OP-ED by Barbara Steenstrup — Over but not over – do we grieve, do we shout, do we hibernate?
For any readers who have been reading op-eds by me and other articles about we U.S. citizens living in Costa Rica, and members of Democrats Abroad, you know that I voted for Kamala Harris. I believed she had good values. I believed that she would have good advisors. I believed and still believe that she can be a good leader and a good example for people in the US and elsewhere.
But obviously, there were not enough of us who believed those things and to vote for her and other Democrats for the US Congress.
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Donald Trump, with his flawed character, apparently spoke to people about what was more important to them – the cost of their groceries and ‘immigration.’ For me, his ranting about immigration covers other things – racism, classism, people who don’t look like white, Christian America of yesteryear. There were probably also some who couldn’t fathom a woman as the President of the United States.
I have been listening to and reading comments, rants, cartoons, moans, from people like me. In the end, we Democrats and others who think like us, need to lick our wounds, figure out how we could possibly have got it so wrong and make it right for 2026, 2028 and beyond.
A thoughtful friend
A thoughtful friend, a U.S. citizen in Costa Rica, put it this way. “Scary. This plan is very in depth and counter to what our American forefathers had in mind. I am hoping that this cycle in time will bring the Dems more central and therefore more united on what matters to most people rather than the extreme left.
“Trump will do some good as last time (Abraham accords) and erode other things as woman rights but hopefully not accept this 2025 project. This is why we didn’t vote for him, but the Dems must wake up and regroup to retake the White House, Senate and House of Representatives next time.
“We are at a turning point that your and my generation never imagined we’d be. We must still be active in using our voices, but he will be in the White House, and this is partly the Dems fault. The world has been at a similar crossroad before with extremism.”
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I don’t think Kamala Harris was going to bring in ‘extreme left’ policies – it wouldn’t be possible. But apparently, many people believed it.
What is most important
The United States will now witness a peaceful transfer of power – something we were denied in 2020. Trump’s actions will speak louder than words – and that can go both ways.
If he carries out extreme policies, the next election will put a stop to it. Actions will speak louder than words. The job of a real leader is to heal. Is Trump up to that job? Trump somehow appealed to all demographics – all kinds of people. That is what Democrats and like-minded people must do. We thought we did….
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As Bill Clinton once said, “It’s the economy, stupid.” This time it was ‘the inflation, stupid.’ Of course, we are disappointed that values were less important than the pocketbook.
For those who sat out the election and did not vote and for those who think that they will be better off with Trumpism, they will be disappointed. The very rich will be richer. Many people will have fewer rights and certainly fewer services. The Statue of Liberty words by Emma Lazarus, have lost their meaning.
“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
Actually, those words lost most of their meaning even before the new regime.
But, I, and many others, believe that the United States will survive as a democracy. This time will pass. We must work to make it pass as quickly as possible. We must work in the meantime to soften the hardships to come, especially for the most vulnerable among us.
AND a new generation of leaders must be ready to take up their roles when the time comes.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the Q (QCostarica.com and TheQmedia.com).
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