The Fractured Republic: What This Election Tells Us
The 2024 presidential election has left me with more questions than answers. The realization that over half of Americans chose Donald Trump as their leader for the next four years sent waves of shock through me. What does this choice say about who we are as a society? Are we truly a community that prioritizes hate and selfishness over compassion and equality?
Trump’s policies and rhetoric have been unmistakably divisive—often positioned against women’s rights, immigrant lives, and the idea of equal rights for all. It’s hard to comprehend the cognitive dissonance among voters. How is it that individuals can look around their communities and see women who need control over their own bodies, immigrants who have sacrificed everything for the possibility of a better life, friends who identify as LGBTQ+, and neighbors who are Black or Brown—and yet still choose a leader whose actions and words undermine their existence?
The mental gymnastics required to rationalize this choice baffles me. Is it for the illusion of economic security, even at the expense of those around them? This decision isn’t just political; it’s deeply personal for so many who are now left feeling abandoned and devalued.
The irony that many justified their vote in the name of God is what pains me the most. Religion, especially in Christianity, teaches us to love our neighbors as ourselves. If Jesus were among us today, I truly believe he would stand for kindness, justice, and equity—principles embodied in movements that strive to lift all people up. He wouldn’t support division, cruelty, or the disenfranchisement of anyone, let alone in his name. So please, don’t say you voted for Trump “in the name of Jesus” when the values represented in that vote are so starkly opposite of the golden rule.
This election has been more than a political battle; it has been a trigger for many, myself included. The gaslighting, manipulation of truth, and outright lies that have permeated Trump’s campaigns and presidency are hallmarks of narcissistic behavior. For those of us who have experienced emotional and mental abuse from narcissists in our personal lives, witnessing this unfold on a national scale feels like reliving trauma. It’s a visceral reaction that shakes the foundation of safety and trust in our society.
I want to pose these questions to anyone who cast their vote for Trump:
- Who will care for the unwanted children born into a world that legislated away their mothers’ right to choose?
- Who will work on the farms when immigrants, who once took those jobs for low wages, are deported? Will you accept higher food prices due to minimum wages for non-immigrant workers?
- Who will bear the cost of Trump’s tariffs when goods become increasingly expensive, passed down to the consumer?
- How will you respond when your child suffers from PTSD after a school shooting, or worse, if they become a victim?
- What will you say to parents whose children took their own lives because society refused to accept them?
- How will you comfort your daughter if she’s forced to carry the child of her rapist?
- What will happen when your aging parents lose their insurance due to pre-existing conditions and survive on Social Security alone?
- When unions dissolve and wages are cut, how will you navigate a system that exploits workers without collective protection?
I genuinely hope that those who made this choice have considered the possible consequences of these scenarios. Have you really thought it through? Do you even care?
-The Not So Common Gal