LAST TUESDAY NIGHT, AS THE BROADCASTERS FIRST STATED THE WORDS, “PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP,” A BIGGER CHILL WENT DOWN MY SPINE THAN ANY I HAVE EVER FELT. JUST LIKE THAT, WE LOST IT. ON THE EVE WHEN WE COME CLOSER THAN EVER TO ELECTING THE FIRST FEMALE PRESIDENT, INSTEAD WE ENDED UP WITH A TACKY, INARTICULATE EXPONENT OF THE WORST TYPES—INCLUDING GROTESQUE AS WELL AS SUBTLE FORMS—OF SUPREMACIST EXCLUSIVISM. BEYOND THEORIZING THE CAUSES OF THIS RESULT, WHAT IS KEY AT THIS POINT IS TO REGISTER, DOCUMENT, AND BRING ATTENTION TO THE OBJECTIVE EFFECTS THIS ELECTION IS ALREADY HAVING.

TO SAY THAT “WE WILL RECUPERATE” AND “IT WON’T LAST” MISSES THE IMMEDIATE EFFECTS OF DONALD TRUMP’S VICTORY. ALREADY, WE HEAR OF INCREASING REPORTS OF ATTACKS AGAINST PEOPLE OF COLOR, IMMIGRANTS, RELIGIOUS MINORITIES, AND GENDER-QUEER PEOPLE GETTING ATTACKED, MAINLY BY MALES, WHO FEEL EMPOWERED BY THE ELECTION OF AN OPENLY WHITE SUPREMACIST PRESIDENT.

AT UC SANTA CRUZ, A FAMOUSLY “PROGRESSIVE” UNIVERSITY, A FIRST GENERATION IMMIGRANT FROM MEXICO WAS ATTACKED BY A WHITE MALE WHO SPAT ON HER FACE. ANOTHER PERSON, WHOSE APPEARANCE (ACTUAL OR PERCEIVED) LED RACISTS TO MINORITIZE HER, WAS ATTACKED BY THREE ROCK-THROWING MALES.

ANYWHERE YOU LOOK, STORIES SUCH AS THIS ARE INCREASINGLY COMMON: IN SAN JOSE STATE UNIVERSITY, A MAN VIOLENTLY REMOVED SOMEONE’S HEADSCARF FROM HER HEAD. SIMILARLY, IN SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY, A STUDENT WEARING A HIJAB WAS ASSAULTED AND ROBBED THE DAY AFTER THE ELECTION. SCHOOL OFFICIALS REPORTED THAT THE ASSAILANTS MADE ANTI-MUSLIM AND PRO-TRUMP COMMENTS.

ACCORDING TO REUTERS, POLICE DISMISSED A WOMAN’S COMPLAINT THAT TWO MALES ASSAULTED HER AND REMOVED HER HIJAB FROM HER HEAD AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA, LAFAYETTE. POLICE SAID THAT THE WOMAN WAS MAKING THE STORY UP.

IT TAKES SOMEONE LIVING IN ISOLATION (READ: DENIAL) TO NOT SEE THESE EFFECTS CREEPING UP EVERYWHERE: SWASTIKAS FOUND IN NEW YORK AND SAN FRANCISCO. “BLACK LIVES DON’T MATTER” SPRAY PAINTED ON A WALL IN NORTH CAROLINA. RACIST GRAFFITI APPEARING ON STORES OWNED BY MUSLIM IMMIGRANTS. BULLYING OF IMMIGRANTS IN HIGH SCHOOLS. SCHOOLCHILDREN CHANTING “WHITE POWER” AT CHILDREN OF COLOR. LET ALONE HOW PEOPLE HAVE ALSO LET THEIR PREJUDICES LOOSE ON SOCIAL MEDIA. THE CLAIM THAT “THIS WON’T LAST” IS DUBIOUS, AND EVEN IF IT WERE TRUE, THE DAMAGE IS ALREADY SPREADING.

THESE ARE THE EFFECTS OF ELECTING SOMEONE WHO BLAMES THE EFFECTS OF NEOLIBERALISM ON MINORITIES, WHO ADVOCATES WAR CRIMES, SEXUAL ASSAULT, DEPORTING MILLIONS OF IMMIGRANTS, BANNING PEOPLE FROM ENTERING THE U.S. ON THE BASIS OF THEIR RELIGIOUS IDENTITY, AND PUTTING MUSLIM AMERICANS ON LISTS.

GUIDO LIONS 11/13/2016

-- Do you have thoughts, questions, or events to report? Get at me: @guidolions.