stormkeeper_lovedoris (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
stormkeeper_lovedoris) wrote2024-11-08 06:45 pm
stormkeeper_lovedoris) wrote2024-11-08 06:45 pm
Random political/social thoughts
1. There have been times before when I thought the future would be nothing but doom, and I was wrong:
- Growing up, I'd thought there'd be a nuclear war
- In the 90s I read a book by a lesbian feminist who said we'd never see same-sex marriage in our lifetimes because it goes too far against Judeo-Christian beliefs
- I'd thought Y2K was going to make society collapse
- Talking with other activists in 2004, we thought there might be another terrorist attack and the Bush administration would cancel the elections
I was wrong each time.
2. Conversely, I also realized that I am way too optimistic each presidential election. The only time I thought the Dem would lose was 1988 (when of course he did lose, in a landslide). Each election after that, I always think the Dem will win. Weird that I am so optimistic in this way.
(I should add that I vividly recall the 1984 election because it was the first time a woman was on the ticket, but I don't recall if I had thoughts about who was going to win)
3. In my lifetime, a Dem only takes the presidency when there's a crisis. Carter 1976 Watergate. Clinton 1992 and Obama 2008 - deep economic problems. Biden 2020 COVID. (EDITED to add: Is this what it takes to get enough white voters to vote Democrat?)
Okay, these tidbits are enthralling. As for what happened a few days ago? I am sad and scared, but I'm not done fighting. I am reading the words of Rebecca Solnit, Dan Rather, Robert Reich, and the activists on the worthfightingfor.org call I was on yesterday. I should add that the activists were almost all women of color, whereas the 3 names I listed are all white. I need to do better and at least learn the activists' names. One of them was Representative Pramila Jayapal. Also, read up on the ACLU and watch some of their vids - they've been preparing for a Trump presidency for over a year and are ready to fight.
But yeah, I also cried during Kamala's concession speech.
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I read something today that brought me a bit of comfort. Basically they were saying that progress keeps happening and moving forward. There are setbacks and things don't always go according to plan, but over time, we keep on making progress, and we will continue to keep making progress.
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