I am brown. I am a Pakistani. I am a Muslim. I am disabled. And now, I am scared.
I came to America in 2012 for grad school. I came here because it's the land of opportunities. A place where I could be surrounded by the best minds and souls on the planet, gain knowledge and learn new skills, and make this world a better place. I came here because it's the utopia for democracy where people looked past race and color and elected the first ever African American president. I came here because people have rights, freedom and a voice that does not restrain them within the shackles of social conservatism. I came here because here gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgenders are not just porn fantasies but actual people living actual lives with actual values and actual rights. I came here because it exercises equality for women, people of color, and the handicapped. I came here because it's a dream to be here.
Those who are close to me know that I can see positivity in the most negative things. I can hold on to that tiny thread of hope in absolute darkness and wait for the light to show up. I can joke (bad ones, mostly) about almost anything and bring humor to it. But last night I felt lost. It was dark and I couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel. Worse, I even gave up on looking for it. Humor? Gone. Because there wasn't a room for it. America chose Donald Trump as president. Remember the multiple instances we've heard about a boss who objectifies and sexually harasses women at will, hires people based on looks, mocks the disabled, has had no growths in any of his past jobs? That. Except that you don't get to quit. And that the executives didn't hire him, the people did. Painting the face orange, wearing a hideous wig, pouting the lips, and saying things that were grammatically and logically senseless was funny at one time - now, it's the face of the most powerful person in the whole world.
Fortunately, the history is full of such "leaders". The fact that we still exist is a proof that whatever went wrong was made right. Hence, achieving a balance. A few would argue that Trump is the "right" after Obama's "wrong". But whichever way you look at it, there's not much that can be done now besides one thing: hope. Here's to hope. The hope that people's choice in Trump results in what's best for humanity, this country, and this world. I put humanity first, because that's how it should be. And if it all goes south, the true power holders - the people would unite together to make it all right even if it comes after 4 years. Hope's the only thing we have. It's the only thing we can do.
I like Tacos. Everyone I know loves Tacos. And it'd be great to have Taco stands at the end of every block. But they're not going to be enjoyable when a woman is being sexually assaulted, when a Muslim is being religiously profiled and when we start building walls instead of bridges. I am going to keep my fingers crossed to hope that the Trump regime solves all these issues and makes America great again (whatever that means), because you know, I'd really like to enjoy my Tacos.
Published on: 9th November, 2016.