The Sun Still Rises

The election from hell finally happened, but our long national nightmare is just beginning...

The Busy Black Woman has some post mortem thoughts on what happened the other day. Feel free to agree or disagree, but just know that after all of the finger-pointing, the head-banging, the binge-drinking, fear-mongering, and name-calling ends, we've got work to do.

First - All of you pollsters were WRONG. And all of you poll watchers (like the Hub and my Dad), y'all need to come up for air and observe the world around you more. There was a lot happening that you missed while you were analyzing data, mainly that the people who voted for the President-elect were not responding to polls. They were in the streets.

Second - A trending hashtag that came out this summer after the convention was #girlIguessImwithher...that ain't enthusiasm; that is resignation. It was only in the closing days that more people were willing to declare #Imwithher but that was because her best argument was that her opponent was scary and that his supporters were crazy. Yep, but now the Boogey Man won and the crazies have taken over the asylum.

Voting for someone is not the same as voting against someone.

Third - NO ONE, and I mean practically NO ONE in my very demographically diverse, progressive, and hip inner city neighborhood had Clinton yard signs. We don't have one. Even my political consultant neighbor didn't have one. As a matter of fact, you could drive through DC and see a lot more old Obama-Biden bumper stickers. Between now and Inauguration Day, I guarantee folks will be buying more Obama gear.

Fourth - Too much of the conversation about the lack of civility in our national discourse has been one-sided. Sure, the Troll King and his alt-right followers are mean, but what about us? Has calling anyone a racist ever made them change? Did mocking the supposed stupidity of our fellow Americans make them wise up and make different choices? Nope.

Perhaps we should take closer look at our shady moral high ground. I'm going to leave that metaphor there for you to ponder while I get some tea...

Fifth - I did a little something and got Lil Ron Ron and 'nem to register. I voted early and took my parents to the polls. The Babe and I wore our matching pantsuits. The Hub donated and traveled to do his Election Day job. But what did you do, Boo? I saw a lot of social media activism and a lot of talking, but when the action is taking place in the streets, are we commenting, posting pics, or are we MARCHING?

So let me confess that what I did was NOT enough. I made the excuse in the days leading up to Election Day that I am a new mother and the adjustment has been cray (and it has, more on that in another post). But I also once made the argument to the Hub that the mothers during the Civil Rights Movement never shielded their children from the ugliness. I do not have the luxury of pretending that my beautiful Afro-Latina daughter will not encounter a whole lot of ignorance in this new reality. My job is not to stay home in the protective bubble of this messy house that I ain't trying to clean...

This is not about HRC and any disappointment we might have felt about not shattering that particular glass ceiling. Elections are not about making history, they are about setting policy. I am mad as hell that a morally bankrupt reality TV personality will be the next President, but I'm not sad for our country because this is how democracy works.

I ain't scared either. If folks are hanging nooses and singing Dixie in the streets, they have that right. But this is also my America, still the land of the free home of the brave. And I'm ready to get back to work.