7 Pieces Of Wisdom From Harry Potter To Help You Through Trump’s 2016 Win
By Andi Powers
1.
“Understanding is the first step to acceptance, and only with acceptance can there be recovery.”
Dumbledore said this to Harry when they captured Barty Crouch and discovered just how Voldemort rose again. Take time to understand how and why Trump won. There was an entire coalition of Trump supporters unrepresented in the polls who came out of the woodwork for this election. He swept through many swing states. It was shocking and upsetting, but it happened. People want this man to be President.
2.
“The consequences of our actions are always so complicated, so diverse, that predicting the future is a very difficult business indeed.”
There is no use in thinking “Oh, I should’ve voted for so-and-so in the primaries” or “I shouldn’t have voted third party” or anything like that. There is no way to change the events that brought us here. All we can do is move forward.
3.
“No good sittin’ worryin’ abou’ it. What’s comin’ will come, an’ we’ll meet it when it does.”
Hagrid says this to Harry after Voldemort rises in the 4th book. This goes with the previous quote. All we can do is move forward. As I experienced the morning after Trump won, there was nothing to do except go about my day. We can enjoy our last two months with Obama, and then we can only do our best with whatever comes next.
4.
“Besides, the world isn’t split into good people and Death Eaters. We’ve all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That’s who we really are.”
The world isn’t split into good people and Trump supporters, even though that may seem easy to believe right now. Both sides of this election had good and bad, just like both parties have good and bad within them.
5.
“We are all human, aren’t we? Every human life is worth the same, and worth saving.”
Kingsley Shacklebolt says this in reference to saving muggles during the war in the 7th book. Remember this when Trump uses his “us vs. them” rhetoric against people of different races, religions, genders, ethnicities, sexual orientation, and even political parties.
6.
“I say to you all, once again — in the light of Lord Voldemort’s return, we are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided. Lord Voldemort’s gift for spreading discord and enmity is very great. We can fight it only by showing an equally strong bond of friendship and trust. Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open.”
This is the most important one by far. We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided. Trump’s campaign has created a more divisive America than ever, but we can’t allow that to continue.
7.
“It is important,” Dumbledore said, “to fight, and fight again, and keep fighting, for only then could evil be kept at bay, though never quite eradicated.”
As Hillary said in her concession speech:
“Never stop believing that fighting for what’s right is worth it.”
Now, more than ever, there is work to be done. Keep fighting.