Trump is President

Democracy. 

I imagine my relationship with that concept  is a lot like someone going through a really rough patch with their childhood sweetheart. They met in primary school, across a loud and hectic classroom. In that moment, they were destined to be together forever. They go through everything together; get married, buy a house, have a couple of kids. Everything is great. Then the roof falls in. 

For the second time in a year, I feel cheated. The EU referendum shocked and saddened me. It felt like we were throwing our hands up in the air and saying that the problems of the world were too large and too scary and that we wanted out. We were shutting up shop and didn't care all that much about what happened to anyone else.

Leaving the Glasgow count, the writing was already on the wall and my heart genuinely felt like it was breaking. I am unashamedly a Europhile, I think that we gained a lot from being in the EU. But on two counts, I found some relief. Firstly, Scotland had decided to stay in. 

Secondly, this was a referendum on the EU. It is too simplistic and completely unfair on those that voted out to call them bigots. People had genuine concerns about the decisions their country could make and thought that more sovereignty could help them. I accepted that democracy will sometimes result in a very decision you don't like. 

You can't throw the dummy out the pram when it doesn't go your way. You accept that the majority were convinced by the other side. 

I was ready to make it work with democracy, I'd been taking him for granted. I didn't realise how much hard work he'd been putting in. He had other responsibilities and they felt he'd been ignoring them for me and my pals. I got that. We'd agreed to both try harder.

Then last night happened and I just don't know. I still believe in democracy. The people went out and they voted and a decision was made. Though importantly in this case the majority of voters cast their ballot for Hillary. That doesn't matter though. America has its very own special flavour of democracy which means that the candidate most people wanted might not always become President. The last time that happened Bush bet out Gore for the Oval Office and we all know how well that went.

But even that doesn't matter. Lots of democracies have systems that aren't exactly proportional and we respect them. The point is that in the system chosen, a candidate was chosen in a free and fair election.

I still believe in the result of the election but it is hard. It's harder than the EU referendum because though I completely disagree, I can see the merits for leaving. They don't seem alien to me. 

Cards on the table. The very notion of a Trump Presidency is alien to me. I accept that he won and that he now becomes the commander in chief of America but I don't understand it.

And it's because, if you were on the Trump train, I think you have to accept him whole. You voted for a man that is literally on tape talking about grabbing the genitalia of women. For a man that is accused by many of sexual assault. Innocent until proven guilty, absolutely but it's still frightening. Of course, voting or supporting the policies of Trump does not make you a sexist. It does though, at the very least mean that you're apathetic to that; thinking it's just not as important.  

A long time ago, in a fantasy world, a very wise man told a young guy that with great power comes great responsibility. For too long, we've talked about the power of voting without the responsibility. 

A vote for Trump was also a vote for his vice president, Governor Pence. Pence, in 2000, publicly came out in favour of gay conversion therapy. He thinks that resources and public money should be used to help change the sexual orientation of people. In the debates, Trump was highly critical of abortion and signaled support for overturning Roe vs. Wade. If you support these then good for you, you’ve voted for a candidate that will put them into practice. 

However, if you don’t then it’s not as easy to simply say well I voted for him because he’s going to get manufacturing back and so I don’t have anything to do with what happens to social issues. It doesn’t work like that. If you voted for Trump – no matter your logic for doing it – you’ve given a mandate to a man that holds views that will push the rights of minorities and women back. Remember that time Trump said a judge had a conflict of interest because of his Mexican heritage.

I support democracy. That means supporting the decision of the democratic vote. And we all have to do that. But we also have to accept responsibility for our decisions.