On election day, I was working for an outdoor education company in Hong Kong. I was taking my group of mixed nationalities kids kayaking. They weren't supposed to have phones, but they all knew what was going on. They all knew how the day ended.
One of their teachers was Australian, and he asked me while we were monitoring the kids exploring a mangrove how it came to this. I don't remember exactly what I said, but it was something about how there was a lot of anger in the United States.
He mentioned that in their international school they'd been focusing more on the US elections than they do on the Hong Kong elections, or even the Chinese elections.
As the week progressed, the election of Donald Trump as the 46th US president was a hot topic among the kids. A lot of them had thoughts. A lot of them had opinions. A lot of them expressed these thoughts and opinions. And not everyone's evaluation of what happened was in agreement.
At some point, a boy from a co-worker's group asked me why I'd voted for Hilary. I explained that I was afraid for my friends, because although I'm a straight white male, I have friends and family who are not, and Trump had said and acted in a way that made me concerned for their well-being. He said,"oh," and walked away. No idea what he thought about that.
But here, Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa, are my thoughts.
lyrics
Hey Chuck
I heard you ain't missed a vote
Except in Ninety-Three
When the rivers rose to drown the corn
And fields of good soybeans
When the treatment plant went under
And Des Moines had nothing to drink
Now, I don't remember much of that
'Cause I wasn't even two
But ever since November
I've felt the rain fall harder
I've felt the river rising
Like another kind of flood is coming through
You said it all yourself, Chuck
We've not elected many saints
But should presidential rhetoric
Be greed and lies and hate?
Who shall bear the burden
When he tries to play his game?
Whose liberties will he prize?
Whose rights will he maintain?
Hey Chuck
The fear of sinking
For me, is not that great
'Cause I'm an able-bodied white male
Who identifies as straight
But I fear for my loved ones
Friends and family who ain't
So I hope the judiciary chairman
Of the Senate will agree
To show how farmer from Iowa
Can protect their state's minorities
And stand against injustices
Even if they have no law degree
'Cause you said it all yourself, Chuck
We've not elected many saints
But is the presidential cabinet
A place for greed and lies and hate?
How many of your constituents
Will bear the burden of his game?
Will their liberties be prized?
Will their rights all be maintained?
Hey Chuck
Did you know our state
Has global fame to some degree?
The caucus every four years
Brings us infamy
From the countrysides of Europe
To the South China Sea
That's what I learned while traveling
Teaching children of all creeds
Who had questions in November
Who I'm sure have questions still
Of the example that is set for them
By the man my state and homeland chose to lead
'Cause you said it all yourself, Chuck
We've not elected many saints
But is the president a role model
For greed and lies and hate?
The world's children watching
As he tries to play his game
Whose liberties will they learn to prize?
Whose rights will they maintain?
Hey Chuck
I heard you don't care
If you go down in history
But this isn't about glory, sir
Or your name inside some book
But the job you're here to do, sir
For the voters who are flooded with unease
'Cause you said it all yourself, Chuck
We've not elected many saints
So how will you defend us
From his greed and lies and hate?
What part will you take, sir
When he tries to play his game?
Whose liberties will you prize?
Whose rights will you maintain?
Whose liberties will you prize?
Whose rights will you maintain?
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