Thank you, Deece. I've been waiting for your post.
I've been sitting with clients in pain today. One was an "emergency request" therapy session - a woman of color, a veteran, and an accomplished educator whose tears were flowing as she shared feelings of vulnerability and fear for herself and for her family. What can we do but connect through our feelings of grief and disappointment? Disappointment, to be sure, over the information you just shared about voter turnout (which I had not seen anywhere else).
Grateful for you. Grateful for Molly. We keep on keeping on, together.
If this country (or this wold) is to be saved, it will not be by the Kamala Harrises (as much as I like her) but by living angels like you who have been saving it one day, one life, one gesture of compassion and empathy for years. I am so proud to know you!
Deece, as always, your post captures it all. And though you offered many astute observations along with some profound quoted advice, I found comfort and guidance I - maybe we all- need: "at the tail end of rush hour when it’s full dark and raining, but I kept calm and carried on"
I hadn't thought about how the period we are entering is like driving into Austin traffic at nightfall in the rain. Thank you for picking that out of my post. You celebrate the poet in me!
Thank you for this, Deece. I'm still spinning about the numbers, particularly when we kept hearing about record turnout. People quickly forgot the rejoicing in November 2020 when we found out we would be rid of him and now...they want him back? I also reject the calls that people don't want what the Democratic party has to offer. I do not think the people have been given the truth or even know what the Democratic party has to offer because they only listen to their crazy MAGA relatives, watch right-wing news shows, listen to Joe Rogan, or scroll social media and form opinions based on opinions and not on anything factual. In fact, I saw this happening yesterday from leftist folks, and if you didn't know they were leftist you would think they were MAGA. "Biden didn't do anything for abortion, why didn't he codify it?!!!! HUH!?!??!" Then when I presented evidence from May 2022 it was CRICKETS. This person has a platform of nature-based folks on Instagram and cannot even fact check their own beliefs before parroting that they were going to vote for Stein in California because obviously Biden had done nothing. How many people stayed home because of that or similar posts on social media? It wasn't anything Dems did, it is who runs our media and where we consume media.
I'm heartsick. I don't even know where to go with On Texas Nature next week or the week after that moment.
I feel ya, Misti. I'm still trying to wrap my head around the idea that the American people, knowing full well what they were getting, chose the Orange Mad King.
One of our failings is making the perfect the enemy of the good — a disease to which we progressives are susceptible. But does anyone think that Trump is going to be BETTER on abortion than Harris? What a fantasy! Plus, Trump is at least smart enough to know abortion is a hot stove and not to touch it, but his boys — J.D. and Tucker and Don Jr. — are fully committed to eliminating abortion rights in this country. The battle to ourlaw mefipristone is already underway. Watch out for registries and travel restrictions for women who have pregnancy problems.
In the meantime, though, you are calling attention to our precious natural resources and the State's responsibility to shepherd them. That is a very important fight. I hope you will hang in there!
Thank you, Deece. I had been eagerly waiting for your post.
A few years ago, I re-read It Can't Happen Here. Those who embraced the destruction of democracy and the rule of law realized too late that the monster they created did not exempt the "founders" from its cruelties.
Your comment put me in mind of that great line from A Man For All Seasons:
“This country is planted thick with laws, from coast to coast, Man's laws, not God's! And if you cut them down, and you're just the man to do it, do you really think you could stand upright in the winds that would blow then?”
"What do we do now?" was the thought that awakened me this morning. Voters steeped in ignorance, anger, and resentment joined with a worse group (in my opinion,) those who shirked their duty to vote: the lazy, selfish, uncaring, and irresponsible. Both groups should be ashamed of what they elected directly and by default. So, what do we do now? What do we do when this isn't our president and doesn't appear to be our country either. How do we start what needs to take place?
I've been thinking a lot about your question. First of all, we can't lose heart. This is still *our* country, notwithstanding the slurs (which will increase) about "the enemy within."
Then, think about "guardrails." They're put on the highway to keep you from wandering off the road. But now cars have these built-in sensors that set off a noisy warning when you stray out of the lane — hopefully before you actually crash into that guardrail. That's who we have to be — the noisy sensors that call them out every time they stray out of the liberal democratic lane that our country has fashioned over the last 248 years.
I believe trump is engaged in the dismantling of the guardrails as this is written. The Executive Ordered dystopia he will create will be like a steeped caliche one laner, sleeted and serpentining toward a chasm. Oh, and we're in the backseat of a car driven by drunk teenagers.
It made me feel slightly better that everything you thought Monday night I thought Also and I was just surprised Tuesday night. You are an exceptional writer and I only wish there were enough of you to take over the house and not just in the United States Congress.
Thank you for your kind words. If I'm going to be as wrong as I was about the outcome, I want to be wrong with friends like you. Thanks for being a great subscriber!
Thank you, Deece. I've been waiting for your post.
I've been sitting with clients in pain today. One was an "emergency request" therapy session - a woman of color, a veteran, and an accomplished educator whose tears were flowing as she shared feelings of vulnerability and fear for herself and for her family. What can we do but connect through our feelings of grief and disappointment? Disappointment, to be sure, over the information you just shared about voter turnout (which I had not seen anywhere else).
Grateful for you. Grateful for Molly. We keep on keeping on, together.
Thanks for your kind words about my post.
If this country (or this wold) is to be saved, it will not be by the Kamala Harrises (as much as I like her) but by living angels like you who have been saving it one day, one life, one gesture of compassion and empathy for years. I am so proud to know you!
Deece, as always, your post captures it all. And though you offered many astute observations along with some profound quoted advice, I found comfort and guidance I - maybe we all- need: "at the tail end of rush hour when it’s full dark and raining, but I kept calm and carried on"
I hadn't thought about how the period we are entering is like driving into Austin traffic at nightfall in the rain. Thank you for picking that out of my post. You celebrate the poet in me!
I will forever celebrate the poet in you!!!
Thank you for this, Deece. I'm still spinning about the numbers, particularly when we kept hearing about record turnout. People quickly forgot the rejoicing in November 2020 when we found out we would be rid of him and now...they want him back? I also reject the calls that people don't want what the Democratic party has to offer. I do not think the people have been given the truth or even know what the Democratic party has to offer because they only listen to their crazy MAGA relatives, watch right-wing news shows, listen to Joe Rogan, or scroll social media and form opinions based on opinions and not on anything factual. In fact, I saw this happening yesterday from leftist folks, and if you didn't know they were leftist you would think they were MAGA. "Biden didn't do anything for abortion, why didn't he codify it?!!!! HUH!?!??!" Then when I presented evidence from May 2022 it was CRICKETS. This person has a platform of nature-based folks on Instagram and cannot even fact check their own beliefs before parroting that they were going to vote for Stein in California because obviously Biden had done nothing. How many people stayed home because of that or similar posts on social media? It wasn't anything Dems did, it is who runs our media and where we consume media.
I'm heartsick. I don't even know where to go with On Texas Nature next week or the week after that moment.
I feel ya, Misti. I'm still trying to wrap my head around the idea that the American people, knowing full well what they were getting, chose the Orange Mad King.
One of our failings is making the perfect the enemy of the good — a disease to which we progressives are susceptible. But does anyone think that Trump is going to be BETTER on abortion than Harris? What a fantasy! Plus, Trump is at least smart enough to know abortion is a hot stove and not to touch it, but his boys — J.D. and Tucker and Don Jr. — are fully committed to eliminating abortion rights in this country. The battle to ourlaw mefipristone is already underway. Watch out for registries and travel restrictions for women who have pregnancy problems.
In the meantime, though, you are calling attention to our precious natural resources and the State's responsibility to shepherd them. That is a very important fight. I hope you will hang in there!
Thank you, Deece. I had been eagerly waiting for your post.
A few years ago, I re-read It Can't Happen Here. Those who embraced the destruction of democracy and the rule of law realized too late that the monster they created did not exempt the "founders" from its cruelties.
Your comment put me in mind of that great line from A Man For All Seasons:
“This country is planted thick with laws, from coast to coast, Man's laws, not God's! And if you cut them down, and you're just the man to do it, do you really think you could stand upright in the winds that would blow then?”
"What do we do now?" was the thought that awakened me this morning. Voters steeped in ignorance, anger, and resentment joined with a worse group (in my opinion,) those who shirked their duty to vote: the lazy, selfish, uncaring, and irresponsible. Both groups should be ashamed of what they elected directly and by default. So, what do we do now? What do we do when this isn't our president and doesn't appear to be our country either. How do we start what needs to take place?
I've been thinking a lot about your question. First of all, we can't lose heart. This is still *our* country, notwithstanding the slurs (which will increase) about "the enemy within."
Then, think about "guardrails." They're put on the highway to keep you from wandering off the road. But now cars have these built-in sensors that set off a noisy warning when you stray out of the lane — hopefully before you actually crash into that guardrail. That's who we have to be — the noisy sensors that call them out every time they stray out of the liberal democratic lane that our country has fashioned over the last 248 years.
I believe trump is engaged in the dismantling of the guardrails as this is written. The Executive Ordered dystopia he will create will be like a steeped caliche one laner, sleeted and serpentining toward a chasm. Oh, and we're in the backseat of a car driven by drunk teenagers.
It made me feel slightly better that everything you thought Monday night I thought Also and I was just surprised Tuesday night. You are an exceptional writer and I only wish there were enough of you to take over the house and not just in the United States Congress.
Thank you for your kind words. If I'm going to be as wrong as I was about the outcome, I want to be wrong with friends like you. Thanks for being a great subscriber!