Where do we go from here?

I’ve been pretty upset since we found out that Donald Trump will be our next president. It’s a terrifying thought for me—and I’m a white male, a member of a demographic that he never specifically targeted. I’m upset about the environmental consequences of this election, the social, racial, and religious ramifications, and the economic repercussions. Every time I see the word “President-elect” preceding his name, it stings.

Right now, I’m still in the phase of resisting despair. But I would like to soon move into a new phase: one defined by hope. I know that, for many, this is a hard concept to embrace. And I understand that. But I think that, at some point, we must do so.

In conjunction with nurturing hope, we need to think about the tangible actions that we should take to move forward. I think this is especially important in discussing how we can start to bridge the urban-rural divide. Most of white, rural America voted for Donald Trump, overwhelmingly so in some areas. Having grown up in one of these areas, I know that many of those people, while I disagree vehemently with them politically, are kind and caring. Many of them would drop anything in order to help me, if I needed the help. Of course, I understand that their eagerness to help me could be influenced by the fact that I look like them. But I genuinely believe that, though many rural Americans supported a candidate who symbolizes racism, xenophobia, bigotry, and sexism, they themselves do not always share those tendencies.

I also realize that people in these areas are often less progressive because they have not been exposed to diversity, to a life outside of the one that they live. What they hear about urban areas is often what they see on the nightly news. And as we all know, the news is often filled with its fair share of negativity. Rural America struggles to understand issues of race and religious differences because they often do not have the opportunity—whether this lack of opportunity is intentional or unintentional—to engage in dialogue with people who have different life experiences. This lack of interaction leads to misunderstanding, and it makes empathy more difficult.

At the same time, people in rural areas are often misunderstood by people who live in cities. I know of people who are really, really struggling. They battle hunger and unemployment, low wages and subpar education, just as many urban people do. They feel like they are being left behind. They feel misunderstood.

The tangible action that I think needs to occur alongside the presence of hope is this: we have to find a way to put these groups in dialogue with one another. We have to help people in rural areas better understand issues like systemic racism. We have to help people in urban areas better understand what it’s like to lose your farm to the bank. We need empathy.

How do we get there? I’m not sure. Maybe we could send children on field trips to urban or rural areas. Maybe we could bring more diverse speakers into small towns and big cities. Maybe we, as individuals, just need to be more intentional about how we interact with those who are different from us. I don’t know how we move forward. But I know that must try to do so.

On a final note, I hope that this post does not appear to be overly optimistic or inconsiderate of the damages that this election has dealt. I’m sensitive to that. And I know that creating more dialogue and empathy alone will not solve all of our issues. I just need to start thinking about hope and progress. Though I’m doing it now, I can’t sit in this despair forever.