How will the past couple of weeks be remembered in 10 years? In 50 years? In 100? The fact that enough people voted for a felon, an adjudicated rapist, a documented liar, and a generally smarmy man to elevate him to the highest office in the land—not once, but twice—is something psychiatrists and sociologists will study for centuries.
In part, the answer to that question will depend on what he does now. Will he rise to the occasion and become a decent human being?
We all hoped for that last time. The result was an economy in shambles, the loss of credibility on the world stage, and the deaths of nearly a million people during his bungled response to the pandemic, to name only a few setbacks suffered during that time.
But hope springs eternal, right?
Or maybe those of us on the left have been mistaken. Maybe everything he does is for the betterment of the country and its people. Maybe in a year or two, we’ll say “Wow! That guy knew what he was doing after all.”
I’m almost always willing to have an open mind—the world is filled with promise and possibilities.
But not this time.
Based on all we know and all we’ve seen and what he and the people closest to him say, I’m afraid he will neither become a decent human nor put forward useful policies. The next 4 years will see the climate crisis accelerate, the economy tank, and the inhumanity of mass deportations, bigotry in every form, misogyny, bullying, and the depravity of white nationalism spread like a fungus across the country. (Apologies to fungus—you guys are great, but seriously.)
So what to do?
Lemme tell ya, my first instinct is to Sara Connor it into the outback and let the world go to hell. This is a viable option even though I am now mumbelty-eight years old. I’d rather go out from hypothermia or eating the wrong mushroom than suffer a slow death in a camp for old people.
A personal note: At the end of his last administration, I had stage 3 cancer, and I know in my soul that the stress of that time contributed to my illness. I can’t do that again—I have only so many organs to spare. So, I will channel my despair into something useful if I can.
Art is resistance and I will be writing and editing and stuff. But I live in a bright red place. This is wearing!
So, I did a little looking for options—ways to stay sane—to feel like I’m part of the solution. If any of you are feeling the same, here’s my list so far. If you have other ideas, suggestions, connections, or anything that would help, please sing out in comments.
People are driven more by how you can help them rather than who can be hurt. Hope ALWAYS sells well. Fear is just a temporary sugar rush. Come join us as we build power out here!”
Nate, Missouri
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https://www.buzzfeed.com/meganeliscomb/im-a-blue-dot-in-a-red-state-non-republicans-are-getting
- Vote with your dollars as much as you can. Will you put Republican businesses out of business—no. Not alone, anyway. But who knows? I guarantee you’ll feel better, though. Try the Goods Unite Us app.
- Join organizations that promote equality—ACLU and others. Nobody can afford dues to the myriad of organizations, causes, GoFundMe pages and so on. Many of us don’t have a lot of money, (And I’m paraphrasing) But what we do have are very particular sets of skills, skills we’ve acquired over very long careers. Skills that make us a nightmare for some people. Put your time and talents to work.
- Pick a local cause. What can you do in your community to further one Democratic policy? Provide access to banned books/accurate historical references? Provide a safe space for those abused or marginalized? Post and repost information. Shout out when you see inaccuracies touted as fact. Shout out when the new administration does something horrible—you may have ample opportunities for this.
- Join the local Democrats and see if you can help in some way. My local bunch won’t even answer my emails so ….
- Educate the populace—be accurate and provide sources. Demand the same. Know the talking points and be ready to politely engage on at least a couple of issues important to you. Apparently, a number of voters had no idea how tariffs worked and are just learning that they voted for high prices and raging inflation. Would have been nice if they’d “done their own research” as they say they did during the pandemic.
- Most important of all– take care of you. Rest when you need it. Hydrate. Exercise. Share joy with family. Breathe. Stay on this side of the ground and look forward to a better day.
In my heart—and I hope I am mistaken—this time feels different than the last time. This time feels ominous.
But I’m writing this on a Monday, and it’s dreary in southern MO. So maybe everything will be ok. Maybe. It could happen. Couldn’t it?
Just for fun, take a look at the post I wrote at the end of 2016. It’s like deja vu all over again.
Make me feel better! Tell me how you are coping and how everything will go back to normal soon.
