It was clear that Hillary Clinton was nearly universally considered untrustworthy, and with failing to connect to any of the major issues Americans are concerned with, we should not be surprised that her voter turnout within crucial swing states – among both minority and white voters – was dramatically lower than even Obama’s second term, itself a sharp drop from his first term.
However much of a consolation it is knowing Sen. Clinton received a greater number of “popular votes,” the same situation for the first election of Conservative George W. Bush (who, similarly to Trump, was also the subject of numerous counter-culture art pieces, music, commodities and campaigns), there is no doubting that a nearly equal portion of the country cast their votes for the absolute embodiment of pure evil, according to most Democrats.
As Unists, committed to uniting all people, we must now more than ever reach out compassionately to those who seem to preach intolerance and hate. Extremists will always exist, but by silencing their voices, or anything that resembles or even touches on their ideas, you entice the masses to listen. This goes for both extremes: Trump’s anti-Muslim rhetoric will surely embolden Islam’s fundamentalist fighters, just as accusing, baiting, and prejudging Trump’s supporters as racists will harden their hearts around championing the only identity which seems to get them any attention.
By showing compassion and truth, and by focusing on the humanity we all share, we have a chance to reach many of those whom we are so quick to brand as “racists” or “intolerant.” Belay their fears, share your experiences. If there is one thing we can learn from older generations about acceptance being contingent on exposure, it is the reality that even most hardline homophobes will still have love for their son or daughter who has come out of the closet. And anyone who holds truly racist opinions will still make an exception for as many “one of the good ones” that they come to know personally. These lessons are resonant, and are universal. We can come to accept anyone who does not cause intentional, actual harm to others.
Open your mind, remember to not only think outside the box, but outside the entire warehouse. Acknowledge that NO one can claim to speak for, know of, or mind-read any or All the people of any group, whichever way you want to segment humanity, except for Themselves! No one speaking of other races or groups in general terms would profess to speak definitively of 100%, they are either misinformed or speaking from their limited yet still valid personal experiences or observations. We each own a distinct and singular perspective. In our Left-leaning popular and media cultures, we often prize people for their “unique” voices, the more diverse the better, even up to the “Politically Correct Combo Breaker” that someone like a bisexual female Muslim refugee tennis star might enjoy. I’m sure her story, and her voice, are unique. But each of our voices are unique, by their very nature. The idea that diversity should be prized for itself, as if it were some achievement to unlock or quota to fill, and not for the wealth of insight diversity can afford a community when it is Natural and Authentic, creates so many more problems than it solves. When you force communities together, just as when you separate them by force, the transitions will be painful. But as Unists, we are calling for people to manifest the end point of that transition, by creating it intellectually, then socially, and then universally.
See you in the circle.
The Unists 