Rose-Tinted Glasses: Reflections from The US Presidential Election

I think it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the first two weeks of November have been tumultuous. It had quite a profound impact on me.

Before the election, I was fully prepared that either candidate may win (my apologies to Jo Jorgensen, who I didn’t think stood a chance). Still, on election night, seeing the red haze, I was down in the dumps. To be brutally honest, it killed my hope for humanity. (Melodramatic me!)

It was a sobering night. When the next day dawned, I felt like a veil was lifted off my eyes, but it was only my rose-tinted glasses that were removed.

The next few days saw Joe Biden catching up as the states counted the mail-in ballots. I obsessively checked the numbers, not daring to hope, unable to feel very happy or sad. The number of people who voted for Donald Trump was significant.

In my rose-tinted-glasses-world, Biden would’ve won easily – not because I love him, but because Trump has proven himself to be quite vile.

I’m not American, I’m writing because this has been bothering me. So, I’m not trying to change minds. Not being a citizen, I’m not partisan by any means though my beliefs would make someone proclaim I’m a Democrat. The truth is, I’m neither red nor blue. Just a human who desires an inclusive and nurturing world.

Everything I write here is my opinions supported by facts. I try to be objective, but I can’t promise I always am. I’ll respect you even if you disagree with me.

The infamous leader

To me, Donald Trump is a nightmare. His endless tirade of lies, denial of climate science, systemic racism, and outright disrespect of women and non-white races never sat right with me. Even though he eventually condemned white supremacists, it’s clear how he truly feels.

Over the course of his time in the White House, his administration has reversed more than 80 and environmental rules and regulations that protected the air, water, and wildlife. 20 more reversals are in progress. This man has no concern for the environment that sustains us.

To top it off, his willful mismanagement of the pandemic tells me he does not value human life.

About his COVID-19 response

The Washington Post’s Associate Editor Bob Woodward released recordings of Trump talking to him about the COVID-19 pandemic. Right from the beginning, Trump knew the severity of COVID-19. He knew COVID-19 was deadlier than the flu, how it “goes through the air“, and how it’ll affect people of all ages.

Yet he downplayed the severity of the pandemic and sent mixed messages about mask-wearing*. Hell, he even talked about “treatments” like hydroxychloroquine, disinfectant, and strong light for the infection.

While people can educate themselves about the pandemic, the leader of a country plays a crucial role in influencing how people react to it. A leader can’t just go around saying things like “if we stop testing right now, we’d have very few cases”, it’s wrong and dangerous in a pandemic.

He hasn’t attended the COVID-19 task force meetings in months.

As of 16 November 2020, 250k Americans have died from COVID-19, the highest in the world. The United States has the capacity and capability to do much better. This should never have happened. I think Trump has to take his share of responsibility for it for failing to provide leadership and a good role model for the people.

*By the way, the science is clear. Wearing a mask reduces the transmission of the virus, especially when we also follow other recommended precautions. Such as washing our hands with soap thoroughly, keeping 6 feet away from other people in public, and social distancing.

Making sense of Trump supporters

Even as the United States’ reputation suffered under his presidency, his supporters remained loyal and loving.

I’ve heard that some Trump supporters love him for saying it as it is (lies included?), for being pro-life (can that come from a sincere place when he lets his supporters congregate maskless during a pandemic?), conservative, patriotic, anti-immigrant, and aligned with Christian values.

They love that Trump isn’t a politician, though I don’t see how a dishonest businessman is that different from a dishonest politician. They also find it inspiring that he’s self-made (he’s not). Maybe he made some progress during his presidency, but that’s what presidents should do in the first place.

I think they feel nostalgia for how the United States was and Trump represents a beacon of hope that they can return to those times. After all, “Make America Great Again” implies the US was great but not so great anymore, doesn’t it?

However, each vote for him is a vote that condoned cruelty, racism, misogyny, dishonesty, and attacks on the scientific community. Even if they hate how he is but voted for him because he’s Republican or pro-life or simply not Biden.

In my opinion, no matter what he achieved or can achieve, I can’t justify supporting someone like that if he’s in a position to influence public policies.

Back to my rose-tinted glasses

And so, after election night, I can’t help but see humanity in a different light. Seeing how close the race was hurt.

How can so many still support someone like that after knowing how he is as a president? I was terribly disappointed, but it was a lesson. This girl has been naïve all along.

I bought into the narrative in most stories I grew up consuming, that people always root for the good guys.

I thought everyone has the same set of universal rules – a preference for kindness, honesty, and respect. Rules I think Trump violated, though his supporters will disagree. His supporters think people on the left are the violent and lying ones.

See, I failed to consider that what’s “good” is often subjective depending on your priorities, upbringing, personality, and beliefs.

What I think is right may not be the same as what someone else thinks is right.

They’re either approaching the universal rules from a different point of view, or they know how he is and love him anyway. Because that’s how they are or want to be.

I had to face it, some people would vote for their own best interest, even if it means other people would be disadvantaged in the process. Maybe they’re afraid of change, of people they don’t understand coming into their communities. Self-preservation and fear are primal emotions that motivate our actions more than we realize. Can we blame them?

I don’t think I’ll truly understand Trump supporters, but I don’t hate them either. Yes, I think their vote makes them complicit in racism, misogyny, and disrespect of science, whether they realize it or not. However, this isn’t about who’s better, or who’s right. I’m not in a position to judge them.

This is just me coming to the realization that I’ve been wrong about the human condition all along. We are infinitely “grayer” than I realized. Not simply shades of black and white, dark gray and light.

Two weeks later

Almost two weeks have passed since Election Day, one week since Joe Biden has been declared the projected winner. I thought the world breathe a collective sigh of relief when he was projected to win. I watched the people celebrating on the streets, and I just had to grin.

As of 16 November 2020, 78,803,127 Americans voted for Joe Biden.

Being an alien, knowing these people formed the majority comfort me. I am a woman, a person of color, an immigrant, and a treehugger after all. I don’t know how Joe Biden will be as president, but I don’t think Donald Trump makes a good one.

There are a lot of Americans who don’t want Trump to remain in power. He has hurt many Americans with his behaviors, and he has done a lot of damage to the unity and democracy of this country.

In a normal election year, the candidate who lost would’ve conceded and proceeded to help the incoming president transition into the next term. But not this time.

Trump isn’t even sharing important intelligence briefing with Biden, the way every outgoing, or possibly outgoing presidents have done before him. This concerns national security, but he seems unable to put the country’s interest before him.

COVID-19 cases are surging ever higher, but Trump continues to focus on tweeting baseless claims of a rigged election and retweet people who support his claim.

Watching the massive crowd march for Donald Trump in Washington D.C. was frightening. This man loves attention, even if the attention fuels the spread of a highly contagious virus amongst those who love him. He knows full well some of his supporters will get sick, and some may die. It disturbs me to no end. I just wish his supporters can see it too.

No rose-tinted glasses, but no hate too.

Before I end this post, I’d like to stress this post isn’t written with the intention to judge or disrespect Trump supporters. I don’t think anyone should because it’ll only lead to divisiveness and more hate. The world doesn’t need either of those.

Trump supporters aren’t all bad, just as the rest of us aren’t all good. (I don’t like to use the terms “us” and “them” but I don’t know how else to put it.) Most of them simply have a different outlook on life and different priorities. If I value an inclusive world, I cannot exclude people just because they have a different opinion.

Hating, judging, or fighting wouldn’t change anyone’s mind. Compassion and respect wouldn’t too, but it’ll take the edge off the differences. No matter what, I’ll hold on to compassion and good manners.

This has been quite a learning experience. Though I’ve removed my rose-tinted glasses, I’m surprised to find there isn’t much bitterness in me, I think I’ve come to accept (with a tinge of sadness) that this is how humans have always been. A mixed bag.

All I intend to do is watch my own actions and speech and try my best to make sure they’re aligned with my values. No hate.

It’s as a wise man once said, “be the change that you wish to see in the world.” I wish the United States well.

• Read about my mind “tricks” for kindness and peace of mind.