knowledge that Trump’s victory came from fear, not from strength. His base is afraid. Afraid of losing a majority. Afraid of losing bullshit “anglo saxon values”. Afraid that their time atop the pedestal has ended.

Well it has. Trump is a 4th quarter, Hail Mary attempt to hold onto power, but it will not happen. The demographics in this country are changing, and no one in the White House can stop it. We have dark years ahead of us, make no mistake. But like everything in this life, they will pass.

Let me be clear, that I want Trump to succeed as a leader of this country (in terms of the economy and of unification). My hatred for him as a man is not greater than my love for America as a successful and just nation.

But I lost something last night. I lost the feeling that America is civilized. I lost the belief that America stands for equality. I lost the understanding that America is loving, inclusive and compassionate. Above all, I lost my faith in democracy.

This gets one post because I want to look forward and not back. Barring unforeseen circumstances, we will have a president Trump. The best we can do is accept this, move forward and hope that it’s really not as bad as many of us believe it could be. We have no legitimate option but to put our faith into Trump [in addition to the conservative Congress and soon-to-be conservative Supreme Court]. If they fail, we must believe that our democracy can still work.

And if that fails, then I’ll meet you in New Zealand.

Sincerely,

AV