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Political Awakening

Post-election day punched me in the gut with tsunami force fists. I never allowed myself to fathom the possibility of that egotistical, narcissistic, misogynist winning. I zombie walked my way through the day my political naiveté died…So bye, bye Miss American Pie

Choosing my preferred escape method, I set my channel to Antenna TV, and fell into bed, literally and figuratively pulling the covers over my head. If you are not familiar with this station, it runs old shows, such as All in the Family, The Jeffersons, and Bewitched. And so, began my immersion into the past for three weeks, reverting to my childhood, and eliminating current events. Out of sight, out of mind.

Stepping inside my four walls each evening, I was transported to a more innocent time. Or so I thought. The episodes of All in the Family began to ring too close to what was happening in our country. The bigoted Archie Bunker’s voice spewed words from the seventies that I naively thought had fallen into a vast minority forty plus years later. Civil rights, racism, women’s liberation, religious persecution, homosexuality, abortion, no subject was taboo, and the comedic manner it was presented allowed us to laugh, when the subject made us unbearably uncomfortable. Except this time around, I didn’t laugh. I got angry.

Have we not advanced to a more civilized society? Who are these people that voted Trump into the most prestigious, respected, and important role for our country? 62.9 million people voted for him. Who are they, and what were they thinking? Let’s do the math, could they all be like Archie? No, of course not. Okay, we have intelligent beings, looking down at the ballot, consciously saying to themselves, YES, Trump is the epitome of what I want to see in our White House. I had to understand.

My research began. The statistical breakdown led me to a slight mental breakdown. 42% of women voted for him. Educated people cast their vote for him. I’d love to believe the Archie Bunkers of the world were the only ones buying in to his grandiloquence but, alas, it was not the case.  I delved deeper. Interestingly, some people became silent regarding their vote.  This spoke volumes, in my mind. Why not own your vote? If you felt strongly enough to put him in office, don’t shy away from that stance now. Others stated they proudly voted for him, and he would make a difference.

Government contains checks and balances, right?  Trump can’t run amok, making insane decisions that wreak havoc on our lives, can he?  I’m embarrassed to say; political news and governmental procedures have been relegated to the bottom rung on my ladder of priorities. Being uninformed could no longer be excused. I had to know what was going on, how it impacted the state of our union, and what I could do to make a difference.

Did I just say that? Make a difference? Yes, it may be too little, too late in my life, but I’ve never felt so strongly about standing up for what I believe, more than I do now. Do I have Trump to thank for that?  I do. He has made a difference for me. I’ve become obsessed with fact checking, reading transcripts, weeding through the news reports to find the truth, knowing all I can about cabinet nominees, his closest confidants, and advisors. Some of them terrify me. Stephen Bannon, Chief Strategist? Betsy DeVos, Secretary of Education? Jeff Sessions, Attorney General? I’m going to stop here, because seeing it in print is overwhelming. I had to know all I could about the people in key roles at the White House. (Don’t get me started on Kellyanne Conway. I may devote an entire rant to her.)

Realization of my addiction to political news, occurred when I found myself recording Meet the Press, before heading out to brunch one fine Sunday morning. My DVR spit at me, and called me an imposter. The fact that I recorded a news show gave me a moment’s pause on how my post-election life has changed. I listen to daily podcasts, ranging from NPR Politics to The Daily (New York Times), and BBC World Service Global News. I read as much as possible, and follow various sites via social media.  I can’t spell foreign leaders' names, but I recognize them when I read or hear them. I know the Israeli Prime Minister stayed in the home of Jared Kushner’s parents, sleeping in Jared’s bed when he was a teenager. I don’t know if this is a conflict of interest, but I find it to be a fascinating tidbit of information.

The mantra of change is on everyone’s lips. We need a change. I agree with that sentiment wholeheartedly. Let’s eliminate the filibuster mentality, and work together. In the year 2017, shouldn’t civil rights be a given? Why do we care about sexual orientation, gender, and the color of someone’s skin? Shouldn’t we care about people starving in this Land of Plenty, violence inside and outside America? Threats to our country are real, but building a wall and banning Muslims or any immigrants who seek refuge and a better life, is not the way to reduce that threat.  Are we no longer the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave?

I am not alone. I am part of a group of women whose passive political voice morphed into an active voice on November 9th, 2016. Before: Listened to the politics around us, and even when we disagreed chose not to participate. After: Not only speak up, but initiate the conversation on topics such as Planned Parenthood, The Affordable Care Act, or whatever issue is near and dear to our heart. The thread of a new demographic has been sewn.

My goal for starting this blog is to take issues I care about, provide facts, and inform others in my newly gained political voice. Over time, I’ll figure out exactly what that voice is. My first step has been to get involved in the #FliptheSixth Congressional race in Georgia.  My first time to meet a political candidate, up close and personal, was with Jon Ossoff. Jon is running in the ‘jungle primary’ to fill Tom Price’s recently vacated seat. Next article, I will try to convey that experience from a newcomer’s perspective.

In conclusion, since T-day in November, I have experienced denial, anger, depression, and frustration. Perhaps, these are the new stages of political grief for many Americans today. It is time to transition from passive to active. This transition will mean different things to each of us. For me, it means continuing to breakdown the issues, the candidates, and the politics, without having a breakdown, and finding my personal way to make a difference.

Comments

  1. Good luck over there!! It is fantastic that you are using his election as a rallying point to inspire you. Good for you!

    ReplyDelete
  2. So proud of you and this well done position statement and rollout. We will be following you closely. Keep it coming.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Well, this is really a great topic.
    But I am always curious every four years or so how involved so many feel and are eager to become involved.
    The general presidential elections are the result of the professional social engineers and 'power brokers'. who seem to always gin up fervor of various Victim groups and also always seem to create a few more.

    I have oft wondered over the past 60 years of political involvement, why more do not apply steady energy to their local governments, which actually have a more profound impact of personal well being and lifestyle.
    It is amazing what a handful of concerned citizens can do locally in a positive or negative manner, depending on your leaning.

    Never had a president directly affect my lifestyle (well one imprisoned my associate for violating executive orders, but the next one exonerated him and reinstated his asset position) but the outcome of City Council meeting, Planning commissions, School boards and County Boards usually have a more direct impact of everyone.

    But you hardly see an audience at these meeting and most people do not even know who the elected are or what they represent.

    I think you will enjoy the evolution of this blog

    ReplyDelete

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