Mariella Gattini

I’m sure you still don’t really know what happened in this election and why Trump got 49.8% of the popular votes (12/27/2024, per MSNBC). Do you know why I’m aware of this? Because in the mainstream media nobody really knows, they have been spending their airtime clueless, worried, and blaming people like Hispanic men. If you think about it, you’ll realize that the majority of Hispanic men come from very humble environments, so they are very vulnerable to misinformation and disinformation. Besides, some of them are part of the 35% of those who don’t know how to read. In this country, and according to the U.S. Department of Education, there are 43 million people who don’t know how to read (called low literacy skills), of which 35% is Hispanic. The other 35% is White. What makes you think that they would feel represented by Kamala? As far as it concerns them, she’s not only a woman, she’s a woman of a different race. Hispanic populations are as diverse as they can be, they come from different countries, cultures, races, economic levels, social standings, and political persuasions. It’s a mistake to think of them as one non-white thing. 48% of Hispanics are in the blue spectrum, and 48% in the red one, and not all of them are republicans or democrats. They are as divided as the country itself, big surprise. On top of that, in the media they are called Latinos, which only makes evident their hosts’ and commentators’ ignorance and racism. Such pejorative word, used on purpose, it’s as dehumanizing as the word Gringos, which comes from Green-go, as in “go away, yes you, the one in the green uniform.” to refer to Caucasians.

Being helped by apartheid nostalgia and third-reich aficionados, I was surprised Trump didn’t get 70% of the votes like Putin would in an election. I guess, here, they learned to be more subtle and credible.

The important thing is that Kamala obtained 48.3% of the votes; that’s a big chunk of the electorate, which is very encouraging. Those voters still are here and haven’t lost any value, not one bit. It means that we are surrounded by basically decent people. The ones who voted for Trump still don’t realize what they have done, but they will, when they lose their jobs, they are deemed unemployable, their health insurance disappears, and don’t get to retire because there won’t be a Social Security to count on, if republicans in government get their way. But, by then, it’ll be too late.

For people like me, it’s different because I came to this country in privileged circumstances. I’m one of the few who came here to learn more about the world and decided to stay, obtaining my U.S. citizenship in 2010, after following all the legal procedures, because I wanted to add something positive, leave the past in the past, move on, and help make of this country a true beacon for humankind. What happens here has great repercussions around the world, so I’m not going anywhere, I love this country and the good people in it of all walks of life. They deserve all my respect and company.

You won’t find here, on this site, the use of scare tactics to keep your attention, not even the use of persuasion to convince you of anything. However, I consider my obligation to be honest, take a stand, and write only when I have something to say.

If money is all you want, money is all you’ll going to get. But beware of what you wish for. Money is a tyrant in itself, it wants all your attention, wants you to forget your humanity and all your principles, ethics, and morals. It couldn’t care less about how little you know or how badly you treat others, not even the humiliations you yourself have to endure in its pursuit. At the end of the day, it wants you to sit down alone and stare at the wall, while your brain is busy counting each one of the bills and coins you got because that’s all you have, and it’s never enough. You’ll live to worship it, it will be in each one of your conversations, at your table, in your bed, on your pillow, and it’s all you’ll be. What a life! Besides money, nothing else will be in your head, so you won’t need AI, you’ll become it!

Your authentic self will erode into a shameless vestige of what you used to be that won’t help but show the inexistent moral compass in your head, as much persuasion as you can add to your empty words. People can actually read in between lines, but what do you care?

Your prostitution will be complete the day you manage to convince yourself that you’re better than anyone else, so that nothing else will penetrate your brain anymore. People with more money than you will still be able to penetrate you, but only from behind.

Finally, after an entire life lived, you’ll have nothing but void. In order to fill that void, you’ll lie even to yourself, and by doing so, you’ll render yourself unable to believe anyone else, as George Bernard Shaw would say.

Before you decide to go in that direction, allow me to take a moment of your time to tell you that there is a big world out there that can be scary and dangerous, yes, but it can also be extraordinary and vibrant, where people are genuinely joyful and laugh their hearts out because they are truly happy at the expense of no one.

If you ask me, money is not everything. I know, I know, that’s derisive to you, but I can assure you that there are more valuable things than money. I’m not talking about living in a perpetual vacation, I’m referring to doing something with your life that fulfills you and replenishes this world with joy. Of course you need some money to answer to your financial obligations, but the fulfillment is in what you can achieve in life, how much you can learn from it, and the direct and genuine connection you manage to have with those around you, as imperfect as we all are. Some people can be disappointing, rude, crude, cruel, and cold, but we can learn even from them. What we learn is the ability we have to endure difficult times and difficult situations to later receive the loving reward given by those who appreciate us for who we are. Life is better than perfect, because one person can make all the difference for good. Doesn’t it tell you something about human nature? As individuals, we are entire universes that can collide with other universes. Doing good is not for the weak, or for the faint of heart. To take humanity in a different direction you need strength, intelligence, and love. You have it in you I promise, just trust yourself, it is in your nature.

It’s our creativity and love what make us go in a positive direction, and nothing and nobody else can get in the way.

Open your eyes and look at your own value, and you won’t need anything more to be present in someone else’s life. Your body only is already a work of art, just the way it is. I can only imagine the wonderful things you’ll do or think from now on.

Nobody knows what is going to happen, but I trust myself and I trust you, because if you went through all of the above paragraphs right to this point in this piece, you already are open to connect and to love. That’s all we need.

Think of all the good people out there, they are worthy of our respect and support. In their honor, don’t lose focus, keep calm and keep going, because not everything has been said yet.