America Ferrera was fairly confident that Hillary Clinton was going to be our next president. She has been campaigning for Hillary since 2008 and has been very vocal in her support this entire election. Just as actively as she campaigned for Hillary, she’s denounced Donald Trump, writing an Open Letter to Trump in July of this year that went viral. She and her husband did everything they could to try and elect Hillary. Tuesday night, she made her way to the Javits Center to celebrate the first female president of the United States. Obviously that did not happen and even though more than half of the votes went to her, Hillary is not president. After eight years of actively campaigning for a candidate only to see her lose to someone who ran on a platform of hate, America was left in shock. She posted about it to Instagram on Wednesday:
Robert DeNiro has also discussed his profound feeling of grief. I have felt great disappointment and heard serious anger in past elections but I don’t ever remember an aftermath that led the country to experience the five stages of grief. “Patiently waiting for the sadness to transform into something more useful” – I love that America, even in her grief, cannot help but end on a note of progress. Yesterday we read that Katy Perry channeled her anger into a very useful donation to Planned Parenthood.
Peaceful protests occurred across the country this weekend. Some not-so-peaceful disputes are raging on all the interactive social media platforms. People are wearing safety pins, signing petitions, finding ways to volunteer – just trying to figure out how to process the amount of emotion in the wake of this election. I have the unique perspective of being in California, which went to Hillary by a large margin. Even notoriously red Orange County went blue. My children attend very diverse public schools. I honestly thought we were much farther along than we are but I just assumed, I didn’t do my due diligence. However, just yesterday, as I took a walk in my neighborhood, I noticed Trump bumper stickers I hadn’t seen before. I’ve read the horrifying accounts of hateful graffiti and harassment in utter shock. I’m just as much to blame for keeping my head in the sand. In keeping with America’s last line on her Instagram, my “something more useful” is going to be to listen to those around me and never again turn a blind eye to what’s out there.
Photo credit: Instagram, Fame/Flynet and WENN Photos
I agree that this is a new brand of sadness. I have never felt like this in my life.
I’m with you. It truly comes in waves. Sometimes I’m alright. Sometimes I can’t sit up straight.
Yep. Was just describing this at dinner with a friend last night. It’s like walking through life assuming that most people are decent and good, and now you have proof that’s not true. Sucks x infinity.
Exactly this.
Really? So you’ve never lost a loved one or anyone close to you and had to really grieve…lucky you. Are you not old enough to remember 9/11? This is more shocking than sad I’d say….but that’s just me.
@me
I’ve lost close family members, I’ve lived through 9/11, and I’ve been on the losing side of political campaigns before. Nothing political has ever hit me this way before, and I am not even American.
This is different to many people because of the issues it encapsulates.
This is different because it feels like a whole country has rejected me, my girlfriends, my mother and cousins. A whole country has rejected my friends of colour, has rejected my friends of non-catholic faith.
A whole country has decided that a great (but not perfect) female political candidate is less able to lead than a criminal, that women are, in general, less able.
That is why this election was different for me. It made me ashamed to be white. It made me scared to be a woman. It made me deeply worried for the future.
@me I lost my Dad 7 years ago. Try not to be so patronizing. I was speaking about never feeling like this after an election. I was disappointed when GWB was elected. How I am feeling now is in a league of its own compared to that.
@me–come on, let’s be a little kinder to each other about this, okay? people are really hurting here.
@tate
I’m not trying to be patronizing. I’m being honest as are you. I lost my dad 7 years ago as well and NOTHING compares to that…NOTHING. As a woman of color I have experienced racism and sexism my whole life. I always had to deal with it and knew deep down inside that a lot of people feel the same way Trump feels…so that’s why I was not surprised by the outcome of this election. I have been dealing with “Trump-like” people my whole life.
@detritus
There is no reason for you to feel “white guilt”. You did nothing wrong. You are not responsible for your fellow beings that made the decision to vote for Trump.
@emilybyrd
Ummm I’m not being mean.
@me Again, I was not making the comparison that you are stating. I was speaking directly to the feelings I have post THIS election. I am entitled to feel what I feel as are you.
it does feel like a death. it’s like i’m mourning my idea of what america is, or was, or could be. i don’t know. perhaps it’s that i m mourning the progress of the past few years that was so, so hard-won. perhaps i’m mourning a certain sense of pride in my country, because the idea of watching that man and his crowd represent our country for the next four years makes a piece of my soul die every time i envision it. on brighter moments, the “waves,” it seems that this will ultimately galvanize the left, that we will come together and fight harder for what is right… but then something will happen and i’m in tears again. i think of what will be lost that is irrevocable, even if the white house does change hands four years from now. i don’t know how long this emotional process will last. i don’t have much experience with this kind of grief.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/dear-white-people-your-safety-pins-are-embarassing_us_58278b9de4b02b1f5257a36a?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000063 *just leaving this here and walking away for the day*
Some wear it to let people know they didn’t vote for Dump. No matter how much one donated, volunteered to local campaign offices, or engaged in one-to-one conversations with friends and family in efforts to share information, HRC still lost. I’m not white, but my best friend is. She too voted for HRC. And she too is dealing with the loss. Not in the way that I and millions of other Americans will now have to. But she wears it to try and show others that she is an ally. The same way she attends with me to BLM protests, and the same way we attended Marriage Equality demonstrations. Everybody is looking for some way to be supportive in a time like this where we’re all scared of the uncertainty.
My SIL sent me a picture of her safety pin and my eyes rolled so hard they fell out of my head and I still can’t find them. BUT – if that’s what makes her feel better – I support her. I also supported her by sending her a list of places she can volunteer time or donate money to so that some real change can happen.
I cackle at your Eyeroll, cause that’s where I’m at Myself, my sister In Law sent me an Apology text ( the same one to my sister
it is eye rolly. but someone i know had a swastika painted on her door and she said when she is walking home alone she is looking for any sign on their person like a hillary button or a safety pin just to feel like maybe they might speak up if she was attacked. so if it is helpful in some way to someone that’s ok.
but yeah it doesnt take the place of real action
What if someone uses a safety pin in a bad way? To make people think they are “safe” and approachable when they are the opposite? This safety pin thing is ridiculous and will be used for bad not good.
i’ve seen articles saying that this was happening. it’s all so scary. there is so much violence where i live. i cant tell someone what does and doesnt make them feel safer just because it doesnt make me feel safer.
Describes it perfectly.
What I can’t tolerate right now are the people saying that Hillary was a poor candidate. She wasn’t. The one and only real thing that was wrong with her is that she hasn’t got a penis. She, in reality, was a highly competent candidate with a good record for someone in public life that long.
I’m so angry with thus sloppy truism that there was anything particularly, transparently, evidently wrong with her.
@ Kat: I’m in two minds about your comment. On the one hand, I fundamentally agree that Hillary was competent, rational, factually based, clear, endowed with tons of experience, funny and humane (yes, I found her amusing and humane). The ad hominem attacks against her person were a horrific example of blatant misogyny, no doubt about it.
On the other hand, it might have been the case that her very experience was precisely what the voters did _not_ want this time around. It seemed fairly clear that there was a sea change coming; voters on all sides of the spectrum were upset with the status quo, and I think that that’s something the Dems failed to take into account in promoting HRC as their nominee. I often wonder how this would have played out if Bernie had been the candidate. We can’t possibly say.
All I mean by this is: I absolutely 1000% supported HRC and admire her and her lifetime of effort – and real achievements. But, I think she was not the right candidate to motivate the voters this time.
And to the person who said “if you’re all so terrified, leave.” No words for the ignorance that would motivate such a comment. Do you think it’s _easy_ for people (who might be holding down two jobs to make ends meet, to pay off a mortgage, to educate their children, to care for ageing parents or an ill spouse… the list goes on) to simply “up and leave”? [*shakes head in disgust*].
Well Hillary was a terrible candidate. There were many reasons voters rejected her. Much was made of her qualifications and long and varied history in politics. This election had two insurgencies however – trump and sanders. The democrats wrong footed Sanders and attacked and then dismissed his followers. Her qualifications made Hillary the establishment candidate – as it turned out that was the problem. After decades of taking it in the neck from the right AND the left, voters all over the map rejected the establishment.
I think a lot of her supporters are confusing rejection of Hillary with rejection of *any* female candidate, which I don’t believe to be the case.
Almost half the country didn’t vote, so impossible for over half the country to have voted for her.
Frosty, thank you. There was no misogyny in this loss, the elitism, the “you owe me your vote”, the fundraising instead of meeting the public are some of the reasons she lost. She was a very flawed candidate.
The Democrats won’t win again until they acknowledge what they did. Acknowledge the corruption the in the DNC, and change it. This was the Democrats election to lose and the self righteous did a spectacular job of doing so.
And no, I did not vote Trump!
Last week I cried for three days and was terrified. Still terrified but now I’m numb and can’t seem to find my way out of it.
I agree with Ms. Ferrera. It does feel like something died inside of us. It feels like our souls left our physical bodies. I hope all of those people who voted for Trump get as disappointed and dead-inside as those of us who voted for Hillary.
Why is everyone sad and terrified? I voted for Obama, twice, and he divided our country more than unite it. I am not racist but I believe that everyone who lives and works in the United States should be here legally. Our forefathers saw it that way too. We have laws for a reason. I am also a woman and I am not in fear because Hillary lost. Have faith dear Americans. It’s going to be okay.
Ok, as long as you say so.
Please don’t tell me that it is going to be okay. You don’t know that. I live with cancer and its side effects. The Speaker of the House and the Senate majority leader and the President elect all want to deny me access to medically necessary health care. So, no, for me and millions like me, it most definitely is not going to be okay. And I would never tell a POC or a person of a religion different than Trump’s that anything is okay when an anti-Semite white supremacist has just been an office of power.
I too live with cancer, however I live in Canada and have been receiving the finest care FREE. I shake my head at the utter stupidity of a political party that would deny its citizens the most important human right – medical care.
All the best to you Lightpurple – we’ll beat this cancer monster!
Sure Jan.
It is very rich of you and all that “come here legally” talk when a lot of US politics/invasions have some of our countries in these situations. Most immigrant just want to be able to send money to their families so they are able to eat. And most of them just want to save a bit and come back to Mexico.
You’ve been lied over and over and many of his plans to “make america great again” will actually f*ck you big time. Take NAFTA as an example:
If Trump cancels the NAFTA, the US will go into recession and 5 million people will lose their jobs. Canada and Mexico will have a hard time also (but we are used to get scr*** by you, anyway) but as the US is the country that benefits most of NAFTA, you’ll probably suffer the most and maybe you’ll finally realise you were lied by a billionaire, who pretended to give a f*ck about you.
I still struggle every day. I lean towards being anxious normally but this is a real depression, no energy, no ability to focus, poor sleep, can’t block the almost constant thoughts about it. I am trying to find ways to channel my feelings but still can’t watch the news without feeling sick, be on FB without getting angrier and angrier. I know in time I will pull of this but I can see waves of depression coming in the future – Inauguration Day being one, for example.
The one thing that got me through the summer and fall was that on 11/9 I wouldn’t have see or hear from this narcissistic, mean spirited, profoundly uniformed candidate ever again. Maybe a glimpse or two leaving various courthouses to deal with his many lawsuits and trials, but he would be gone from our airwaves, newspapers and social media and the Republican Party would grapple with how he got the nomination and how they would become more inclusive.
Hillary is going to win the popular vote by around 2 million, but we are stuck with this man for 4 years. I live in a blue state, but know rich republicans who simply vote for more tax cuts and getting rid of regulations and safeguards on Wall Street. And could care less about the poor or environmental issues because they live in beautiful pristine bubbles. I’m seriously worried that we are going to get another Bush economic disaster. Trust me, Trump will be touting the US economy in a few months and marveling on how he got us this great 4.9 unemployment rate and he and the repubs will be spending money like drunken sailors (look it up, they’re much less fiscally responsible).
I do feel sick to my stomach. Embarrassed that so many people could vote for this boorish sexist. I sometimes wonder if gossip sites and social media have made us less polite. Real housewives scream and yell at each other, people trash celebrities/actors anonymously and speculate unkindly. Love didn’t Trump hate and that makes me sad.
I appreciate this very thoughtful post. I’m still finding it hard to talk. The closeup of America Ferrera’s grief-stricken face is a punch in the stomach.
Thanks! I can’t view any photos from instagram nor twitter while at work and I was wondering what the photo was of!
@Mare: But he fanned the flames. He made it acceptable to spew xenophobic hatreds that had been under control. He deliberately and strategically created an environment of blame and finger pointing. Ever heard the expression “divide and conquer”? I’ll give you a little history lesson. It was coined by Julius Caesar who said “Divida et Impera” and it aims to gain and maintain strategy and power in politics, sociology, and economics, and is an extremely effective tactical maneuver in war to efficiently deal with opponents.
Welcome to a new, hateful and dangerous world Mare.
Friday night I wrote a tear stained letter to President Obama. IF he reads (which I doubt) he will think I’m a lunatic. I expressed by deep sadness, my fear and my grief. I told him for the first time in my life I now fear my own government. I know there is nothing he can do but I felt a tremendous urge to write to him and thank him for all he has done for this country, My only little ray of sunshine in all this is knowing that there are still people in the world like Obama. My misery comes from the fact that this country is so full of ignorant, hate-filled people who have unleashed monsters to lead us.
I’m just so damn ashamed. Not only that the best and most qualified candidate by far lost, but that we elected instead a pathetic orange Cheeto who will dismantle all the progressive gains made in recent years and take us back to the Dark Ages. As well as likely embarrass us on the international stage and with our allies.
I think that’s the crux of my sadness and stress. It’s this particular loss, to this particular candidate. If Obama – who I campaigned for – had lost to John McCain in ’08 I would have been severely disappointed, but not anxious or as scared. At least he was an experienced candidate, albeit one I don’t agree with, and a semi-rational person who served our country with distinction. No shame in him representing us, at least on the world stage….ditto (to a lesser degree) Mitt Romney. This guy Trump is just a completely other thing entirely. So gross.