to the editor: the morning after the election, my black daughter asked me if donald trump<u+2019>s victory will mean that vigilantism, homophobia and racial violence will become acceptable. will immigrants be attacked on our southern border? will black churches burn? i told her that i didn<u+2019>t think so, that most americans were bigger than that, but my words were only those of a concerned father. she and so many others would be vastly more comforted if president-elect trump were to bluntly tell his most rabid followers that hatred and bigotry have no place in this country. chris hennemeyer bethesda, md. to the editor: on tuesday at the drinking fountain, my 10-year-old biracial son overheard a white student taunt an asian student, <u+201c>if trump wins today, you<u+2019>ll be going back to china.<u+201d> he wasn<u+2019>t even chinese. the day before, at my 15-year-old daughter<u+2019>s school, a cafeteria table full of girls started chanting, <u+201c>build the wall!<u+201d> as she and her african-american and muslim friends sat silently staring. many students have taken to social media with similar language, like <u+201c>send the minorities back.<u+201d> i live in new york, not a southern or rust belt state. i<u+2019>m not a historian, but this is a very scary moment in time. michelle caiola mamaroneck, n.y. to the editor: as a lawyer, i am horrified about whether donald trump and mike pence will make good on their promise to oppose vital laws protecting access to health care, fighting climate change, honoring treaties and ensuring gun control. as the father of a mixed-raced daughter, i am scared about whether their hateful words about women and minorities will be reflected in their policies. but i am mostly scared as a gay man. the republican party platform doesn<u+2019>t include anti-gay policies only to motivate the party<u+2019>s base. it includes them because most (not all) of its members intend to pursue those policies at the federal, state and local level. i realize that eliminating equal protection of gay families was not the issue motivating most people to vote for mr. trump and mr. pence. but that is no comfort to the millions of diverse families in the united states today who find their equality once again at risk. christopher rizzo new york to the editor: my 10-year-old daughter learned a lot during the election campaign: that most of the time it<u+2019>s o.k. to lie; that not paying your debts and taxes is just fine; that people who are different are suspect; that having a stranger grope you is no big deal; that reading and preparedness are overrated and that science is a hoax. also, that it<u+2019>s o.k. never to admit mistakes; that bullying pays off; and that ugliness, hatred and violence are appropriate responses to disagreement. this is apparently how more than 60 million americans feel: enough to elect donald trump president. nevertheless, i will do my best to counter these twisted beliefs and encourage my daughter to treat all people fairly and to choose only leaders who respect the law, embrace difference and give more than they take. chris belden ridgefield, conn. to the editor: re <u+201c> taking my daughters to vote <u+201d> (op-ed, nov. 9): jennifer weiner succeeded in evoking tears in this aging grandpa. how sad that among other things this election may be read by some as a green light for the misogyny of the president-elect and so many others. i would only hope that ms. weiner remembers the tens of millions of american men for whom the <u+201c>boys will be boys<u+201d> excuse doesn<u+2019>t wash. we reject the objectification of women demonstrated in this election and try to treat our female loved ones and associates just as we want to be treated ourselves. ms. weiner should not let her daughters lose their belief in themselves and in their dreams. we want the same for our daughters, too. donald broder studio city, calif. to the editor: i sent a version of the following email to my daughters: <u+201c>dear sam and meryl, <u+201c>you know that i am not particularly political, but this presidential campaign really touched a nerve. i was so proud that you had a chance to see a smart, educated, accomplished woman lead her party and run for president. when i was your age, it still didn<u+2019>t seem possible. <u+201c>i always wanted you to know that there were no limits as to what you could accomplish. hillary clinton was an inspiration for that. and i am so disappointed and disheartened that our country chose as our president a man who thinks nothing of demeaning women, attacking them physically and deriding them verbally. no one has the right to do that. <u+201c>since i have taken the time to tap this out with one finger on my phone, you know how important this is to me. it<u+2019>s too late to change the outcome of this election, but let<u+2019>s be galvanized and not be beaten down by it. <u+201c>love and xxxx. mom.<u+201d> norma meyer marlboro, n.j. a version of this letter appears in print on november 14, 2016, on page a24 of the new york edition with the headline: voices of families and minorities. today's paper | subscribe
voices of families and minorities on the election
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