(I posted this on Facebook on 9 Nov 2016. I publish it here to avoid the echo chamber that social media is.)
Many of you might have seen me go through the Kubler-Ross phases on my posts today. Usually, in these situations, I have a more nuanced position. But, as a father of three girls, it's difficult to see a balanced view.
Trump words and actions have definitively shown that he is dangerous to women. From name calling to boasting about molestation, this man drives fear and anguish in women. Its hard for me to believe that his affronts to women will or have stopped there. I would never let him into my home or near my wife or daughters. Some of my female colleagues stayed home from work today, literally due to physical sickness induced from the election result. The next President is exactly the kind of creep that they avoid, flee from, and unfortunately for too many, have been victimized by. A stomach churning sense of helplessness ensues from this realization. While Trump has other deleterious characteristics, these are unfathomable in respected members of our society, let alone our President.
The influence he has as a role model is the most dangerous to our society. Young boys and men will invariably mimic him. Young girls and women will then need to live with the harassment and repercussions. Sadly, this will change what is deemed acceptable by both.
Equally reprehensible are the innumerable well-intentioned people that look the other way. Many rationalize their support for him by decoupling his actions from policies in hopes for a brighter future, as if basic human decency towards half the electorate is not a prerequisite for a better America.
There have been calls for a peaceful transition of power from both a gracious Hillary Clinton and Obama, in the name of stable democracy. Others have said that it's time to stop protesting, start accepting, and look to the future -- to heal the polarizing division among our people. After all, he won fairly. I dissent.
It does not matter if he won by a slim margin or by a landslide. It does not matter that America's electoral college prefers him to Hillary. I can and have lived through the deep xenophobia and racism in this country -- I am an immigrant after all. I, however, tirelessly will protect my daughters and family. Therefore, I refuse to accept him and will relentlessly oppose his Presidency.