Sitting around waiting for the results to come in…
How are we all doing?
It’s times like these I’ve found to be the hardest. We’ve done what is in our control (we’ve all voted, right?). Now, all that’s left to do is wait for results. And waiting… it just plain sucks.
As I wait, what I keep returning to is this: I’m really tired of watching our nation burn to the ground. And, to be honest, I’ve been feeling even worse watching the actions of our nation drag the rest of the world down too.
We’ve been given the unbelievable gift of an ability to enjoy this planet we live on. And in return, our actions burn it and melt it down.
I grew up being taught that I lived in a nation that was a leader of the world. I grew up hearing stories of a nation based on equality and freedom for all.
What I’ve witnessed, particularly this year – this just isn’t true.
These past four years, I’ve watched the world around us look towards our country with a mixture of laughter and deep sympathy. The U.S. made a clear choice four years ago – to elect a reality tv host who built a career on skewing the story for his own gain. And we made him our leader.
That was a hard gut punch four years ago. In the time since, it’s created pure devastation.
These past four years, I’ve watched his words and actions continue to support his own agenda: protect his money, protect his image, and twist the story so that individuals throughout the country will believe he is helping them.
He’s not, though. Unless you’re white, straight, and have lots and lots of zeros after the numbers in your bank account – he’s not helping you. And even then, I’m not even sure he has much thought for helping you, and more so just about keeping his own money and image in tact.
I want our nation to be better than this. But as the results come in, it’s unbelievable to see that half of our nation still supports this man and his agendas.
So, as I sit and wait, I want you all to know.
I’m not going to use my words to tell you that, no matter what happens, everything will be okay. The fact of the matter is, four more years of a Trump presidency is likely to speak disastrous consequences for our people and our planet.
Covid is taking us out by the thousands because he has not taken action to mitigate its spread. Other countries – they figured it out. They don’t have individuals dying by the thousands. We do.
We continue to strip our lands of resources as we continue to dump CO2 into the air. Trump is going to continue to support non-sustainable, unhealthy energy when we have so many other options. Other countries have stopped this. Other countries have shifted to renewable, clean energy. Why aren’t.
The rights of everybody but the straight, white male – the rights that so many remarkable human beings have fought so hard for – for so many years. Those are now threatened to be taken away.
I was told that our country was a leader of this world. We have chosen not to be. Instead, we have chosen to cling to story over reality, and the result is a clear nightmare.
And here we are, once again, terrifyingly close to choosing four more years of the same thing.
What do we do about that? When all is said and done – when the votes have been cast – what are we to do?
To which, I have two ideas:
First, I hope we’re all taking care of ourselves this week. It’s scary, and the consequences are real.
Second, I hope we all refuse to close our eyes. No matter what happens – outcome red or blue – I hope that we keep our eyes open to the reality that is our world and our nation.
Celebrate the wins. Mourn the losses. And seriously, take care of yourself. But please, let’s not forget. Let’s not turn a blind eye.
We ignored this all for far too long. Far too many have had their lives destroyed because of this.
We know now. The facts are undeniable. So, please, no matter what happens – we have to keep our eyes open.
