the state of our nation

I want to take a moment to address something important: if you support or voted for Trump, please feel free to unfriend me. I've been hesitant to write this, but I need to express my thoughts on recent events.

What a juxtaposed idea this is regarding the concept of being a "Christian nation." This notion that seems so important to many people. What a hypocritical thing. The historically accurate depiction of Jesus, as described in the Bible, presents him as a martyr and a man of the people—someone who gave himself so that others could be free.

And to the people who have voted for Trump (if you even made it this far), do you think Jesus would vote the way you did? It almost brings me to tears. I find it so frustrating. I have such a deeply rooted and unsettling disturbance regarding the election results being presented under the guise of Christianity.

Although I may only be a 17-year-old girl who might not fully understand everything, that doesn't diminish what I believe to be true about the Christian faith and its teachings. I think that, and I think this might be the wrong phrase to use, but Jesus was a socialist. Jesus was a brown man from the Middle East who hung out with prostitutes and tax collectors. He was one of them. This whitewashed version of Jesus that is often used by many right-wing individuals as justification for a return to traditional American values straight-up contrasts with the Jesus that I know and love. And from an academic perspective when we discuss the text of the Bible and the Christian faith, it's important to recognize that Christianity is a faith for sinners—people who acknowledge their shortcomings but choose to walk the righteous path, following the example of Jesus. This means caring for your fellow man and treating your fellow man with the same compassion as you would your family or neighbours, prioritizing their needs above your own. 

Where is that?

I don't recognize these Christians who vote the way they do.

I feel like it was obvious that we were delaying the inevitable. When I woke up on Wednesday morning and checked the news, I knew deep down what the outcome would be. For many people, Wednesday was a day of mourning—an opportunity to be with loved ones and accept that we did what we could in that moment. However, the work doesn’t stop here. The message is clear: we must move forward. I've already cried about it on my own, and I didn’t intend to, but it’s just so heavy and disappointing on so many levels. I truly believe there is power in community, especially for those whose connections exist primarily online. As a Catholic, I'm tired of seeing hate propagated by people I thought I shared beliefs with. While we may belong to the same religion, I believe we follow different values. Christ embraced those who were marginalized by society. I have committed myself to always being a safe space for people who are different from me. 

I want to move this discussion offline for a moment and emphasize the importance of creating a safe space. I just want everyone to feel okay. My goal is to offer a refuge for those who feel vulnerable in the current state of our nation. If you do not feel protected by the new Administration, I want you to know that you have a safe space here, as safe as I can make it, because I love all of you. You are loved and valid in a country that often makes you feel the opposite.

I just wanted to speak from the heart and say that I want this to be that safe space because the safe spaces are dwindling.

MAGA Republicans, I hope you get what you wanted. I hope you get exactly what you wanted.

Reproductive Resources: 

https://aidaccess.org 

https://plancpills.org 

https://Ineedana.com 

https://www.reprolegalhelpline.org/ 

https://heyjane.com

LGBTQ+ Resources: 

https://Translifeline.org 

https://Glaad.org 

https://Pflag.org 

https://www.thetrevorproject.org/

Climate Resources: 

https://Oceanconservancy.org 

https://Climateemergencyfund.org

Some helpful credible resources/links to help Free Palestine: 

Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund - 

https://www.pcrf.net/ 

UNICEF - 

https://www.unicefusa.org/stories/hel... 

Doctors Without Borders - 

https://donate.doctorswithoutborders.... 

World Central Kitchen - 

https://wck.org/ 

World Health Organization - 

https://www.who.int/ 

Headcount - 

https://www.headcount.org/