What a year it has
been. As obnoxious as this
tendency is, I’d like to quote myself.
In January of this year I wrote:
For me, 2015 was a gratifying year—exciting move to San Francisco, Erin’s wedding, etc—but for the world, 2015 seemed to be when the crazies took hold…everywhere. Here’s to hoping everyone can CALM DOWN in 2016. A vain hope for an election year, I realize.
Oh baby Claire. Oh optimistic baby Claire. I want to give that girl a hug. Vain hope indeed. The crazies were just warming up.
To say I’m disappointed
in the outcome of this election would be a gross understatement. My eyelids are just now returning to
their un-swollen selves. My body
hurts as if I were in mourning.
And I guess I am. I am
mourning what I formerly believed so strongly about our country—that, as
Hillary said often, “America is great because America is good.” I don’t know if we are.
Donald Trump has
accepted the results of the election because he won, as he said he would. I have accepted the results of the
election because I respect the system, not because I respect him. He has not earned that. I respect the will of the people, and I
thank them for disillusioning me of my naïve idea that we would resolutely
reject what Donald Trump was selling.
While his campaign
alarmed me, his election has finally made me understand the severity of the
problems facing our country.
Racism, sexism, and ignorance run deeper than I realized. The right to worship without fear is
under threat. The freedom of
speech is under threat.
While I hope for the
best for our country, I cannot promise to stand by and make nice for the sake
of “healing the divide”. Winning
an election does not validate bigotry.
Bigotry will always be wrong.
I am more motivated than ever to take a stand. My big mouth will keep blobbing. Maybe I’ll move to a red state and run for office. Maybe I will volunteer to help kids be
better readers. I don’t know what
I’ll do yet, but I will do something.
To everyone who reads
this blog, thank you for coming back and for giving all the nice feedback. I enjoy writing here and I’m glad
people enjoy reading it. I hope people
who do not agree with me stick with it too, so they can try to understand where
I’m coming from. I may be snarky,
but I always try to be respectful.
The next four years will
be a challenge, and we ALL will need to confront reality if we’re to overcome
it. I am ready. God bless you, God bless Hillary
Clinton, God bless Donald Trump, and God bless the United States of America.
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