What is next going forward for those of us who have thrown our hearts and minds, hands and feet, into campaigning for Hillary Clinton and for so many others down the ticket who so deeply echo our own most important values and agendas?
For me, the aftermath of Election Day has triggered a response at a gut, physical level: initial disbelief and revulsion, and then a kind of paralytic emotional free-fall, morphing a day or so later into hot anger.
Dealing with the classic stages of the grieving process is supposed to eventually lead to acceptance. That will never, ever happen. I will never accept a person as president of this or any other country who is a proven bully, who has made fun of people with disabilities, who is an abuser of women, a bigot and a racist, with a diagnosable narcissistic condition. A person who does not believe there is a serious global warming issue, and likes the idea of nuclear warfare; who wants to disassemble the health care system we have in place that has taken so many years to craft, and which now insures millions of needy people; and who wants to withdraw from NAFTA.
Will the beautiful Syrian refugee families who have waited so, so long, still be able to come to our city now, in January? Who knows. When our 32-year-old Korean-adopted daughter told her 12-year-old son what had happened with the election, his first question was, “Will they send you back to Korea, Mommy?” Her husband is a Korean immigration lawyer in LA. People are already totally desperate, and so fearful. And so, so sad.
The fear and hatred and violence that are already flowing out of this horrendous collective decision by people I can’t even begin to fathom, will be ongoing. Trump has dug up the very worst and most hateful instincts of his followers. It totally reminds me and many others of the buildup to a fascist government. Pre-Nazi buildup is latent in these horrible decisions.
To those of you, particularly the women, who gave me the finger and shouted rude, crude obscenities at me as I held signs for Hillary Clinton before and on Election Day in Northampton, shame on you. You are pathetic, and a direct reflection of your hero, Donald Trump. You have shown yourselves for who you truly are.
So, what is next is that we all need to follow the high road. Our grief, despair and anger need to be directed in positive ways — when we are able — into supporting those in D.C. and at the state and local level who do support what we hold dear: human rights, women’s rights, access to affordable health care, the honoring and celebrating of all of our differences, whether they be related to sexual identity, or ethnic origins, or those with disabilities.
We need to do whatever we can to care for our fragile Mother Earth. Elizabeth Warren, our amazing senator, needs our support, as does Jim McGovern, our congressman, and Richard Neal, to name a few. And at the state level, Peter Kocot and Stan Rosenberg, and others.
There will be rallies. Go. There will be letters that need to be written. Write them. Love and support those with less, those who are struggling, in ways you can. Turn helplessness and anger into action. Opportunities will grab you. Grab back. We are really going to need each other in the days and weeks and years to come.
Meg Kelsey Wright lives in Northampton.