Mornin’ Politocadoes
I continue to be a little bit in shock as to what happened on Tuesday. It’s not that we shouldn’t have expected this as a possibility. With the polls as close as they were, things absolutely could have broken the way they did and they did. Trump won, and I do not have the energy or wherewithal to dive into why it happened the way it did. All I can say is that I am deeply disappointed in this country.
I don’t think any of us need to be reminded of what is now on the table. As the clock counts down to a second Trump administration, darkness returns to the country. The good works made by the Biden administration will likely be swept to the side. And we find ourselves in a place not dissimilar to 2016.
Kamala Harris conceded the race yesterday. My partner and I decided it was important to listen because it was a hard thing for Harris to do. Like her, we are going to have embrace doing tough hard things to survive the future. Harris told us that she would concede the election but that she would not give up the fight. And I think that is the right chord to strike. We cannot give up believing in the better world we know this can be.
Drowning in doomerism will do us no good. The people of Gaza and Lebanon ‘s suffering will not be abated by us being despondent. Nor will the suffering of the people of Ukraine, whose fate has also been irrevocably altered by this election. No one’s suffering will be lessened by it. It is important for us to feel this defeat and whatever emotions that come up we let out. We cannot give up or give in, however.
We thought we had turned a corner with Biden in 2020 but we didn’t. So, keep doing the work. Focus on what you can do in your community. And if you don’t have a community, make one. Focus on what you can change, even if that’s just preventing some Q anon putz from getting on a school board. Protest when you can, help people in the ways you know you can. Work with local support groups for causes you care about. There are things that we are not going to be able to change on a macro level, so we need to focus our energy on stuff we can change.
Every little thing counts. I promise you that it matters. You matter.
And so, I say all of this as I also choose to step away from posting the Thursday Politics Thread. My own mental health needs to be looked after. I need to be my best self in my relationships. I think that necessitates a break from trying to be both serious about the world around and also ironically detached from the rot that is going to set in with the coming administration. This community has been a wonderful place to vent about the state of the world. I sorely needed it throughout the first Trump administration and I suspect I will still need that support during this one. I’ll still be around here occasionally, but I need a bit of a break, I think. Look after each other, especially when we spiral. You’re all fantastic.
Welcome to Thursday! Please be excellent to each other in the comments. The Mayor McSquirrel Rule remains in effect. Something to keep in mind! Police are using digital data to prosecute abortion seekers, and Facebook and Google are helping them! Even if they are not legally required to do so, the tech giants will aid them in this since it’s technically against the law. Please be careful when looking for abortion providers or helping someone who is looking for that assistance.
The Covid-19 pandemic continues even if the emergencies end, continue to vaccinate using the latest version of the FDA approved vaccines by Phizer and Moderna. Even if you are vaccinated, please continue to maintain social distancing measures in accordance with current CDC guidelines. Also, according to recent polls approximately 50% of adults are not planning on getting their Covid-19 boosters. So please get them and older adults should also look to be vaccinated for RSV!