To my daughter,
I must share some news that will probably be difficult to process. Hillary Clinton lost the election. Donald Trump will be the next President of the United States. I’ve promised never to lie to you. This is awful news for our family. I’m sad, mad, and discouraged, and I need time to be sad, mad, and discouraged. I don’t know yet what I need to recover and regroup. But, it’s important that you know these things.
- We are not moving. This is our home.
- There are some very angry Americans out there, and they feel empowered to say and do things that are beyond offensive. But, we will do what we always do - Take care of you and protect you to the best of our abilities.
- You must remain the selfless, kind, and respectful young woman you've become. Promise me this.
- Continue to be a voice for equality and positive change at your school. It’s even more important that you educate yourself and your friends. I need you to promise me that you will keep that fire in your belly that you have when you observe an injustice.
- Things will probably change for the worse before they improve. We might have to stand up for our friends. We might be challenged for who we are. This will be hard. It might make you sad, mad, and discouraged like I am now. But, John Lewis told us that sometimes you have to get into good trouble.
We have always adopted the motto, “Why do we fall down? To get back up again.” We will get back up again. We will rise. We must believe this. This is just as much our country as it is anyone else’s, despite the message this election very clearly sent us. What happened is a reminder that many people fear and hate what they don’t know and unfortunately too many don’t want to get to know folks like us. Folks like so many of our family and friends. It’s o.k. to be disappointed. That makes sense. But this won't be the last time we support a political candidate that loses. So, let’s take some time to heal. Maybe a lot of time. But, I promise you this. I will do all I can to prevent something like this from happening again. I love you very much.
Daddy