Politics. It’s something people either want to talk about all day, or not at all. For me, as someone who is very attuned to what is happening in politics, I can’t help but find myself thinking about it constantly. Now I try not to let it get to me, but this week wasn’t easy. From SNAP benefits running out, to the Respect for Marriage Act possibly being terminated soon as well, to finally, the White House being ripped in half, this week felt like the end of a lot of eras for America.
I keep seeing videos about how to make a five-person meal for under five dollars due to SNAP benefits running out. Similarly, I’ve seen many videos about all the states that may not allow gay marriage if the Supreme Court goes further than just hearing the case from Kim Davis challenging same-sex marriage rights, and actually goes through another vote on equal marriage.
All these events now impacting the political landscape of our country were things I was terrified of happening when Trump won. I literally cried for a night, begging God he wouldn’t let this new presidential term take away the rights of the people of America, and now I’m watching as the poor can’t eat while the rich build a new ballroom in the White House. I’m watching the world I was promised as a child die before I can even take root in it as an adult. And it’s hard to stop spiraling in my mind when I watch people lose their ability to feed their families, especially just before the holidays.
If all of this doesn’t outrage you — watching the history of the first ladies being literally torn apart with the destruction of the White House, watching low income families work three jobs and still not have enough money for food, and seeing the rights of your fellow man be ripped away — then I don’t know what will.
I was told that America was the land of the free, that it was the land of equal opportunity, but as I look around, all I see is lies. As U.S. Senator Cory Booker once said, “If America hasn’t broken your heart, you don’t love her enough.” And that’s how I feel about America right now, heartbroken that all the dreams I was promised are now being destroyed carelessly everyday like they meant nothing at all.
