Questions from My Daughters

Image via Aster(ix) Journal.

Nine: Did Hillary Clinton win?
Nine: Are they sure? Did they finish counting?
Nine: Will they find more votes anywhere?
Nine: Do you think she’s okay?

Seven: Why did people vote for him when he said so many mean things?
Seven: Did they know about those things he said?
Seven: Will he make Aunty K and Aunty S go away from each other?
Seven: Are you sure? What about Aunty A and Aunty R? What about Uncle D and Uncle K?
Seven: Will Aunty K still need doctors for cancer?
Nine: What happens if she doesn’t get doctors?

Seven: Will Nana be in trouble?
Seven: Is she still an immigrant?
Seven: Will I get to stay with you?

Nine: Will there be World War 3?
Nine: Will there be any war?
Nine: Someone at school said there will be war with Russia. Will they bomb us?
Nine: Do they only bomb cities?
Seven: But would a bomb kill us if it fell on top of our house?
Seven: I saw a picture in a book at school, and it was war, and there were swords and horses. If they use swords and horses, did the horses ever get hurt?
Nine: Do you think horses were killed?
Nine: But why did they kill horses? Let’s say there’s a war with Russia. It’s not the horses’ fault! Even if it’s a Russian horse, we would never want to kill it.
Seven: Do horses still have to be in wars?
Nine: If there is a war, will it be like the one in—I forget the name but the third guy didn’t know it—will it be like that?
Seven: Will we have to leave here? I want to stay with you and Daddy and [Nine].

Nine: Do you think R has hurt feelings?
Nine: Do you think R’s dad (New Orleans musician, songwriter and producer) would have been sad about Donald Trump too?
Seven: Do you think Trump knows about jazz?
Seven: Do you think lots of friends have their feelings hurt? Even famous musicians? Even E (on Seven’s soccer team)?

Nine: Are you still sad?
Nine: Do you think Hillary Clinton is sad?
Nine: Will she feel better if she runs for President again?
Nine: Will I ever get to vote for her?
Nine: Did they vote for him because he’s so loud and people notice the loudest?

Seven: Why do we have to call him Mr. Trump? Lots of people call him Trump. I like to call him poopy old Trump.
Seven: Why do we show respect when he doesn’t show respect?

Nine: Do we have friends who voted for him?
Nine: Did they know the things he said?
Nine: Did they think he was lying?

Seven: Mumma, do you think the workers he didn’t pay voted for him?
Seven: Do you think lots of other workers did?
Seven: Did they know?

Nine: Why don’t people want a woman to be president?
Nine: My principal used to be a woman and she was such a great leader. Do they know how many principals are women?

Seven: Mumma, why did people vote for him when he’s bad to women?
Seven: Will he keep hurting women?
Seven: But doesn’t it hurt if he grabs your vagina?
Seven: Why does he do those things?
Seven: Why doesn’t he use respect?
Seven: Do you think he hurts people’s feelings on purpose?
Seven: Does he have to say sorry?
Seven: Does it make you sad? It makes me sad because I’m a woman.

This piece was originally published on November 9, 2016 in Aster(ix) Journal. It is republished with permission from Aster(ix) Journal.