Dear 2016: You are fired. Go straight to Hell. Do not pass Go. Do not collect £200.

[nanila]

So that one thing that could have proved a tiny act of redemption for the shitshow that this year has been - not electing the racist, sexist, orange bigot with no clearly defined sensible policies as president - has not happened.

In a few months, the USA's first black president will be handing over the stewardship of the nation to a man who was endorsed by the Ku Klux Klan.

This is, to put it mildly, not good news for anyone who isn't white, rich and privileged. It is not good news for the rest of the world. I can't do anything other than apologise to my friends and colleagues. I am devastated that this is happening. I am sorry. Very sorry. So, so sorry.

I am not as blindsided by this result as I was by the Brexit vote. Perhaps it's because I lived through the Reagan and both Bush administrations. We didn't think things could get worse then, either. But they can. This is a man who who lies constantly and seemingly with impunity. With a compliant GOP in legislative majority and at least one Supreme Court nomination at his disposal, the damage he can do could well last far beyond the term of his appointment. This is a probability that I must recognise and come to terms with in the following months. And, coming out the other side, be willing to fight, through monetary donations to organisations whose work I believe in, by writing to my congressional representatives and through whatever other means I can of being politically active (suggestions welcome). I am a relatively affluent and privileged person. I can summon up the resources and the energy to fight for the rights and causes of the people who don't have those advantages, and I must do it.

Comments

[sfred]

*loves*

[nanila]

Thank you. <3

[weaverbird]

{{{hugs}}}

[nanila]

*hugs back* Today sure is a day, isn't it. >:(

[weaverbird]

Blackest day for this country in my lifetime - and I was born in 1953, so that's saying something. I am numb with shock.

[nanila]

...I was born in 1953, so that's saying something.

Wow. Yeah. That is.

I haven't been able to get hold of my parents yet. I really want to talk to them. :/

[weaverbird]

Hope you reach them soon. {{{hugs}}}

[omnipotent]

*hugsies* I hope you were able to reach them.

[nanila]

I was, eventually, but not until Saturday. My dad is terrible about answering the phone and my mom basically never does any more. :/

[tree_and_leaf]

*hugs*

It's awful.

[nanila]

Yes. There is no way this is going to be a good thing for marginalised people. All we can do now is try to advocate for those who don't have the resources to do it, and mitigate the damage,

[rmc28]

*love and solidarity*

[nanila]

Thank you. *reciprocates*

[highlyeccentric]

How *do* we fight from afar? I mean, I can't fight the US' battles and I shouldn't, not at the expense of pitching in for similar causes in Aus. But I feel almost as helpless when it comes to Aus politics as I do the US or the UK - I'm in Europe. There's only so much I can do from a distance, aside from sending money.

[davidgillon]

The value of spreading information amongst our networks shouldn't be disregarded. The US, British and Australian right all tend to share policies and follow each other's examples, even if a year or two behind the country leading with a policy, so there's value in reporting X is happening here, or Y happened back home when they did this there. If we know where policies are likely to go, it's a step towards effectively fighting them.

[nanila]

Write letters. Lots of letters, to your elected representatives, expressing your views and asking them to be reflected.

[highlyeccentric]

... sigh. OKAY. TIME TO BECOME A LETTER WRITING NUISANCE!

I don't know why I have such a block about letter-writing. I understand why I feel weird about protest marching (strangely coercive church environment in my late teens, very pro protesting, tendency to groupthink), but I have done that and would do it again. Letter writing, I know that's useful, at least in the 'causing maximum annoyance to public servants and parliamentary staff gets attention' way: I used to ANSWER ministerial letters when I worked for the govt. But knowing it's useful and translating that into doing is weirdly difficult.

[davidgillon]

{Hugs}

[nanila]

*hugs back*

[redsixwing]

*hugs* I'm so sorry.

I'm not going to stop fighting just because the screaming pumpkin made the big office.

[nanila]

*hugs back* Yes. Me too.

Also: "screaming pumpkin", hahahaaaaa oh dear.

[trascendenza]

This is a man who who lies constantly and seemingly with impunity.
This is the part that fills me with so much uncertainty about what comes next.

I appreciate the concrete steps you lay out, and hope that once I emerge from my shock I'll be able to figure out tangible steps, too.

[nanila]

This is the part that fills me with so much uncertainty about what comes next.

The unpredictability of Trump is part of what generates the fear. The only way I've come up with to cope with that right now is to try to have a fixed strategy in place to combat the worst possible outcomes.

[silveradept]

More often than not, becoming invested in the local politics is a good way of countering these trends and attacks.

[nanila]

There was good news on local and state levels. Not that anyone outside the US is paying attention to that, but there were some heartwarming stories. I would like to get together the energy to collate the links, but I can't today.

[aella_irene]

*hugs*

[nanila]

*hugs back* Thank you.

[nadriel]

:-(

[nanila]

Indeed. For days. Weeks. Months. Years, probably.

[askygoneonfire]

I wasn't surprised. I hoped for Hillary but in my heart of hearts, I knew. The man was and is Teflon. How can anyone compete against a man who doesn't engage in debate but simply trots out a catchphrase, whose explicitly sexist, racist, xenophobic comments never seem to be taken seriously.

I was wondering how you were feeling, I can't imagine how it feels watching this from a distance but with your sense of connection.

What a fucking mess.

[nanila]

I hoped for Hillary but in my heart of hearts, I knew.

Yep. This is why I refused to let my colleagues tell me that it would be fine because the polls said so.

Figuring out how to mitigate the worst of the aftermath is going to be an epic task. Especially from a distance.

[kotturinn]

:-(

It is hard to avoid the feeling that the world is going to hell in a handcart.

[nanila]

It is. We have a couple of months to prepare. I hope we can use them wisely.

[lurkingcat]

*sends virtual hugs*

I'm not sure if this will help but a friend just posted a link to this Jezebel list of pro-women, pro-immigrant, pro-earth, and anti-bigotry organisations.

[nanila]

*hugs gratefully accepted*

Yes, I saw that list on Twitter; thank you for putting the link here for posterity. I'm doing some research to compile a shortlist of organisations I plan to support in the coming year.

[nicki]

I promise I'll do better tomorrow, but my sentiment right now is basically: Fuck it, let the republicans burn the place down and we'll see how their voters feel afterwards.

[nanila]

*sympathetic hand-flailing* I understand this sentiment, and there's a nihilistic furious part of me that feels it too. <3

[calissa]

*hugs*

[nanila]

*hugs back* Thank you.

[forthwritten]

*hug*

[nanila]

*hug* to you too, and H as well, along with some sympathetic stares of horror.

[omnipotent]

*hugs* I am genuinely amazed at how many folks here are willing to sweep this under the rug. I have noticed that everyone claiming it's "no big deal" is white and male. Well, of course it's no big deal to you . . .

[nanila]

Yes. Literally the only people I have talked to who are complacent about this are white, male and affluent. Everyone else is terrified.