Distraught Clinton supporters feel shock, grief over Trump victory
Some liberal Americans were so ill prepared for the possibility that Donald Trump might actually be elected the 45th president of the United States that they are having trouble coming to terms with their new reality.
For many, Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton had a wealth of public service experience with a positive, diverse vision of the United States. On the other hand, Trump, a political newcomer, never had held elected office before and was hounded by a string of controversies that would have buried other campaigns. It seemed unimaginable to them that Clinton could lose to the bomb-throwing star of “Celebrity Apprentice.”
Rabbi Rachel Timoner wrote a Wednesday email to members of Congregation Beth Elohim in the liberal Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn, inviting anyone grieving over Trump’s victory to come for company.
“If you are suffering this morning, I want you to know that you are not alone,” she wrote. “We are holding a healing service this Friday night at 6:30 p.m., but I don’t think we can wait for Friday. Tonight, we will open the doors of the CBE Sanctuary to the community from 4-8 pm. Come to not be alone. Come to sit together. Come to be together. Feel free to spread the word.”
Yoga District, a yoga studio in Washington, D.C., announced Wednesday that it would be holding “free post-election peace meditation gatherings.”
“So whether you’re at peace with the election results or not, let’s find inner peace together — one breath at a time, one class at a time,” the studio said in a statement. “With a nation divided, this is a time to peacefully face ourselves and our neighbors in efforts to understand and heal, rather than judge and hate.”
Clinton supporter Audrey Gelman sent a similar invitation Wednesday to women who would like to come together with other women for support after the startling election results. She was holding the gathering for healing at a space for women in New York called the Wing. According to its official site, “Taking up space can be a profound act in a society where men have the power and the prestige. At The Wing, all the rules are written by women.”
“I am the co-founder of a women’s work space called The Wing. We have members, like WeWork, but today we are inviting any women who need a space to work and be surrounded by other women to use the space free of charge,” she told Yahoo News. “We are feeling devastated.”
Some took to Twitter to denounce Trump with the phrase “Not my president,” while others posted black squares instead of pictures on Instagram, to express their sadness and likely signify what they expect to be dark days ahead for the nation.
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