With 822,000 hits and counting, it is still surreal to think that a blog post of mine went viral. I just keep thinking to myself “I’m just a kid!” as I watch my article slowly reach more and more people.
I have been actively lurking through Facebook, reading through people’s thoughts and opinions of my article. It has been such a blessing to see people from all sides of the political spectrum letting go of their biases and simply focusing on people who are hurting. I have found the majority of these to be so gracious and appreciative, regardless of beliefs.
In contrast, a good number of comments on my actual blog itself have not been the most kind. I have been both blessed and cursed with a confidence that dips into arrogance at times, so the unkind comments do little to affect me personally. They do irritate me, though. I feel as though many of the people leaving unkind comments either missed the entire message of my article, did not read the many sources I linked or did not read my article all together.
I do appreciate the disagreements that have been very respectful and provoked me to thought. I did a good bit of research but I am young and have no doubt that I missed many things in my blog post. I am extremely grateful to the many people who have gently pointed out my mistakes! Truth is a journey and we must always be learning.
As a college student, I don’t have as much time as I would like to respond to all the comments and emails I have been receiving but I have been reading them. People have reached out to me to thank me for being accurate and for being their voice. People have reached out to me to
let me know why my article was distasteful and how I have promoted stereotypes. Either way, I am touched that people thought my article worthy enough to read and then take the extra mile to contact me with their thoughts. I will hopefully be getting around to responding the all the emails I have received and respond to a number of the comments on my blog.
All in all, I feel deeply blessed by God. I dream of being a successful journalist and helping reach hundreds of thousands of people with stories that need to be heard. The fact that I’m only 19 and a simple blog post of mine reached almost a million people is astounding to me. I do not feel talented enough to speak to almost a million people, but I don’t think I ever will- or even should.
God chose David to be king for his humility, not his skills. This is something we must all remember.
Victoria Sanders 
Well done Victoria!
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This was everything those who have fallen on deaf ears needed to see! I loved this post! Amazing job bringing the once silent voices to light, just as President Donald Trump did during his campaigning.
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Beautifully and articulately well written. I, someone born and raised in Rural America, in Appalachia, in fact, Eastern Kentucky. And I found the article to be exactly ON POINT and I applaud you and congratulate you. And I believe God has HIS HAND on you and that you just held the pen so to speak. God did the writing. He inspired you and you were just simply being obedient. And for that I thank you. You have a special assignment on this earth and He is preparing you for such a time as this and for His designed purposes. And no matter your age or experience or lack thereof, you captured the thoughts in the hearts and minds of the forgotten people. Bless You and May The Lord continue to keep His hand on you and to use you to bring truth where there have been lies. To expose things hidden and to dispel the darkness with His great light. That’s what the world needs. Voices of hope and help to those who can do little to help themselves. Carry on Brave and courageous warrior. You are not alone! There are a few of us world changers and kingdom builders determined to make a positive difference. I look forward to continuing to follow your blog and to see where this journey you are on, takes you. I have no doubt it will be a wild ride. But you can do it. I’ll be praying for you and may the Lord continue to bless and anoint you for even greater works than these! XOXOXOXO
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Excellent, Congrats!
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Keep on writing. You have the inner fire of a great writer!
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Beautifully written and expressed from the heart..I’m in my 70’s and have witnesses the the masses of people moving into poverty…our middle class is no more and it is sooo difficult to move upward economically and now we have a population that has quadrupled in my lifetime…and technology making less jobs then more…
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I think you’re blog post was very well written and thought provoking. I will say however the idea that minorities will be “just fine” was both naive and condescending. People who are minority in either race or religion have legitimate concerns which you just brushed aside as unimportant, much like you’re complaining has been done to rural whites.
It was unhelpful and tainted much of your other commentary, as did the glossing over of the troubling rhetoric of the campaign.
I am from NYC but have lived in rural PA for part of my teen years, I know the people you’re discussing and understand their pain and frustration. They’ve been ignored by BOTH parties so Trump even acknowledging them must feel like a lifeline. But being from NYC I also know Donald Trump is a total con man and I suspect that these poor people are in for even more disappointment.
The Democrats have done them a disservice by ignoring their plight and they paid for it in the polls. But this man who has only shown ruthless self interest his entire life and himself outsources and lies incessantly is not the advocate they need. He won’t bring back coal or steel, that genie is out of the bottle. How to help people in rural America is not an easy fix, it will require investment, education and ingenuity. I think we can do it, but I don’t think they’re going to get it from Donald Trump.
Maybe I’m wrong, for their sake I kind of hope I am.
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You have said everything I felt but couldn’t articulate. I agree Tori wrote a beautiful and compassionate piece about rural America. And it’s so true that this isn’t a population that is “cool enough” for celebrities to embrace. But I also agree that Trump isn’t going to help them and that his policies will hurt all of us.
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Great article about the Trump win!
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Bravo! Your piece deserved to go viral. Clearly it struck a chord.
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Your thoughts were recommended to me by a good friend who teaches at TCU in Ft Worth. I’m glad I spent the time. That you want to follow journalism gives me hope.
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You are wise beyond your years, and sadly, one of the few that has thought this through. The disingenuous “because they’re racist” argument only shows how much most of the democrats and the mainstream media are out of touch with what reality is for many Americans. I hope your post continues to reach and enlighten people. Best wishes for a wonderful career ahead.
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Actually, I respectfully disagree. The author needs to spend some time with people outside of her circle. “minorities will be okay” is an extremely privileged statement and shows her age and lack of life experience. How many non-white, non-christian, non-hetero, non-republican, etc. people do you know? How many do you consider your friends? Do you respect them?
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Thank you for your comment! What you said is true- I am very young and I have a good bit of learning to do. This does not give you the right to assume I associate with only white Christian republicans, though. Even worse, that I can respect only those who fall into that narrow box. I have dear friends from all over the world- China, Jamaica and Peru to name a few. I have made soup for homeless individuals in Philadelphia and had the privilege of sitting on sidewalks and listening to their stories. I have helped build an orphanage in a remote jungle in Peru. I have listened to my friend, who is the son of two mexican immigrants, tell me how happy he is that Donald Trump won the election. I have also listened my other friend, a young southern white man, explain to me how dissapointed he is that Trump won and how fearful he is for our country. My family has opened up our home to a young a girl from China and embraced her different culture and traditions. She is now family. I respect all of these people very deeply, no matter how different they might be from me. As I said in my post, I do not negate the potency of racism, or oppression or hate. My post was not to brush away the struggles felt by minorities but to highlight that these people have people fighting for them, which is so necessary and must continue. The point of my article was not that it is unecessary to continue fighting for minorities. The point of my article is that we need to listen and give a voice to poor rural whites as well. Lives will only improve if we actually listen to the cries for help. Hope this helped!
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Thanks Victoria for your thoughtful reply. I’m glad that your intent wasn’t to negate potency of racism, misogyny, homophobia, etc. but the words you chose in your post did exactly that. I understand your point, but because of Trump’s hateful rhetoric you will hear more cries for help in the coming four years and hope you will not be silent for them too.
“First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out– because I was not a … because I was not a Jew; Then they came for me– and there was no one left to speak out for me.”
-Elie Wiesel
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You are doing great, keep up the faith girl. xoxox
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When I was 19 years old I found it very helpful that one of my college professors told me I was pursuing the right career. I hope you find it helpful that I, and many others, think you are pursuing the right career!
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I’m not impoverished, but at one point in my young life, I had no indoor plumbing and drank water from a metal dipper. I’m only 50, not 70. I see people in my community teetering “at the well” on a daily basis, dependent on social services to keep utilities going and roofs over their heads. Not a single one are a “minority”. Your article soothes my soul and gives me hope. The vast majority of Trump’s voters are not racists or misogynistic or bigots, yet people who say they despise labels are labeling away with lightening quick reflexes.
Thank you for seeing reality, and shining a light.
Rhonda in Arkansas
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Well done! I read the blog about why Trump won on a friends facebook post. I am from ‘depressed Appalachia ‘ sorry if that sounds negative but that’s what we called it. I was fortunate to have moved at a young age but go back frequently as my family still lives there. Traveling the roads and towns there is so depressing and every year it gets worse. I always ask myself what could be done to help these people? So glad they all voted and hope that Trump can improve their lives by creating opportunity for them.
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Victoria, you have done an excellent job of paying attention, researching, considering and presenting your case for why so many people voted for Trump. This is my perhaps somewhat biased opinion in that I’ve also been trying to make essentially the same case.
I feel that the essential mood and energy behind this election, for the majority of voters, has been anti-Establishment. Trump was the conservative anti-Establishment candidate on the ticket, at least considering the two main parties. And, as you noted, Clinton was an Establishment candidate.
Unfortunately, Clinton and others, including the superdelegates and the Democratic National Committee, colluded to exclude the liberal anti-Establishment candidate, Bernie Sanders, in spite of the great and enthusiastic support he received through the primaries. Had this years-long collusion not happened, and had Sanders been given a fair chance at being on the Democratic Party ticket, it is quite likely that he would have prevailed as a liberal anti-Establishment candidate and as the winner of our election.. That is what all the polls indicated. But the liberals were denied an anti-Establishment candidate, which left them with only third party candidates (who didn’t stand a chance of being elected), or an anti-Clinton (anti-Establishment) Trump vote, or no vote at all.
The practical economics of the vast majority of the people was a primary factor that powered the anti-Establishment movement that gave Trump the most Electoral votes. But it was not the only factor. As you noted, disparities in health care and other services was a strong factor. Another was the issue of disparities in law enforcement and in our justice system, as well as in our prison system. The high costs of our educational system, as well as other disparities in education factored in. LGBTQ issues factored in. Racial issues factored in. The disgrace of our disrespectful, obstructive, combative, do-nothing elected officials was a factor. Election funding, candidate selection and campaign styles were important factors. And beyond our state and national borders, foreign policy issues, especially the incalculable costs of our wars (in money, lives, resources, artifacts and cultures), were a significant factor.
It is important to note that Clinton actually won the popular vote and that Trump only managed to accumulate more Electoral votes. Clinton is currently ahead by almost 1.7 million votes, with 48% of the vote to Trumps 46.7%. It is possible that the Electoral College may decide to elect Clinton, in which case the Establishment would win again.
Unfortunately, many of the people struggling and suffering under the Establishment now have good reason to be concerned about a Trump presidency. Especially members of minority groups such as the Blacks, the Native Americans, the Latinos, the Muslims, the LGBTQ. There is good reason for them to believe that they will not be fine, even though there are many of us, whether famous or not, who are willing to stand with them. And there is good reason to be concerned about Mother Earth, our one and only home, Whom we have already treated poorly and Who may now be subjected to even greater disrespect and worse treatment. Considering the statements, actions and style of Trump and the people he is surrounding himself with, many of us in our country will not be fine under a Trump presidency. And many in the world beyond our borders will also not be fine.
In considering all of these factors and concerns, there is a huge disappointment and disgust with the Establishment that has been brewing and growing for a long time; for decades; for generations. People view “the government” as some entity that is working against us and for the interests of those who already have managed to accumulate great wealth and power. People also view “the media” as some entity that is colluding to manipulate us by misleading us or by keeping us in the dark, because it is controlled by those with Big Money and power.
While that seems somewhat accurate, the real fault in all of this lies with us, We the People. For decades, for generations, we have failed ourselves by not being informed and by not being as fully engaged as we need to be in our political process and our representative self-government. We the People have not held our media or our elected representatives accountable to us. We haven’t really been paying attention. Instead, we gave our media and our government away to those greedy for money and influence, and they have eagerly snatched them up so they could gain even more wealth and power.
The only response to all of this, that makes any sense and that offers any hope, is that We the People need to become engaged in our political process and our self-government. We need to become informed, which means we need to hold the media accountable for serving our best interests by reporting real news and by doing real investigative journalism, rather than rewarding them for providing entertainment, infotainment and manipulative opinion pieces. We need to effectively establish OUR government as one that actually is of, by and for We the People. And we need to do this at all levels, from local school boards, cities, districts, counties and states all the way up through the highest offices of our land.
You, Victoria, seem to be someone who will be a strong part of this effort. I’ve been around for nearly seven decades, and I know that I and so many others have not really done our parts as we could and should have. Hopefully you and other young folks will take this political lesson to heart and do a much better job of making our country as great as it can be. Thank you, and I wish you well. -Carl
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Keep at it. You have insight beyond your years and that will serve you well in the future, provided you continue to look outside the bubble in which we all tend to keep ourselves.
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God bless you Victoria. Stay true to your personal conviction, it’s the only thing that matters.
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I wanted to see if you were familiar with the WordAds feature on WordPress.com?
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You have been given this gentle voice to get the honest truth out on this “racist vote”. You were SPOT ON. I grew up poor. 9 people in a 1000 Sq ft home, one shower, one toilet and LOTS OF LOVE. Government cheese, powdered milk, my dad worked 3 jobs and my mom worked as well. We all came out of it fairly well off, as education and the repetitive “you can be anything and do anything if you try hard enough” lecture. Love your genuine, real outlook… and am now a follower!! GOD BLESS!
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Congratulations! God has blessed you with writing talent, and viral blog exposure. I wish you all the best… I know you will be successful.
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You are a wonderful writer and have a bright future ahead of you. Thank you for your research and voice. It has given a voice to all of those in poverty.
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So you say, you like to delve into the truth? The more you seek it out the more difficult it is to find. One truth I have found is that everyone finds their own “acceptable truth” about everything they really know nothing about and not really “the truth.”
Each socioeconomic class lives in its own bubble. If TV News was actually reporting the truth, they would have few corporate advertisers and less viewers.Your goal to be a journalist will be met with having to throw out the concept of reporting the truth for a paycheck.
I agree that the poor folks in backwoods America are in deep trouble. They existed on farming and saw mills which are now run by large corporations. They depended on factories which long ago closed down and left them behind as third world workers can do the same tasks for a small fraction of the pay. Robots are now replacing them too.
Investors see no returns on rebuilding the rust belt when the same products can be made by others. No factory and no workers to worry about, just profit per unit shipped. The bigger truth is that America has been in economic decline for the average person since 1980. The Global 1000 does not view America as a growth market and corporations exist on growth. Asia and South America are growing much faster as we flatten our and get old. Our need for medical services, food, and housing will become a massive drain which the wealthy have no intention of paying for.
The rural people made a grave error by being gullible. It is very easy to blame Mexicans, Muslims, and the Chinese for living in a shack with a leaking roof and nothing to look forward to. The truth is they can only blame the capitalistic system which they are not a part of and themselves for not listening to the teachers who told them the path to a better life starts with education.
To think that a super capitalist casino boss with a red hat and big mouth is their savior is sadly going to be their elimination from the gene pool. We will need millions of soldiers to go fight the brown people who eat funny looking foods and bend over to pray to a god by some other name. Barron Trump and his ilk won’t be going, the rural kids will be lining up to “save America.”
Thomas Paine needs to return with his Common Sense for the masses.
If they keep having children in poverty to increase their welfare and food stamps, they will never escape. Donald and Pence will reduce all of these entitlements and then what will they do? Who will they blame? Will they bring their guns to the Mosques and the Burrito stands to make America great again themselves?
The best you can do for them is to educate them and not just listen to them. Who cares about how you went overseas to build something for some foreigners? Build the truth you seek in the minds of those you defend here at home.
Sorry, nothing personal, I am sure you are a very thoughtful, generous and hard-working young lady. I have been watching and reporting on this for forty years and Bernie Sanders would have been the sign of better times to come for the working and impoverished. Trump now has to deliver on his promises. First up is a $25B wall paid for by the last dollars remaining in the middle class.
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The factual points made are valid. Good. The condescension and the tell (Bernie) kind of spoiled things. (For what it’s worth, I don’t think a self-proclaimed socialist with maybe two friends in the Senate, and numbers that don’t add up could have won the election, and if he did, would have had a miserable four years, with the single redeeming value of Supreme Court appointments.)
The Democratic Party, despite all our good intentions, has failed to address these problems, and we’re now saddled with a dictator-wannabe who’s all in for the oligarchy that’s already enshrined by Citizens United. Possibly worse, he gets replaced by his VP.
Let’s keep slugging. With, at best, muddled leadership, the people are the only thing that can help.
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Tori, your posts are on point and pretty much brilliant. You’re gonna be a good one.
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I shared your blog too. You did a great job showing us all this perspective. Skip over those unkind comments. Those people are not going to understand what you are saying. The rest of us do. Be well.
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Your on a good way, keep on doing what you do. Serious writing is important and more and more these days. Greetings from overseas 🙂
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Well done and congrats.
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I voted for Trump. Wanted to start off with that. I feel your article is more rude and offensive than educational. Even if 2/3 of this is correct your attempts at making it a more compelling article were so over exaggerated this article became irresponsible.
If your true passion is journalism you need to write in a way that doesn’t offend the same people you trying to give a hand up. Also for this particular article most of rural America has there life together well enough to give you and your community a hand up. I say that as half of my church is currently on a mission trip in NYC.
This is what my wife write to you young lady. Colorful as comments can be we are not and DO NOT paint ourselves as responsible journalist.
How dare you. You don’t get to visit our towns and tell everyone in the world how pitiful we are. Dew Mouth. So irresponsible of you. We are an impressive culturally rich community bigger than these struggles. Every community has problems and maybe you should report on your neighborhood’s Root Beer Belly and stay out of ours. Especially so you stay safe from all the scrap metal.
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Great article on why people voted for Trump. I commend you for, not only your insights, but your courage to put yourself out there in attempts to help people make sense of what is a very divisive topic and time for our nation. I understand that people are mad at you for writing what you did and you have stated that you not only don’t have all the answers, but that in your explanations of what happened you knowingly take the risk of offending people. The truth is that we can’t bring true conversation to light without pain and conflict. All we can do is be open to learning and listening to one another. I’ve already learned a ton from reading your article as well as from the entire spectrum of comments. Well done and I have a lot of respect for you and your message.
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Your words were received well, thank you.
30 years ago I was forced to move from my beautiful rural life by the environmental and urban warriors of the day. I felt the fight was too great and needed to support my young family.
I pray that Trump’s Administration will be able to bring jobs back to rural America and also to the inner Cities. A tall task.
His Administration will also need to fight the Environmental and Urban warriors of today. He will also be fighting the Globalist.
We need to stand strong. The environmentalists, globalist and urban warriors have been found to be wrong. In some cases corrupt.
It was not racism. It was survival of a rural lifestyle and a hope for our inner city families.
God Bless.
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I have just read your blog that went viral! It is so good. For people who observe America from afar and who can’t stomach the media bias any longer, it is absolutely refreshing to read your blog, and more so, because you are a college student! I teach undergraduate students whom I wish could use your young objectivity! Onward and upward!
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Your article was well thought out and well written. I shared it because you pointed out that not all people voted Trump because of racism and that the government that promised so much to the poorer segments of our country has failed them miserably. I get the feeling that your political leanings are a little left of my own, but that doesn’t matter. You wrote a good article that deserves to be read.
Hopefully it will help in a small way to calm the hate that has been spreading in this country.
Thank you.
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