The America I Used to Know

Growing up as a little Black girl on 63rd street in Miami, I was surrounded by folks who lived in what people now call the “inner city.”  Some have never, in their lives, walked the streets which we walked.  That was not an “inner city” to me, that was my neighborhood, lived in by old, young, educated, uneducated, wise, unwise, children playing in the street, old folks telling us to get out of the street, church going folks, folks who cared about everyone on 63rd Street, and folks who encouraged us young ones to get an education.

 We were taught to respect our elders, to be compassionate, to give, even when we had little.  I cherished those old ladies who gave me a dollar when I came home for vacations from college.  I knew what that dollar meant to them--it meant that they wanted to make sure that I have a life different from the one they had.

There was also another America--the one where White folks were in charge, separate but equal.  It was an America where my great grandmother, a cook for the Millers, had to enter the house through the back door.  It was an America where “White was Right.” It was an America where folks wanted us to believe that we were inferior. It was an America where folks felt like we were going to be held down forever.  It was an America where equal rights was a joke.

They did not know about my other America.

 The America I used to know is not the America that they want.  They want  an America where disrespect runs rampant.  They want an America which will reflect the worst of the old America.
They want an America which reflects “Make America WHITE again,” an America which reflects “Make America Hate again.”

I grieve for those folks who gave me a dollar. I grieve for my children and grandchildren.

 I am angry about the outcome of the Presidential election. I do not want anyone to try to assuage my anger.  Let me be angry. I am angry because this country is headed in a downward spiral.  Never in my wildest dreams did I believe that a misogynistic, racist, sexist, xenophobic, nasty man could get this far.  I am angry at every true Republican who did not speak up.  I am angry at every person who did not vote. I am angry at every one who did not understand the dire consequences of what his election would do for the country.

 How could anyone vote for a person running for the highest office in the land who disparaged women, the disabled (you know the rest) and talked about grabbing?” I would have kicked him out of my classroom for that kind of talk, and yet, he ran, and won!

 I am angry at everyone who believes he is a change agent--change to WHAT? I am angry at everyone who overlooked all of his peccadilloes and voted for him anyway.

It was nothing that anyone else said about him--He said it all himself. Yes, I am angry. I know that God is in control, but in the meantime, I will be angry!

I am angry at the media, who for the benefit of ratings, and money, gave him all of that free publicity. He played them like a piano.  Every move he made was calculated.  He threw out lies and knew exactly what he was doing.  Once they were out there, they were there.  He had absolutely no political plan except to pull off the biggest con since Jonestown.

 It was all a very bad version of the apprentice, except nobody fired HIM.

It is an aberration of our political process.  In my lifetime, I have seen many Republicans elected, and I had never had a problem, and never felt the emptiness that I feel today.  If I were a TRUE Republican, I would be ashamed. As a true Democrat, if some Democrat  were running with that history, I would have spoken up, and certainly not voted for them.

Today, I have little faith in the humanity of man.  Even though the electoral college put him over the top, and he received fewer of the people’s votes, I am still in shock and dismay.

I am tired of hearing, let’s get behind him.  No thank you. For me, it is not a political issue, but a moral one,.  I never want to get behind anyone who holds the views about people that he holds.  I never want to be conned or scammed like he has conned and scammed. It reminds me of the fake income tax calls from a call center in India, that some actually believed.

I still believe that anyone who voted for him had to agree with his views--I will be very hesitant to call them friend.  Perhaps a “hello” may be all I can muster.

In the midst of my gloom, I look to my “America I Used to Know,” and draw strength from it.  It makes me know that we STILL have a lot to fight for.  I still find joy in Barack Hussein Obama. I am happy that our grandchildren were able to see him and his family in the White House.

Because of that, I remain hopeful, and will continue to instill hope. As a child of the 60’s, I know that the battle may be hard, but victory is possible!