I Voted for Ramona

 

I voted for Ramona
And for every person of color
Who has experienced overt or subtle racism
Who has been bullied, demeaned, and degraded
Who has suffered chronic stress, fear, anxiety, and anger
Who has been discriminated against by the ugly American

I voted for Ramona
And for every person
Who has been raped or sexually assaulted
Full of shame and grief
Afraid to tell, afraid they wouldn’t be believed
By the ugly American

I voted for Ramona
And every woman like her
With an unwanted pregnancy
With a back-alley abortion the only option
Full of despair and defeat
Only to be called shameless and a whore by the ugly American

I voted for Ramona
And for every woman like her
Whose womb was deemed more important than she
Who was enslaved against her will
To use her womb as incubator
By the ugly American

I voted for Ramona
And for every woman
Who has had her eyes blackened
Her body bruised and her spirit crushed
With no where to go, no place safe
From the ugly American

I voted for Ramona
And every woman
Who reported her abuse to the authorities
And was told to be a better wife
And to go home and make nice
By the ugly American

I voted for Ramona
And for every woman
Whose children suffered
Silent witnesses to the horror
As their mother was beaten
By her partner, an ugly American

I voted for Ramona
And for all the women
Who tried to protect their children
Who slept on the police station’s lawn
Or barricaded her children in a room…for safety
When death threats came from a drunk and ugly American

I voted for Ramona
And for the daughters who have been sexualized by ‘daddy’
And for the granddaughters who have been killed by boyfriends
And for all women dead and alive
Who have been harmed and have suffered
At the hands of a misogynistic, ugly American

I voted for me, Ramona’s daughter
And for the women like me
Who have worked in domestic violence shelters, Planned Parenthood,
Women’s healthcare clinics and hospitals
Who have fought against the corrupt, unethical, and immoral acts
By trusted men in power…the ugliest American

I voted for Ramona
And all the people like her
When I voted for Hillary
I voted against racism, misogyny, fear, and hate
I voted for the protectors of our earth
I voted with my heart and soul against…the ugliest Americans.

My mother is now 88 years old–I love you mama.