It’s the day after the United States of America elected Donald J Trump President, once again. Fitting; that the sun didn’t come up this morning. Instead, it was a steady gray rain. Like many millions of Americans, I can’t process the election results, yet. But there are some “rules” that might help all of us.
1. Don’t be embarrassed. We lost; we lost when we HAD to win, we lost when we believed (and still believe) democracy is on the line. But it wasn’t from being lazy, and it wasn’t from some failure in the campaigns. Our brother and sister Americans who voted for Trump absolutely see something completely different than we do. That’s just what it is.
2. Hold you head up high. You did all you could do.
3. Don’t judge. I’ve heard it already: it’s because she was a woman, or Progressives had too much to say in policy, or we defended the LGBTQ too much, or Democrats must completely start over. Most of that is, what the kids call, “BS”. We are far too close to the “scene of the crime” to have any perspective on what happened. Wednesday morning “Quarterbacks” aren’t playing on Tuesday night for a reason.
4. Stop listening to Kornacki. And don’t hate him either. He is only the messenger. He just reads the stats, he doesn’t make them.
5. Don’t leave the country. You’ll still be an American, whether you live in Costa Rica or Canada or Portugal. Leaving the country won’t change your heart. It will just take away your power to make a difference.
6. Don’t drink to excess. Take it from me, the news is even worse when you’re hungover.
7. Gird yourself for the future. First, do what you need to do to protect yourself and your family; legally, emotionally and financially. Start small with that. More global issues come later.
8. It’s too soon to “Resist” again, but we can’t wait for a “White Knight” to come to our rescue. That’s what they do. Besides, as President Kennedy said: “let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God’s work must truly be our own.”
We aren’t leading, yet, but we will again. Saving Democracy is truly our own task now.
