Notes on the return of the Dark Ages

Various, relatively unfiltered thoughts, connected only by yesterday's election:


Sorry, mom and dad, today is a day for swear words: fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck FUCK fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck FUCK fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck FUCK.

While we're at it, fuck you to the following people:
-Anyone in America who didn't vote and is able to. This is your fault.
-Anyone who voted for Trump, not because you agreed with the things he said, but to make a point or because you "couldn't bring yourself" to vote for Clinton. This is actually your fault.
-Anyone who posted or said "should have been Bernie."

If you voted for Trump because you actually agree with the things he said, well then, congratulations. Your hatred and fear won. Don't bother trying to argue that it wasn't hatred and fear behind it all. We all know that's exactly what fuels you, even if you don't.

I am afraid for so many things: the lives of black men and women in America; the lives of Muslims in America; the water protectors at Standing Rock; all Indigenous people; women; boys.

People kept talking as if it's understandable/expected/okay for white men to vote for Trump. NO! This is not okay. It's not understandable. It's not expected. Do we really expect that just because a person is male and white he should be devoid of empathy? Are we okay with a world where people can never look beyond their own personal interests? There is no excuse for this kind of talk, I don't care who you are.

People also keep talking as if only white men voted for Trump. Not the case. The fact that women, people of colour, members of the LGBTQI community, people with disabilities, and others voted for him does not make him less bigoted, it just means that people perceive their own best interests in very different ways.

Men, especially white men, I believe you are far better than this. Make sure people know that Trump is not your representative. Don't assume that it is obvious where you stand: speak up.

To my Christian friends who are posting things about how God is in control: if world history and the Bible tell us anything, God is not going to fix our mistakes. He'll hold the whole world in his hands with love and weep while we burn it down. So, at least he's crying with us.

Harry Potter is my comfort reading. I was already delving into the world of young, brave wizards yesterday. Now I feel like Voldemort is actually rising. Not sure if I can take refuge in this world anymore.

I feel like a fool. I legitimately believed that I was going to get to watch Hillary Clinton give an acceptance speech. There was fear, but deep in my heart I thought that I would see the first woman president accept her post. My deepest heart was so excited.

Americans, this is your job now: make noise and hold him back at every turn. I don't fully understand the American system, but I hear that the Republican party is deeply divided and that there are still plenty of reasonable Republicans out there. Remember how you stalled everything Obama tried to do? Do that again. Write letters, protest, phone your representatives, do whatever is in your power to reduce Trump's power to that of a figurehead. Let your reasonable Republican leaders know that Trump does not represent you.

Canadians, we have to make SURE that Trudeau and our leaders know that we do not want to participate in any of this insanity. I know that our economy will likely suffer, but we cannot compromise our values, should Trump try to bully us into doing so.

The rest of the world, let's band together. America chose hate and fear. We don't have to. Let's stand by each other.

If there is any time to be on antidepressants, this is it.

All of this will take more than Facebook status updates. We must actually write letters and make visits and donate money and protest and get involved and physically do things. When our grandchildren ask us what we did when the world turned dark, our answer can't be "complained to my friends and posted on social media." We must do more.

I'm told that the president apparently doesn't actually have that much power. Let's hope so. If we are all overreacting in our fear - GREAT.

Even if he doesn't have the power and is unable to do any of the things he promised, we still live in a world where an entire country voted YES to those things. That scares me more deeply than ever.

EXPECTO PATRONUM!



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