Fuck

[rahirah]

That sums it up.

I didn't sleep at all last night. I have seen the face of my country, and it is ugly beyond belief. I thought I was fairly cynical, but in the immortal words of Charles Gunn, there is always more down.

The first thing I did this morning was to sign me and Kathy up to volunteer for the Democrats in 2018.

Comments

[readers_only]

So sad for our country today! Proud of you for taking action!

[rahirah]

I hope others will do the same!

[red_satin_doll]

I was holding it all together until I read your post, Barb, and then the tears started flowing.

I try to tell myself, "well this is how conservative (reactionary) voters felt when Clinton was elected in '92 and Obama in '08" but I can't make myself believe that. First thing this morning my sweetie and I were trying to figure out if emigrating to Canada is at all possible. We had been considering getting married; now I'm sure that gay marriage will be swept away (I had nightmares last night), along with abortion rights, voting rights, civil rights....and if I have to hear from one more person who crows "I voted third party!" I'm going to lose it because fuck that noise.

Good for you for volunteering for the Dems in '18. (how did you do that, is there a website or did you do it at your state level?) Knowing that Hillary actually had the slight edge in popular vote is colder comfort than it was in 2000. I don't see anything good coming from this.

Sorry I'm not being helpful. Please accept my hugs to you and Kathy.

[rahirah]

I just googled "democratic party arizona" and it took me to the state website where the link to volunteer was. Dunno how quickly they'll get back to me.

I'm scared. Really scared. But mostly I'm mad. I will not let them take away what we've gained without a struggle. I'm going to stand and fight.

[kerry_220]

Here's an upside for you...

In our last election in Australia an ugly group called One Nation managed to get a few senators into our parliament. There has been a slow ground swell and one already looks like he's out on larceny charges. These people sink themselves.

My neighbours here in Australia are English ex-pats. They and their families were so shocked by Brexit that one brother has now started on a path for local government.

You are now volunteering in 2018.

I truly believe that while good people have been busy with their lives a vile group has stolen the political agenda. They have been allowed to spew their venom because no-one believed it could take root. Well, it has and now we need stand up and fight it.

You're NOT alone.

[rahirah]

Yeah, I've been looking at all the people saying they want to move to Australia and muttering, "Dude, they don't have it much better than we do wight now."

The problem in the US is that this isn't some new development. Both racism and misogyny (and I think both played a role here) have been an integral part of American society forever. It's just that in the last few decades it became (slowly, painfully, reluctantly) impolitic to mention it in public. Which lulled people (mostly liberal white people, and I sadly count myself among them) into believing that things were actually better than they were.

I don't know how to make things ACTUALLY better. But I have to do something.

[brunettepet]

This disgusts me beyond belief.

[rahirah]

Word.

[nutmeg3]

I finally went upstairs at 4:35 AM. I feel so disheartened and ashamed. I still find it hard to believe my country is truly as awful as it's undeniably proven itself to be.

[rahirah]

All I can do is grit my teeth and vow to do everything I can to make it less awful.

[ayinhara]

Exactly. There were some pretty big demonstrations against the Trump victory today.

[kazzy_cee]

I was shocked and it seems so unbelievable still. The UK news is still discussing it all!

[rahirah]

This is gonna be a long four years. :(