I am absolutely disgusted with the results of the election. I could barely sleep last night, and when I woke up this morning and saw that Trump had a clear lead, which slowly turned into a clear win, I could barely breathe. I didn’t eat all morning. I felt sick to my stomach. I am afraid of what will happen, not to me in Poland, but to all my friends who fit the descriptions of people who have been demonized in this election: Mexican (or otherwise Hispanic-looking, I’m sure racists don’t care), immigrants, refugees, Muslims, LGBTQ+ folks.
After the Leave campaign was successful in the UK, there was a huge spike in hate crimes and harassment of non-white Brits. When such an openly racist, misogynistic, xenophobic asshole gets such large support, people take it as an edict to let the stuff they would normally keep hidden out into the open. Just thinking about it churns my stomach.
But more than the fear for fellow Americans, I feel guilty. I have established this life abroad, and I want to continue teaching abroad, but I feel like I should go back to the States. If this presidency is going to be everything the campaign has promised, shouldn’t I be there to fight back? To campaign against unfair laws? To help organize, mobilize, fight for the rights that people might try to infringe? To protect those who can’t move to a new country? To stand up and say that these ideas are not ok, and that this is not the country I want to have?
What say should I get in how my country is run if I don’t even live there?
Whiskey Sour Wayfarer 
I, too, am incredibly disappointed and disgusted by these election results, and I believe so are many, many others (Clinton won the popular vote). But don’t feel the need to let go of your own established life outside of the States, because you can always make your voice heard, no matter where you are. And there are still the rest of us who refuse to go down without a fight and will not accept it if his actions are contradictory to the very core ideals of America itself.
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I don’t want to just make my voice heard. I voted by absentee. But now I want to do something.
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I’m right there with you. I’ve had such a hard time understanding how this could happen. Or maybe how naive I could have possibly been to where we stood in this country. I thought for sure people saw this man for who he was and would never actually elect him to a public office, let alone the presidency. Today is a very sad day. But be happy you are abroad and don’t let the outcome of this election take away from that!
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Honestly being happy to be abroad feels selfish, and I can’t get over that feeling. I want to do more than be thankful that I’m not there. (Not to mention Poland has it’s own batshit right-wing government.)
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Here in Germany, no one could believe the result of the election either. But it turned out that irrational and stupidity won again, twice in this year 😦
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I’m both heartbroken and angry and it’s been so freaking hard wrapping my head around it all. What’s worst is 46% of Americans didn’t even vote!! I can’t believe this is what America is right now when so many come here for the mere fact that it’s the land of the free! 💔
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I know, it’s crazy.. But now we just have to fight tooth and nail to hold on to what we believe in! I hope you’re doing ok over there in Chicago.
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Thank you!
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