I feel ill to my stomach that Trump will be POTUS

We thought we’d share this personal Facebook post by our chief señor Carel Nolte, whose strong liberal views are well known to everyone who knows him. Of course, not everyone thinks like this. But opinions are always good for conversation. The important thing is that we keep talking!

I was so proud nine years ago to campaign for Barack Obama in Washington. Proud because I believed, and still do, that the American election matters to us all. And I love America. I was delighted when I woke up to Obama’s victory, twice. And inspired by his leadership . I don’t find Obama perfect, but I have long held the view that if you wanted perfection, read a fairy tale. Today I feel ill to my stomach that Trump will be POTUS. My heart is broken.

It is no surprise to those who know me or follow me on social media that I am liberal. I am anti guns. I oppose the death penalty vigorously and have since I was 11 years old 🙂 I am pro the right of a woman to choose what happens to her body, always. I strongly support LBGT rights, including the right to marry the person whom you love. I believe we have far too few women in positions of authority. I believe that if you are lucky enough to be in a position of authority, you must be a servant leader. I live my life based on the philosophy that too whom much is given, much is expected. I know that I can do better. And so I try, daily. Sometimes I get it right. At the end of it all, I love people with differing views and ideas as they challenge me to be a better person. And so last week’s result is a big challenge. A few points:

• Opposing the misogyny, racism and arrogant bullying of Trump does not mean I support everything that his opponent stood for. It has long amused me that when you say you oppose the death penalty, people say you are pro criminals. Or that if you oppose war, you are pro genocide. What it does mean (and I do, btw, strongly oppose war, in any situation) is that you feel there are different and better ways to change the situation. So to all those Trump supporters who wanted “change” a thought – and it is one that I encourage my fellow South Africans to consider also when they want “change” from a corrupt Zuma government – what are YOU doing to assist and drive the change? I do not want my change agent to be a man like Trump (or Mmusi for that matter). And as a result, I get involved. Actively. If you want better government, go into politics – at any level, including your local body corporate. If you want better education, a better civil service, then make sure your kids become teachers and work as administrators. Change is good, I think, if we drive it with respect for ourselves and others. Otherwise you are just a bully. A braggart. An arrogant steam roller. I believe that Hillary would have driven change, better.
• Women, black people, gays and various other minorities have to fight harder for recognition and equal treatment. In some places it is easier, but throughout the world the conscious and unconscious bias that we ALL have, still triumphs far too often. Until we have true equality and an acceptance that diversity makes us stronger and better, the divisive Trumps of the world will win.
• When you look at the increased cost of healthcare (Americans) or of electricity (South Africans) and you, as a middle class (generally white male) get tense, ask yourself how the (generally not white and poor) lower class feel about, finally, having access to medicine and electricity. Yes, there is corruption, a lot, and yes we can all point fingers, but – for me – at the end of the day we need to look out for our society, not just ourselves. Or future generations will be doomed.
• Having Republicans in charge of the Senate, the House and appointing the next Supreme Court Justice, will advance a conservative agenda which is not one that is to the better of all in society – I would suggest.

On the bright side, and there is always a bright side in any situation, despite us sometimes needing to look for it very hard 🙂 I placed a bet on Trump becoming president nearly 22 months ago. As I did on Corbyn leading the Labour party in the UK. Odds were 42/1 and 99/1. The money I made from those punts, as well as from the stupidity of Brexit, is being used to buy me a good bottle of champagne to celebrate the fact that my life is filled with good people whom I love, that the sun will rise and that we can all continue to contribute. The rest has been paid to a charity that supports women education.

See you on the other side Donald – we’ve just begun! I look forward to you, Melania, Baron and the rest of the troop being as entertaining as Ronald and Nancy were when I was growing up. Your hair is bigger and brighter, your wife thinner, your kids more “interesting”, and the Obamas, scandal free and temperate, have left me wanting for some showbiz. And I know you won’t disappoint.