A Quick Note To My Community
I'll make this quick, and I promise I won't belabor the point. We've all read and seen a million post-election reactions, and lord knows, you don't need mine. It's okay with me if you want to tap out now and come back next week when I'm back to writing about tarot. But, if you want to know how I'm feeling, read on (again, it's a quick one):
Donald Trump will be the next president, and that thought turns my stomach and makes me want to primal scream. On Tuesday night, my overwhelming urge was to move to the forest, grow my own food, and live completely separately from the majority of Americans. My next feeling was a deep sense of unnerving calm. That’s not because I think there’s any silver lining to this election — um, there isn’t. And it’s not because I think we’re going to be okay – I don’t. But unlike in 2016, America’s capacity for cruelty and self-destruction no longer comes as a surprise to me.
This time, perhaps because he won the popular vote (!!!!!), I found myself feeling profoundly paranoid about my fellow Americans, and profoundly radicalized.
This was always going to be a tough election. Worldwide, incumbents have been thrown out of office by their constituents. People are angry, hurting, crushed by the weight of capitalism and the trauma of Covid. They are looking for help in all the wrong places, but then again, a billionaire racist bought twitter and the most popular podcast host in the world endorsed this buffoon – the rich will always protect their own interests at the expense of the people.
Truth be told, I have been holding my breath since Kamala Harris became the nominee, privately grimacing when she talks about owning a Glock or pals around with the Cheneys to court Republican votes (AND THE MEDIA WANTS TO BLAME TRANS PEOPLE!?!?????? SHE PRACTICALLY RAN AS A REPUBLICAN). It's appalling that a Palestinian American was refused an opportunity to speak at the DNC, and the list goes on.
To be clear: I voted for Kamala Harris. Kamala Harris and her team were in an impossible position, and I think she’s an impressive person who would have made a good president (who we could have pushed on the issues). I understand why a female politician in particular has to be bullish about guns and the military. But it's still gross. The last ten years have soured me on establishment politicians, talking points, and government generally.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m never voting for Jill Stein (fuck Jill Stein — it’s difficult to be an even bigger grifter than Trump, and somehow Jill Stein manages). But late at night on Tuesday as Pennsylvania hung in the balance (and it did not look good), Zack and I looked at each other and wondered why we’ve been shelling out our money every couple of days at the request of Nancy Pelosi texting us in all CAPS LOCK that the WORLD WAS BURNING. Billions of dollars were spent on this election. Billions of dollars that could have saved lives, provided healthcare, fixed a broken education system, cured a disease. BILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
This is madness.
I will continue to vote in every election, because I’m not an idiot, but starting now I'm only putting my money and time into things that feel tangible to me, organizations who are doing the work. I’m donating to abortion funds, trans equality groups, the ACLU. I’m going to make extra efforts in my community to support people who will be harmed by Trump and his cronies (newsflash: we’re all going to be harmed), and when I do donate money/time to a political party, it’s going to be The Working Families Party — the only political party that makes any sense to me at all. If you don’t know about WFP, please read about them here — these are political organizers who know how to build a movement, who create communities and coalitions of working class voters. They are the real deal.
In the meantime, I’m preserving my joy, staying off the internet as much as I can, encircling my friends and family in care and love, and keeping my head on straight for the sake of my kids. I don’t feel very hopeful about the Democrats ability to learn from this — there are some who have already inexplicably thrown trans people under the bus. I continue to be hopeful, in spite of all evidence to the contrary, that most people are basically good. Even people who voted for the orange snake oil salesman. We’ve got a lot of work to do to build a better world, but I’m starting to feel like the best way to do that is to start small and radiate out in concentric circles of community.
I will aid and abet abortions. I will do everything I can to protect my trans friends (and strangers). I am not backing down from the fight, but I am going to hold my people close, and work on the things I can control. I might get into meditating. Maybe I’ll try ketamine. I’ve thought about asking to be put in a four year medically induced coma, but alas, I don’t want to miss my children’s childhoods.
I promise I’ll get back to writing about tarot cards. I just need another week to feel my feelings. Eight of Wands is all about “things falling into place” and “rapid growth.” Unfortunately, right now it feels like there is a rapidly growing fascist movement falling into place, and I’m having trouble writing about that in a way that doesn’t make me want to cover myself in moss and pretend to be a tree stump.
Here are some organizations I think could really use your money, support, and time right now:
Center for Reproductive Rights
If you have a favorite charity, please add them in the comments!!
Let’s take care of each other. Be kind to one another. Find pockets of joy. Invest in community. The next four years are going to be difficult and we are going to need each other.