Image: Iron gate opening into the Arnold Arboretum.
Dear Friends, Family, and Fellow Travelers,
We did it. Despite the spin of the media, the panic on the left, and the outright denial of reality on the right, our motley Democratic coalition won decisively across the country. Yes, bigots we have still among us. Yes, we have a government to repair and reinvest in. Yes, we have a Senate runoff still to win. But we, the people, have fired 45 and it feels damn good to see my Twitter feed filled with stories about actual plans to govern from the Biden transition team and Democratic leaders in the House and Senate. Things like action on climate change, a reopening of our borders to refugees, a plan for tackling COVID-19, and executive action to cancel student loan debt. I remember four years ago the surreal feeling of the ship of state slowly being weaponized by white supremacist nationalists while we all looked on in dread ... now we get to count down the days until we can officially show (er, probably drag) Trump and his co-conspirators to the door.
Image: Sun shining through autumn leaves in the Arnold Arboretum, the Saturday after Election Day.
Still, I am tired. We are all so freakin' tired. In the past two weeks it's been hard to focus, hard to think, hard to muster the energy to get out of bed in the morning, hard to move through the day, and hard to fall asleep at night. Part of the reason is, of course, the slow-rolling drama of this Cold Civil War we're living through with GOP leadership that is denying both the reality of a Democratic victory in the presidential election and the reality of a raging COVID-19 pandemic that has already caused 246,000 deaths. They don't care. And despite liberal calls for reconciliation in the wake of Biden's electoral victory the GOP doesn't actually want reconciliation. They don't want collaboration. They want power in a winner-take-all fashion, and they are out to win. And if winning murders their own, then that's what it takes.
They don't care.
And I'm not willing to make nice with people who don't care. I don't know how we rebuild a nation when a significant number of people living here reject the vision of a pluralist, inclusive, equitable democracy; when a significant minority of white people appear to be willing to die for an agenda that is built on a foundation of grievance politics, white supremacy, and denial of the same reality the rest of us live in. I only know at this point that it's important to keep living true to my values and to put my energy toward the needs and priorities of those who do want that inclusive, equitable, democratic future rather than toward trying to cajole the angry white men to join us. It's time to stop giving abusers our attention, our energy, our oxygen, and instead focus on what we need as communities of survivors and activists and those committed to living in an inclusive democracy.
Image: Teazle sleeping with her face buried in a feather comforter.
Some things that I've been doing to help myself move forward during this bizarre and precarious interregnum period:
- With dizzying speed, a group of romance authors organized the Romancing the Runoff fundraiser auction which is raising funds for the Georgia Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate. Bidding opens tomorrow (11/18) and there are over 750 items! Hanna and I both contributed to the auction:
Image: Composite image of the "Oops, I Think I'm Bisexual!" hand-knit scarf.
- This episode of Andy Slavitt's healthcare politics podcast The Bubble has important information and advice for getting through the COVID winter. Captain Awkward has also provided this roundup: "Links: The Holidays and What to Do About Them."
- Anne Helen Petersen's interview with sociologist Jessica Calarco, "Other countries have social safety nets. The U.S. has women," was full of intense and painful clarity [CW sexual assault and domestic abuse].
- Wouldn't it be life-changing if the government provided a $2,000 stipend to every adult (and up to three dependent children per family) in every household making under $100,000, each month, retroactive to March 2020, for the duration of the pandemic? VP-Elect Harris, Senator Markey, and Senator Sanders have introduced a bill to do just that -- the Monthly Economic Crisis Support Act. Contact your elected representatives and urge them to support this legislation. I use ResistBot.
- I've also been listening to back catalog of episodes from Straight White American Jesus podcast and QAnon Anonymous podcast, both of which examine specific -- though overlapping -- white supremacist subcultures that are threats to our democracy in this moment.
Image: Wilting autumn mums, after rain.
Take care of yourselves and one another as we head into the holiday season. Please heed the public health experts who are pleading with people to avoid travel and indoor gatherings in order to avoid dying and avoid killing your loved ones and your neighbors. We'd all like to stay alive to build a future in which all of us can thrive and celebrate being together again safely.
In solidarity and hope,
Anna