Decision 2024: A Battle of the Sexes

It’s been a little over a week since we elected Donald Trump as our 47th president of the United States. For some of us, myself included, it’s been a long week.

Personally, I’ve cried almost daily; I’ve struggled to eat full meals; I’ve had restless sleep; I’ve unfollowed, unfriended, and even blocked numerous accounts on social media; I’ve spent entirely too much time online, both to comfort myself and to enrage myself (I’m a glutton for punishment, I guess). I’ve felt angry, worried, scared, and utterly confused. Along these same feelings, I’ve felt such tremendous disappointment, particularly from people in my own community—people I know, and value deeply, who voted for Donald Trump.

 

From what I can gather, the Trump voters I know will likely say they voted for him for one of two reasons (or both):

the economy was better when he was president (i.e., prices were cheaper); or,

he aligns with their Christian beliefs (i.e., pro-life).

I am not good with numbers, nor am I good with money (whoops); but, my Dad is pretty smart with these things and he has done extensive research and detailing of their (my parents) money and their investments and there is no doubt, his money grew more under Biden than it did under Trump.

As a side note, gas prices were cheaper under Trump because we were in a nationwide pandemic and no one was going anywhere (duh!). You also couldn’t find numerous household items in any stores—toilet paper, cleaning supplies, etc. It was a complete nightmare and I am astounded that so many of you seem to have forgotten those dark days.

From an emotional point of view, voting for Trump because you want to save a few dollars on eggs (or whatever else) is the ultimate definition of greed. You are willing to overlook his corruption (let’s not forget, he’s a convicted felon) for your own benefit, albeit small. And, again, I am no economist, but inflation is natural and prices rise over time. There is no plausible way for items in 2024 to cost the same price as they did in 1990, in 2000, or even in 2020. The math just doesn’t math.     

 

But what I really want to talk about is the second reason people say they voted for Trump, which is rooted in their Christian faith. The intellectual part of me is blown away by this reason, or excuse rather. …because if we are being honest, these reasons are just that—excuses.

 

By definition, the word excuse means:

    (as a noun) “a reason or explanation put forward to defend or justify a fault or offense” or

    (as a verb) “an attempt to lessen the blame attaching to a fault or offense.”

In essence, Trump voters use these excuses to justify their vote for an outright criminal and vile human being. But, I digress…

 

I do not claim to be a religious person, nor do I claim to know specifics about the Bible. But here’s what I do know: as a person who was raised going to church each week and attending Sunday school, I was taught to love thy neighbor as thyself. I was never taught anything about abortion or illegal immigrants (because it’s not even mentioned in the Bible). I was taught to believe in a person’s value simply because they are a human being. I was taught to love and respect every single person, no matter their race or their gender.

 

As for abortion, each person is entitled to his/her own opinion. In fact, being pro-choice supports that. A person does not have to abandon their faith to vote for the right for a woman to make decisions about her own body. You are simply saying that you do not wish to hold the power to tell another person how to live their life.

 

As a female, I am ashamed of my friends who voted against my own rights, but I am also hurt. Your vote for Trump was a signifier that I do not matter; that your female family members—your daughters, your sisters, your wives, your mothers, your aunts, your nieces—do. Not. Matter. And to the women who voted for their own rights to be taken away, I truly have no words. I am sad that you don’t see value in yourself and your ability to make decisions about your healthcare.

 

Donald Trump is a proven criminal. He has been accused, and held liable, for numerous sexual assaults against women. He has spoken of women, of immigrants, of marginalized populations using vile and deceitful rhetoric. He has mocked people with disabilities. He incited an attack on our capital, which resulted in the killing of police officers and others, simply because his ego and his narcissism wouldn’t allow him to hand over power peacefully. To quote Van Jones, “Donald Trump is allowed to be lawless, while Kamala Harris is expected to be flawless.”

 

In overwhelming numbers, Donald Trump won last Tuesday. Kamala Harris graciously conceded on Wednesday, something Trump could not do four years ago.

Our nation has spoken and the truth is harsh: America hates women. When choosing between a qualified black woman and a white man, who is a convicted felon and rapist, we chose the latter.

 

In words of James Brown, “This is a man’s world.”