Moving on from Tuesday
Like many folks, I was surprised and disappointed by the result of Tuesday's U.S. elections. I've been in a worried daze since then, not quite knowing how to process it and not knowing what to do next.
Thankfully there are many smarter people than me that have been able to both articulate the feelings that I could not, and give me strong ideas about how I can make the world a better place moving on from this.
Here are some pieces that I am grateful for from the last couple of days:
In trying to unpack what happened, I agreed with a lot of danah boyd's Reality check: I blame the media. However, I think we all need to look deeper at the ugly insides of the forces that try to hold back social progress. I really appreciated Damon Young's piece I Will Never Underestimate White People's Need to Preserve Whiteness Again.
Comedy site Cracked.com had two good pieces. First there is Dear White Friends: Stop Saying Everything Is Going To Be Ok. More importantly, the first Cracked article I have read that has me inspired rather than laughing or rolling my eyes: Don't Panic.
Closer to home in the sense that I know the author is Molly Regan's piece on HoboTrashcan.com, Poppin' Molly - Keep climbing that hill.
And speaking of climbing the hill, there are so many things that need to be done, but there are a couple that jump out at me as things I can and must do right now.
Support organizations that work to make the world a better place. I like Jezebel's List of Pro-Women, Pro-Immigrant, Pro-Earth, Anti-Bigotry Organizations That Need Your Support for a start.
I must also stand with and stand up for the people in my life who, simply by being who they are, are threatened by the oppressive ideals that served as the GOP's platform.
To my friends and family who are women, LGBTQ, trans, people of color, profiled because of your religion, or in other ways Beyond the Binary - I am here for you. I will be here with you. Things are scary. I want to help.
Thanks for reading.