Why I Won't Just "Get Over It"

I feel compelled to write this post, for many reasons. I have felt that Trump supporters believe that non-supporters are uneducated or want him to fail or just plain hate his face; like they're just whiners or poor sports. Bull. I am not a sore loser or whining at all. I have legitimate concerns that I would have regardless if Hillary had been the opponent or not. 

As I try to relay my concerns to other people, I've found myself occasionally ill-equipped with information, and if you know me.... well, that's simply unacceptable. So I changed that. I've researched and watched and read whatever I could find or had time to and as I've said, I'm not unmovable. I still have a lot I want to read about, but what I have researched still doesn't look good. There is cross-referencing and fact-checking that needs to be done. I am not getting my sources from Cosmopolitan or Vogue magazines or from the Buzzfeed website. I'm looking for legitimate news-based sources so that I can fight the good fight with plenty of ammunition to back it up.

The alternative to proving my point is finding out that Trump's not so bad, that I can get behind some of his policies, and that I will finally feel content that he was elected. The way I see it, either way I win. (Not in the school-aged "neener neener" sense of the word, but in the "any way it goes I'm going to come out on the other side a better person for doing this research" sort of way.)

So because of my thirst to figure this out, process it, cope with the results, I have spent a lot of time looking for the truth. So, as best as I have been able to, I have cited reliable sources, linked to videos with actual words coming out of T's actual face, and have tried to validate information to best of my abilities.

RESPONSES

*IF YOU FEEL COMPELLED TO RESPOND: Please do so below in the comments because I'm on a fact-seeking mission. Be respectful on my blog. Be intelligent and cite sources/websites/videos etc. Call Trump names all you want, but please don't direct hate at me because I'm not the one you're angry with. 

FUN INAUGURATION DAY HISTORICAL FACTS

Just for fun, I found some interesting facts about past inaugurations; examples of how it's not a magical occasion every time. 

-Andrew Johnson and Ulysses S Grant hated each other so much, Johnson stayed home on that day in 1869. But he's not the first one to skip swear-in day. John Adams and his son, John Quincy Adams both stayed home for the festivities. 

-In 2000, two people stripped down naked with the words "Hail to the Thief" and "No Mandate" at George W. Bush's inauguration, just 20 yards from him.

-In 1961 Robert Frost recited a memorized poem after the sun created too bright a glare on his written words. And "seeing" as his vision was obstructed, he accidentally dedicated the off-the-cuff recitation to "President Elect John Finley" instead of John F. Kennedy.

-In 1841, William Henry Harrison walked during an ice storm to the inauguration. He stood with no hat for two hours, reading the longest inaugural address in history at 8,495 words. One month later he died of pneumonia.

-At Richard Nixon's there were also protesters, and they threw things, including smoke bombs, at the president's limo. That was the first time the parade had ever been disrupted by protesters.

(Facts courtesy of US News)

NOT SO PEACEFUL PROTESTS

I'm surprised at the amount of people who seemed to be shocked at the inaugural day violence. I believe in the power and the rights to protest peacefully. I do not agree with the "protests" that happened on Trump's inauguration day, and I'll tell you why. 

It is far easier to have someone listen to you when you are calm and rational than if you're throwing a tantrum. 

I have a general feeling that people think the protests and violent acts on Inauguration Day 2017 are somehow unique and unprecedented. Well, let me fix that glitch right now.

After Obama's inauguration, there were several incidents that stem mainly from racism and hate. Here are some examples: 

-Obama campaign volunteer Kaylon Johnson was beaten at gas station while he was wearing a Barack tshirt. His nose and eye socket were broken while his assailants yelled obscenities like "F*** Obama" and "N**ger* President". 

Don't worry, I'm sure he's over it by now.

-A life-sized Obama-shaped figure was hung from a tree outside the University of Kentucky. 

He clearly got over it, and it's okay because African Americans around the country probably have too.

-An owner of a restaurant in Florida wrote "White Power" on employee memos and told her black employees that she'd fire them if they voted for Obama. She later wrote "KKK" on an employee note and when confronted, she blamed Fox News and her "hot Italian blood". 

I bet those employees got over it. 

-In two Maine towns, effigies were hanging from nooses in trees, implying a hanging president.

-Another town in Maine had a $1 pool that people could participate in guessing when the president would be assassinated. 

If you need more, click HERE.

GET OVER IT

I'm confounded by the forceful Trump wavepool that is "Get Over It". I was glad when Obama won, but I don't recall ever telling anyone to Get Over It or to "shut up", which I've heard relentlessly and incessantly this post-election season. I remember saying, well, wait and see what he does. I've tried to follow my own advice and "wait and see" but it's hard to get past the cloud of drama Trump creates to hear the important things. I've said it before and I will say it until he proves me wrong. Trump is dramatic.

If you need clarity over why I won't just "GET OVER IT", here's some insight: 

I don't have a problem because of the race of the president. I don't have a problem because I'm not sure where the president was born. I don't even give a rat's ass about his past tax returns. 

Racism and birther were the two main points behind people who protested against Obama. In my opinion, those are not valid reasons to hate the president.

The key to a person voting for a particular president is how it will personally affect their family. I will never be wrong on this. People will vote for someone who lines up with the most powerful topic(s) that person is passionate about. If you are 100% anti-abortion, and that is your passion topic, you will vote for the person that opposes it, even if that candidate doesn't support some of your other ideals. I guarantee it. I watched it happen during this election.

My single passion is my son. In relevance to this election: Type 1 Diabetes and learning disabilities due to ADHD and high-functioning autism.

Below you will find the reasons I lose sleep at night, the reasons I'm terrified this man made it into the most powerful office in the country. 

INSURANCE

As far as I can tell at this point, we will not be affected by changes Trump has proposed to ACA/Obamacare. If he decides that the insurance companies can reinstate their pre-existing condition rejections, my son will be screwed once he ages out of his state insurance. He will either pay ridiculous amounts of money for insurance or for the supplies that keep him alive. That is, if he can even get insurance because he will be denied everywhere since he's been diabetic most of his life. 

Yes, it's rude to ask what people make or pay for things, but I want to be very transparent. We pay $30 per month for state insurance for William, and it's income based. That's it. No co-pays, no prescription charges, no doctor bills. It's a pretty sweet deal. 

If we didn't have insurance, it would cost me over $17,000.00 per year for his supplies.

Hold up. What did I say? SEVENTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS.

Yeah dude. That keeps me up at night. That's about 2/3 of my husband's yearly take home pay. So to give you an idea: Including the little bit I make, if we paid out of pocket for his medical supplies and then our mortgage, that would leave us with approximately $7000 for the year for EVERYTHING ELSE. Car insurance/gas, school supplies, electricity/heat/air/refrigeration, food (for people, cats and fish), clothing, water, Christmas, birthdays, etc...

FACT: We'd technically be living below poverty level and nobody would acknowledge it because our gross pay would be way too high.

EDUCATION

Let's discuss Betsy DeVos and what her answers at her hearing potentially mean for my son. You can watch the whole thing HERE, and I encourage you to do so.
As an interesting side note, while signing nomination papers, Trump forgot that Betsy was his education choice. Look!

In writing, in speech, and online, it has been made very clear that Miss Betsy has a specific affinity for privatization of schools. She also is heavy-handed in the process of "Education Choice" which simply means that parents can choose which school their child attends, regardless of districting lines set up by the school district.

What this means: 

Privatization: If she chooses to funnel government funds away from an already under-funded public school system, that means in a general public school district, cuts will have to be made. In extreme cases of poor or rich districts, that can either mean schools close down completely or that no cuts need to be made.

If cuts are made in public schools, one of the things that they can cut are school nurses. By law (at least in New York State) there is only required to be one school nurse per district. As it stands, I am lucky because my school district has a nurse at every elementary school in the district (that's 5 schools, spread out around the city). 

If the nurses get cut, that means that my son does not have 100% access to a nurse to care for his unpredictable diabetic needs. I would either have to go into school and do the care myself or I would have to train a non-medical personnel from the school to provide his care. 

Imagine if you will, your child gets sick or injured, heaven forbid breaks a bone, and they have to wait for the nurse to come from another school somewhere in the city or wait for 911 to be called. The reality of it is that your child will wait in the nurse's office, sometimes alone, waiting for the nurse to arrive to decide if the child is sick enough to go home while the office staff continues to do their work. If you're lucky, they'll be able to spare a staff member to sit with your child while they wait. There is no requirement that someone there has to be trained to first respond, administer first aid, check vitals, etc.

If my son's blood sugar sky-rockets or drops so severely that he goes into seizures, it's not required that a trained staff member be there to take the steps to treat him. He would have to wait for an ambulance; precious seconds that could send him into a diabetic coma and even death.

OPINION: Private schools are private for a reason. Parents choose to spend the money to send their children there. As far as I can tell, it's not essential to a child getting into Harvard, Yale or any other college they want to go to. 

Yes. This concerns me. And it should concern you too.

What this means: 

School choice: I understand the thought process behind this, but I can't legitimately support it. Every parent wants their child to be at the best schools, that's a given. It's just not plausible. For example, of the five elementary schools in my school district, say one of them is preferred to parents; best teachers, best auxiliary staff, best facilities for outdoor play, gym class, and newest furniture in the classrooms. Should every parent decide they want their child to attend that school, it would be impossible. Class sizes would be too large and no child would get the attention they need or deserve to have a successful education. The other schools in the district wouldn't have a large enough attendance to keep them open, and it would drive families away who wouldn't be able to get their kids into the school they want for their child. This leads to the spiral of the success of the entire community; businesses fail because there aren't customers to fill them or employees to work at them. Obviously, that's a worst case scenario, but I think I've made my point.

WOMEN'S MARCH, JANUARY 21st, 2017

If you're wondering why women (and men!) marched across the world, then you did literally zero research to figure it out. From defunding Planned Parenthood to LGBT rights, there were serious concerns behind their movement.

Trump proved himself to be loose-lipped about women during his election. I think it scared a lot of people (women), including myself. The "locker room banter" most of all. It sets an example, and it speaks to his character that he was so flippant with his remarks. If you say it, be prepared to face the consequences for it. These are the consequences: women don't trust you. The president is the precedent. Men think that if they see a man in power doing something, then it it okay for them to do it as well. Not all of them, but I've witnessed it myself. 

If you need further proof of this observation, please read THIS story about a Republican politician who took that very liberty.

As far as the march itself is concerned, they might have left a mess, but nobody was arrested, nobody was injured, and no property was destroyed. They performed the very definition of a peaceful protest. 

*The information I have provided comes from the Planned Parenthood website. I've cross-referenced as much as I could find to confirm that the services provided are accurately portrayed by their site. According to my research, they do what they say they do.

Planned Parenthood: Not just a one-stop shop for abortions and birth control. They also do cancer screening, counseling, and they put women on a better path to take care of themselves so they are healthy enough to take care of others. They do STD and STI screenings and educate people on ways to protect themselves and take care of their bodies. Some of their volunteers have spoken in schools, prisons, churches and their home offices to educate about many topics. Some of them include: AIDS/HIV, contraception which encompasses family planning (kids don't have to be surprises!), abstinence, family life, puberty education, parent/child communication, safe sex, counseling for gender orientation or homosexuals who need someone to talk to, teen pregnancy and women's health. 

FACT: In 2011 abortion was only THREE PERCENT of the services they provided AROUND THE WORLD. 

OPINION: It's none of your damn business when, why, or how these women chose to have abortions. None. And it needs to stay that way. Government has no place in a woman's body.

(source HERE)

I found another list of services they provide that are not abortion or birth control related:

Cancer screenings (uterine & breast)

Cholesterol screenings

Anemia testing

Diabetes testing

Physicals (including for things like jobs and sports)

Flu shots

Smoking cessation help

Blood pressure screening

Tetanus shots

Thyroid screening

This seems to be just a small part of what they do. If you click HERE, there is a column on the left side of the screen that has all sorts of other things they deal with from jock itch to masturbation to healthy relationship advice to body image. On one of the pages, they even have a link to an app to help girls track their cycles.

Perspective

Think of a teenage girl who is too scared to talk to her parents about birth control, but who can muster up the courage to go to a clinic and speak to someone who won't judge her or tell her parents. Whether she's thinking of becoming sexually active or has crazy uncontrolled cycles that cause her severe pain or PMDD, if she's going to a clinic she is looking to be responsible on her own terms. That's strength.

Think of a teenage boy who is embarrassed to go into a store to buy condoms. His parents might lecture him, ground him or worse if they find out he's interested in being sexually active. He needs a place where he can do the responsible thing.

If Planned Parenthood is defunded, it goes away. It becomes privately funded and that will likely mean less resources which equals lower quality/less services to provide to families.
Something doesn't equate to me: I have found that many people who are anti-abortion are also against planned parenthood as a whole and would like to see the facilities shut down. If you are a person who cares so much for human life, why would you deny decent, low-income families basic medical care like physicals and care for sicknesses? That seems very hypocritical to me. You care more about an unborn child than the life of a full-grown person trying to survive in our world? An adult who themselves did not choose to be born, but were anyways? Does. Not. Compute.

I don't like to make assumptions, but the information path here leads to people not fully understanding or bothering to investigate the other services that PP provides aside from abortions and birth control.

GENERAL CONCERNS

The Wall

CNN has a video speaking of him building a wall and having Mexico pay for it HERE.

ABC News has posted THIS video of the plan Trump has to make them pay. In the video, the plan is to cut them off unless they pay us for the wall. That sounds an awful lot like blackmail to me. The other thing I heard was that he wanted to verify people were citizens before they are allowed to send money to Mexico (ex: Western Union). Unless he plans to verify every person is a citizen, then the only way for this to happen is by racially profiling the money senders. And that will never end well.

Finally, his Twitter presence concerns me for a lot of different reasons. He talks too much. I firmly believe he either needs his Twitter account taken away or that he needs a one person PR filter before he posts anything. It shows personality issues and when it comes to Trump supporters crying "whiner!" to others, they should look to their own elected example. He's contradictory and egocentric. I have no idea if these will affect his presidential decisions, but I can't imagine that they wouldn't interfere somehow.

Definition of Narcissistic Personality Disorder, from Psychology Today.

Narcissistic Personality Disorder involves grandiosity, a lack of empathy for other people, and a need for admiration. People with this condition are frequently described as arrogant, self-centered, manipulative, and demanding. They may also concentrate on grandiose fantasies (e.g. success, beauty, brilliance) and may be convinced that they deserve special treatment. These characteristics typically begin in early adulthood and must be consistently evident in multiple contexts, such as at work and in relationships. 

People with narcissistic personality disorder believe they are superior or special, and often try to associate with other people they believe are unique or gifted in some way. This association enhances their self-esteem, which is typically quite fragile underneath the surface. People who have high self-esteem are often humble, whereas narcissists rarely are. Instead, they seek excessive admiration and attention in order to know that others think highly of them. Individuals with narcissistic personality disorder have difficulty tolerating criticism or defeat, and may be left feeling humiliated or empty when they experience an "injury" in the form of criticism.

Below are some examples:

All in all, it's my opinion that Trump is the whiner, and the people who call others "whiners" and "poor sports" are only doing so to defend his behaviors.

I can't fight this fight any more. I don't understand how people don't see what a danger this man is to the fabric of our nation. I'm not trying to change anyone's mind, but I haven't come across a single Trump supporter who has said, "Hmmm, maybe you have a point." - Even though I've found myself saying that and trying to look at things from a different perspective.

I will fight for my son and I will fight the right people. I will not cause physical harm to properties or other human beings to do so. I will speak with knowledge and intent. I will keep an open mind to my fellow American. I will be patient with the president and show respect where it is due. I will be a good American, and I will take care of myself and others.

But I will not remain silent, especially when it comes to my son. My voice is all I have.