Donald Trump was elected president a year ago.
With our fellow Dems on Nov. 8, 2016, Chris and I watched the results come in, first with elation and then with a deep darkness. So this is what it's come to? Our depression that night was only an inkling of what was to come.
Think about all that's happened in the past year. The crack-of-dawn tweets. The hirings and firings. The Russian links. The rise of hate and prejudice. Fascist undertones and overtones.
Trump represents everything venal and hateful about America. Trump represents all of those Americans who hurled venom at Barack Obama when he was in office. All our unhinged uncles and neighbors. Late night AM talk show hosts. Some of the more outrageous right-wing legislators currently sitting in the Wyoming Legislature. Cliven Bundy. Ted Nugent.
What do we do next?
Outrage and criticism will not derail Trump. It feels good. I get a kick out of watching Steven Colbert and SNL. It's good to know there will be a video and audio record of The Resistance. The New York Times and Washington Post do their research, keep punching away. Yet we are no more near getting rid of Trump than we were at The Women's March on Inauguration Day in January. If we get rid of Trump, what is waiting in the wings. Mike Pence? A horror-show right-wing evangelical straight out of The Handmaid's Tale.
The State of the Union is more than distressing. We can't give up. But it's going to be a long slog.
All kinds of helpful people have weighed in during this distressing anniversary. Notable therapists advise us how to cope "in the Age of Trump." Trustworthy columnists tell us not the lose faith in the system.
I already see a therapist that is no fan of Trump. I continue to stay involved in "the system." I will vote for the LCCC initiatives on Tuesday that will make our community college and community a better place. I will volunteer for Dem candidates and my community, which is basically the same thing. I continue to support good causes with money and effort. If I did not, the Trump terrorists would win. I want no part of that capitulation.
Your vote Tuesday will make a difference. The county clerk expects a low turnout, as this is an off-year election on one issue. Trumpenstein is not on the ballot. Or is he? Any vote is a blow for freedom and democracy.
Thousands of Denverites plan to go to Cheesman Park on Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. to "scream helplessly at the sky on the anniversary of the election." This kind of gathering may seem pointless but it gets people together in a common cause and allows us to vent, both good things. Who knows, you might meet somebody, as the park has been a meeting place for decades. And a bonus -- as a former cemetery, Cheesman has experience with helplessly screaming. Some graves are still occupied, as a contractor hired in 1893 by the city neglected to transfer all of the bodies before it began to be transformed into a park in 1894. For event info, go to
https://www.facebook.com/events/1969220523402820/
Vote on Tuesday. On Wednesday in Denver (or wherever), scream your bloody head off.
4 comments:
Thanks, Mike. You made me smile this morning.
Last year I went to bed pretty early on November 8th, before the results were all in, telling myself that "No, this is not happening. It'll be all fine in the morning."
When I woke on November 9th (my birthday) I turned on the news and said, "Well, happy f--in' birthday to me."
I'll scream at the sky on November 8th too, though not in Denver. I'll be in Riverton, training people to be Certified Peer Specialists. These folks will be out in the field, helping people with Substance Use Disorder to rebuild their lives.
That's one of the ways I cope, and hope, and keep moving forward--regardless of Trump's antics.
What is it the Quakers said? Pray, but move your feet... Well, we can adapt that saying: Scream, but move your feet!
Scream but move your feet. I like that. Toi do something positive is the best response. Peer counseling is something my daughter would like to get involved with. Any tips?
Hold on a minute-so you are telling me this in NOT just a bad dream??????
It just seems like one.
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