So, now what
Today, the forces of hate have won. Bigotry, cruelty, and lies have won. Red States have knelt before their dear leader, and the future of our country and the world are on the brink of chaos.
This is not the End
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No matter what happens now, the world will continue to spin with or without us. We have to remember that. The world doesn't stop moving just because the Red States voted for time to go backwards to a time when LGBT people had no personhood, Black People couldn't vote, Freedom of Religion didn't exist, and Immigrants were persecuted and suspected because of the nation of their birth, life will go on. Those who felt left behind before will only fall further behind.
The instinct of so many in our country not to take responsibility for their own lives is breathtaking. If you feel abandoned by the world, it is because you gave up on life. Stop feeling like a victim and take responsibility for your own life. Remember the lesson your parents should have taught you, "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again."
Silence = Nonexistence
We are no longer at a crossroads. No matter how we voted, we have chosen a path and we all have to walk it together. Whatever comes, don't lose your voice. Don't lose the best of yourself, even when others around you have.
What we learned from the election this year is that white people are afraid of change. They benefited from the status quo of the 1950's, and dream of returning to a time lost forever.
This is not the time to feel fear, on either side. Now is the moment to show the world the power of compassion to erode the forces of hate and division.
Don't be one of those people who lies to themselves and says, "Donald Trump is not my president." He is.
Donald Trump is Our President
That means we have to hold his feet to the fire. We have to organize and speak up. In many ways, nothing has changed. Regardless of who won the Presidency, we were going to have to work hard on our local, state, and federal representatives and senators to ensure a better world. We may have to work harder, but we would have had to do this work either way.
Don't think for a minute that I am in denial or that I think any of this will be easy. It was never going to be easy, but now we know where the real problem is.
Combatting Fear
“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”
The election taught us that the biggest problem our country has is fear. We have to stand up and against the fear, but we have to see a way to diffuse the fear in others.
The only way to fight fear is with compassion, and that is something the Red States have too little of. Not only in their hearts, but in their lives. We have not treated them right. That does not mean we accede to their demands, but we have to see their pain and alleviate it.