More than one person has been admonished to ‘just get over’ the Trump win. And if you are a Canadian with the perception that you have no skin in the game there is even more of a sense that you really need to move on.
Even Hillary generously expressed that we need to have an open mind and give Trump a chance. That’s de rigueur for a concession speech I suppose, but for the rest of us it is not so easy. Aside from needing time to process, grieve and rage over the injustice of it all, I am coming to the conclusion that we – and by ‘we’ I mean the universe that may be affected by the Trump win – actually have a duty not to get over it.
My friend and colleague Hugh Mackenzie said in an earlier column that one of the positives in Trump’s win is that Americans and Canadians now have an opportunity to determine who we are and what defines our values. I agree.
I also think that Trump’s win may have strengthened our social justice activism in a way not seen since the 1960s. While I do not equate Trump’s rise with Nazism, we all need to be alarmed when the racist alt-right salutes the president-elect with a Nazi salute and the homage of “Heil Trump.” And we needed to react with outrage when they were not slapped down immediately by Mr. Trump. Rather than denouncing these cretins, Trump chose to lash out at Broadway actors speaking for inclusiveness and love.
Canadians are not immune. Trump didn’t create the ugly ‘isms’ that roil beneath the surface of human decency but he did encourage them to rise to the surface. Many of us know people who hold views that are anathema to us personally but as long as they keep those views to themselves we could go along to get along. Those same people, on both sides of the border, now feel emboldened to allow what has festered beneath to come to the surface.
In a recent Ontario by-election, one of the candidates, an extreme, socially conservative 19-year-old man who is “100 per cent pro-life”, has called homosexuality a “sin” and has posted homophobic comments on social media, has been sent to Queen’s Park. At least he has youth and ignorance as an excuse. Conservative MP and party leadership candidate Kellie Leitch does not. “It’s an exciting message and one that we need delivered in Canada as well,” she declared regarding Trump’s victory. “It’s the message I’m bringing with my campaign to be the next Prime Minister of Canada. It’s why I’m the only candidate who will ensure that every visitor, immigrant, and refugee will be screened for Canadian values.” What we need to do is to speak up. The Conservative Party needs to speak up instead of offering a mealy-mouthed defense of these two.
Donald Trump was democratically elected. There is nothing to be done about it; not by Americans and certainly not by Canadians and not for four more years. He WILL be the U.S. President.
It may feel like Americans – and the rest of us – are powerless, but there are better actions to be taken than reacting in outrage on Facebook … though that is part of the approach, too. I applaud all of these ideas.
It feels like 1960 again when people gave a crap.
Writer Leon Wieseltier, trying to work out similar feelings in reaction to the idea of ‘giving Trump a chance’ came to this conclusion: “I’m all for empathy, but empathy is not agreement,” said Wieseltier, who published in The Washington Post under the headline, Stay Angry. “That’s the only way to uphold principles in Trump’s America,” he added, “There’s a moral imperative here. You can’t be for or against racism. You have to be against it. You have to agitate for what you believe in.”
Jonathan Greenblatt, the CEO of the Anti-Defamation League pledged: “Because I care about the fight against anti-Semitism, that if one day in these United States, if one day Muslim-Americans will be forced to register their identities, then that is the day that this proud Jew will register as a Muslim. Because fighting prejudice against the marginalized is not just the fight of those minorities. It’s our fight. Just as the fight against anti-Semitism is not only the fight of us Jews. It’s everyone’s fight.”
Thousands are joining anti-hate and advocacy groups. Join them.
Thousands have decided that if they ‘see something, they’ll say something.’ Speak up.
Report hate crimes. There are laws against it.
Early signs of what the Trump administration may look like: A man associated with white supremacy and misogyny will be White House chief strategist; a man rejected for a judgeship because of alleged racism will be attorney general; and an Islamophobe who has taken money from Moscow will be national security adviser. Staying quiet is not an option.
I know that not all Trump supporters are despicable, white-power racists. But they did vote for one.
I don’t think less of Trump voters because they have different politics, I think less of them because of their willingness to support racism, sexism and cruelty. So, I won’t be ‘moving on’ any time soon. Donald Trump disgusts me and the fact that he doesn’t disgust everyone is the issue that will stick in my craw until he is democratically cast aside.
Following a career in the hospitality sector and the acquisition of a law and justice degree in her 50s, Dale embarked on a writing career armed with the fanciful idea that a living could be made as a freelancer. To her own great surprise she was right. The proof lies in hundreds of published works on almost any topic but favourites include travel, humour & satire, feature writing, environment, politics and entrepreneurship. Having re-invented herself half a dozen times, Dale doesn’t rule anything out. Her time is divided equally between Muskoka and Tampa Bay with Jim, her husband of 7 years and partner of 32 years. Two grown ‘kids’ and their spouses receive double doses of love and attention when she’s at home.
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Mary Lou Veebonac says
What she said! You have nailed it! I will be sharing this article now and for the next four years.
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” – Edmund Burke
Steve Abouldahab says
Thanks for articulating what I was thinking Dale.
Sharon Stock Feren says
I agree completely with Dale. I am disturbed and angry. And I do speak up, always have. There are now people, some of whom I have known most of my life, and at some points have agreed to disagree about many things with, people with whom I want no further interaction. This whole event, for lack of a better word, does not just bring to the forefront differences of opinion. There are no more opinions I can add that haven’t already been circling the airwaves like starving, viscous birds of prey. If you support someone who proposes to run a country with values based on hatred of non white people, and despicable behaviour towards women, the handicapped and a habit of not paying his bills or taxes, there is more of course, then I do not value what you stand for. To me, it’s not like standing in front of a piece of art that I think is great and you feel strongly that it is not great. We could still be friends in that case. My dad fought in WWII. I read extensively about why he had to do that. It should not happen again!
Darla Stipanovich says
You have brilliantly captured a conversation that has been ongoing in our bi-country family since November 9. We cannot, must not, let this go. Those who have orchestrated Trump’s ascension, and I don’t for a minute think he’s smart enough to have pulled this off at all, are counting on us to just “get on with it”. To do so is to give them all the room they need to impose a future upon all of us that will be horrifying for the humanist, the different, the marginalized in our midst. One of the most uncomfortable admissions my radical/liberal children have come to is that we, mostly meaning my generation, had fire 40 years ago, but that life has a way of making even the fieriest of us complacent. We did not keep up the fire. Now is the time to rekindle it and keep it roaring against those who bring hate, prejudice, injustice, and misogyny to the table. Dale has reminded me succinctly that we cannot let down our guard again. This is not over. Well done, Dale, and thank you.
Edie Van Alstine says
Hear, hear. Well done, Dale.
Barbara Swick says
Thank you, Dale, for challenging each of us to look at this situation and not be silent . I admire your eloquence.
Bravo .
Frances Botham says
I have always respected and admired Dale Peacock, but I have a slightly different perspective on this issue. We also are racists. Cannot wrap my mind around understanding or accepting the racism Canadians displayed toward our indigenous people, right from the days of the methods used in the schooling of native children, land issues, so on. And the ugliest of it still festers. Racism continues to rear its head all around even with benign comments about other races who live, visit or work in our midst. Personally, though I don’t deem to be perfect, I always feel compelled to speak out contradicting this putrid behaviour.
We, as Canadians, should recognize that we all live in glass houses.
Perhaps we should focus this enthusiasm on our own backyard? The sell off of valuable public assets, the atrocious hydro fiasco, the cutbacks of natural resources protection services, privatization of services that is plain wrong. I could fill pages. In other words, let’s take care of our own mess. Dale, please consider expending that brilliant writing talent and energy on some of our own looming issues. You always put forth a wise different perspective. Thank you for that and as always, I look forward to your commentary.
Robert Attfield says
This was a well thought out and articulated article. Dale Peacock is right. We need to constantly be on the alert for – and combatting – signs that Alt-Right thinking is gaining a stronger foothold in Canada.
Yvonne Chennelly says
Wonderfully said Dale and much to think about! Also have a respect for the words of Frances Botham in her reply. She has some well aimed points also to ponder and do some soul searching. We need to stay sharp and watchful as Dale and Darla point out and also join in realizing that the first people of this country and all they were promised by many and not delivered still to this day, is still an ugly dark cloud. Our own backyard in so many ways to put it bluntly, is definitely something we need some large pooper scoopers for before we can profess to have such a perfect green lawn.
Lisa Brooks says
I was behind most of what you wrote. As a Canadian, I believe in Canada as a diverse, multicultural country that allows religious freedoms and by such to respect each other’s beliefs…including those of Christians. I am grateful for that. Thus said, I must line my life beliefs personally to the word of God. Throughout my youth The Lords’ Prayer, God save the Queen and Oh Canada, the scripture of the day and thought for the day was how school started every day. We were a Christian country with sovereign respect and most had strong values but most struggle with prejudices. I think God is missing in too many people’s lives and when we serve other masters be that riches, carnal pleasures or shirking our love of one another by aligning with our prejudices, hatred and being those people casting stones against other’s sin and humanity… then we all loose. I certainly stray when I do not stay rooted in His word. I am behind Hugh Mackenzie’s earlier column too “that one of the positives in Trump’s win is that Americans and Canadians now have an opportunity to determine who we are and what defines our values”. I will stand for mine being based on my belief in the living word of my faith, as well as stand for those of other Canadians.
Meg Jordan says
Well said Dale. And I certainly agree with those who raise the issue of our own racism in Canada. The rise of Kellie Leitch is very concerning. I truly hoped and prayed for Hilary to win–mostly because of her values and her consistent advocacy for the rights of women and children. The words “Stay Awake” is one that Christians think about a lot in this Advent season as we prepare ourselves to welcome the Christ Child and all that this means about the tender care and protection that we always need to be ready to offer to those who are weak and fragile in our world–those who are threatened by the likes of a Herod or a Trump. ‘Tis an old story–so very alive in our own day!