AN APOLOGY TO AMERICA

This past week, 71 million Americans decided that Donald J. Trump and James David (JD) Vance would be the next President and Vice President-elect of the United States. As a 22-year-old woman in her senior year of college, this news has shattered my world and left me heartbroken for so many that I know and love. 

Let me put it this way – Trump has destroyed our nation. Trump has not only destroyed our economy, but has also destroyed the way that families, friends, and relationships in general can co-exist. My family who I love deeply has voted for a felon, guilty on 34 counts, who is not even able to vote in his residing state without special permission from the government. How do I look them in the eye without hurting every time I know that my future, my potential children’s future, and our nation’s future is in jeopardy? 

I do not know how to proceed and move forward when we (as a nation) are so stuck and divided. I feel guilty about the election result despite doing my civic duty and encouraging and educating others to do the same. America, I am sorry. We have let you down. I want to apologize. 

I apologize to the thousands of women who will die without access to proper health care. I apologize to Neveah Crain, who wanted nothing more than to keep her baby. She is one of many young women who have died at the hands of the overturning of Roe v. Wade. She went to the ER three times before doctors determined that she would need a DNC procedure due to sepsis, but was denied treatment as she wasn’t sick enough. By the time doctors noted she could be treated, Crain was unable to sign consent forms and the procedure would have been too risky due to a sepsis complication known as “disseminated intravascular coagulation”. I apologize to women like myself, who have PCOS and have limited access to birth control to allow their bodies to function properly. Would we also be charged with murder when we miss our period due to high androgen hormonal imbalances? Is my gender also up for debate? I apologize to women who want to have a baby but are infertile or are having difficulty, and IVF is your only option. I am so scared that one day this is a process I would need to undergo as a woman with PCOS, but I’m not sure what the future will hold. 

I apologize to the thousands of families who will be separated due to mass deportations, leaving thousands to be sent to countries they do not know the language of. People who are whole-heartedly American, who will be shipped off like objects to a land they may have never known. A popular belief among the Right is that the important piece around immigration is “coming in the right way” or that American citizenship is easy to receive, which could not be further from the truth. Between lengthy waiting periods, a multitude of background checks, exorbitant financial costs, limited refugee resources, and restrictive quotas, the reality that many face is a complex, expensive, and broken system where those fleeing violence or economic hardship do not have over a decade to wait for a visa. 

I apologize to low-income families as housing and food relief programs will be targeted. An unpopular belief regarding welfare programs are that immigrants and “welfare queens” are breaking our economy by stealing tax payer dollars, and misusing social support. Yet, the majority of welfare recipients are white Americans struggling with low wages and high living costs. Social programs like Medicaid, SNAP, and Social Security serve all Americans in need, bridging gaps created by broader systemic issues. This rhetoric distracts from the real causes of poverty, placing unfair blame on marginalized groups instead of addressing the economic instability impacting Americans across racial lines. I apologize to families who will continue to live in poverty, while politican’s pockets continue to grow at their expense. 

 I apologize to those who have loved ones with long-term illnesses, in which access to Medicare has saved their lives or senior citizens who depend on Medicare while they are retired. With plans to privatize Medicare and promote Medicare Advantage, the goals listed in Project 2025 illustrate that the plan is to make Medicare Advantage the default enrollment option for new Medicare beneficiaries. The idea behind this is to reduce government spending and promote the private sector, but this would result in higher out-of-pocket costs for senior citizens, likely living off of a retirement fund. Additionally, this will increase the limitations in benefits as many Medicare Advantage plans restrict coverage and require pre-authorizations for certain treatments – which can open up an even bigger can of worms when it comes to life-saving care. 

I apologize to children in schools, specifically children like my cousin who REQUIRE IEPs and special needs care in schools, as well as specialized programs to care for children with such intense accommodation needs. By dismantling or weakening the Department of Education, there will be profound harmful effects on students, which would largely impact students with diverse backgrounds or disabilities. The DOE enforces necessary federal laws, such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that allow for students with disabilities to get the necessary resources and accommodations needed to get a strong education. Without the DOE, many schools will likely face harsh cuts, which already impact students each year.

I apologize to students pursuing higher education. I apologize to students who have relied heavily on Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), to pay for their education. I apologize to first-generation students who have been working incredibly hard to change the narrative in their families. I apologize to the students who have hoped to qualify for federal loan forgiveness programs. 

I apologize to people of color who have already begun to receive an influx of racist remarks and threats from white supremacists. I apologize to Black communities specifically as removing protections around police misconduct could further allow for unchecked police discrimination. I apologize to Black women who will continue to face healthcare and reproductive care issues at disproportionate rates. 

I apologize to the LGBTQ+ community, who are scared that they will no longer be able to have their love for their spouse legally recognized. I apologize to the LGBTQ+ community as we currently navigate the changes that could remove protections for sexual orientation as it applies to healthcare, employment, and housing. I apologize to the transgender community specifically, as their right to use a bathroom again is questioned and debated. I apologize again to the transgender community, as Project 2025 proposes defunding gender-affirming healthcare. I apologize to trans girls, who will be banished from playing a sport they love, because of their gender identity. 

I apologize to our Earth – it is nearly 80 degrees today in Boston, Massachusetts, and America voted for a man who will repeal and gut all clean energy programs, and reject climate change. Unleashing fossil fuels, while slashing pollution regulations will not only drastically impact our country, but the entire world around us. At a local level to the University of Massachusetts Boston community – where will our school be in the next 20 years? Will Dorchester continue to have massive floods? Will Morrissey BLVD remain intact? Will climate change still be thought of as a hoax when it takes away our homes? Will continuing to exploit our natural resources for more oil continue to place money in your pockets when the Earth is no more? 

I apologize to myself for getting my hopes up and allowing myself to believe that America would finally win. I apologize to myself for thinking that empathy was a shared human emotion. I apologize to myself for thinking that we would win this fight. 

I apologize. 

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