Food for Thought

A Not Very Thankful Thursday

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Fair Warning: This post will not feature a gentle, upbeat piece about nature and life at our house by the edge of the woods. Instead, it is a lament about the choice too many voters made on Tuesday. If this isn’t your thing or doesn’t match your politics, feel free to skip it.

On Tuesday, the votes were cast, and I am still reeling over the results. I was convinced Harris would win. Silly me in my blue bubble with like-minded friends.

However, a week ago, I did see an ominous sign that should have warned me of what was to come on Tuesday. When Clif and I went to Lowe’s to pick up a few things for the house, we parked behind a huge pick-up truck with the most vulgar, obscene array of anti-Harris/Biden bumper stickers that I have ever had the misfortune to see. I just sat there and gaped, reflecting on how I would never, never have similar bumper stickers about Trump on my car. Never.

Hostility and anger radiated from that truck, and I thought about how I wouldn’t want to meet the driver, a man, in a dark alley. In fact, I would probably cross the street to avoid him.

I am betting, that Trump,  a fulcrum of crude resentments, was the candidate of choice for that driver. Naturally, I did not ask him.

And on Tuesday, all across the country, even in blue zones, voters chose a man whose daily diet consists of anger and resentment, who has an enemy list, who has threatened “to toss reporters in jail and strip major television networks of their broadcast licenses as retribution for coverage he didn’t like.”

Does Trump mean this? Who knows? I guess we will find out.

I am heartbroken that so many voters—almost 73 million across the country—went for this man who is such a threat to the United States. Will he drag this country down? Is this it for democracy?

Again, we will find out.

I am taking a couple of weeks off from blogging. I need time to recover and regroup. And to figure out how to resist in my own creaky-kneed way.

I’ll end with grandfather of grunge, the great Neil Young. Let’s keep Rockin’ in the Free World.

 

 

 

91 thoughts on “A Not Very Thankful Thursday”

  2. I live in a red state that was full of Trump signs.

    I will add, I have made my own list.

    This election was about racism and sexism.

    The white women who think they are protected by white daddy, white hubby and white sons are in for an awakening.

    These men will be kept busy protecting their female’s honor and uterus from the crassness unleashed by Trump.

  4. I share your point of view Laurie and quake at the thought of what is to come. The whole world is affected by this distressing result. I’m glad I don’t live in Ukraine, what must they be feeling right now.

    I too must retreat into quiet creativity and try to concentrate on joyful things.

  5. I feel better today than yesterday. Although I’d made a deliberate attempt to mentally prepare Monday and Tuesday for the possibilities of it all going either way.

  8. I remain hopeful that the courts will continue to protect free speech and targeted persons. If not, there will be much violence. He has visions of winning a civil war but there is no winning another Northern Ireland. Sadly, we may have to descend into chaos before people realize they want community. I hope not.

  9. I too, had a lovely blue bubble that gave me hope. The hate spewed on that truck is so shocking. And scary. Taking time to regroup is the self-care we need. Hugs from this blue woman.

  10. I live in the beautiful blue bubble of Vermont and silly me, I thought there was a good chance, I thought he did himself in just by opening his nasty little mouth.
    I think he believes he has more power than he does, and while he will definitely screw things up, I have faith in the judicial system that has not allowed him a free pass with his outrageousness. He’ll probably pardon himself for his federal crimes, but he can’t do so with the state of New York.

    1. Same, here, Dorothy. I thought his nasty little mouth would do him in. But apparently, hard as it might be to believe, over 70 million people like his nasty little mouth. What does that say about our country?

      1. The way I’m keeping it in perspective: Yes, he won the majority of the vote of registered voters who actually voted. Only around 60% of the registered voters, voted. And there are the millions who are eligible but not even registered to vote, so when you add that all up, far less than 30% of the population voted for him. Shame on those who didn’t cast ballots.

  11. I get it, Laurie. I felt the same sense of disbelief and sense of loss when voters in the UK voted for BREXIT. A couple of our friends were crowing. SHouting in my face that they had won. Needless to say the friendship ended not because we lost but because the way they handled victory with no sensitivity of how as Brits living in Europe it would affect us. And yes, it has.

    I don’t understand American politics but I did watch a debate between the two candidates and formed my own conclusion that she would win.

    We woke up to the news Trumpet had won with an overwhelming majority and we were stunned. I rang a friend in the US and asked how she felt. He was the best of two evils and had the clearest set of policies…. Oh, I said. Okay.

    {{virtual hugs}} from Portugal

    1. Thanks so much for the kind words. I, too, have been thinking about Brexit. I don’t understand American politics either. Despite Trump’s massive failings, over 70 million folks voted for him. Discouraging.

  12. I really thought there was a solid chance and my mouth is still hanging open! I was so hoping for a woman in the Whitehouse in my lifetime. I pray our country’s system of checks and balances holds up under the coming assault!

    My brother reminded me that we are only a McDonald’s hamburger away from a heart attack and being left with, horrors, Vance. It’s gonna be a scary four years.

    Thanks for sharing your honest thoughts. You’re not alone.

    1. Even prepared, it is one heck of a shock. I, too, was hoping for a woman in the White House. I am beginning to think I might not live to see that happen. Yes, Vance is a horror. And like you, I hope our checks and balances hold up. I so appreciate this comment. So nice to know I am not alone.

  15. We’re reeling too, Laurie, and trying to make some decisions to keep us safe and healthy – financially, physically, and mentally. I just have this feeling that things are going to be very very bad. And if Project 2025 is implemented, we will be facing this mess for decades.

      1. For our mental health, we decided to disconnect from political news and just keep an eye on legislation so that we know what’s coming. We’re looking at social security to make some decisions about when to retire. We were initially going to wait, but aren’t sure whether if would be wiser to do now before Project 2025 cuts. We have a meeting set up with a financial planner to talk about my modest IRA and if we should do something different (invest internationally?) or at least have a plan in case the economy starts to crash. We’re evaluating whether to get a new dishwasher before tariffs cause inflation to skyrocket. We’re also stocking up on canned food in case there are protests that leads violence. That’s about it, so far. We’re just keeping an eye out and taking things seriously that we never thought would happen.

      2. Excellent plans! Yes, get that new dishwasher. If you have time, keep me posted. Why does it always seem to be that the Republicans crash things for the Democrats to clean up?

  17. Laurie, I am so with you. My heart is broken and I’m shaken in disbelief. I am thinking about suspending my blog as well. It’s not just the country–the world is riven, and evil seems to be winning in so many places. I will say that my neighbors (who I am quite sure do not share my views) and I are still civil and polite to each other. I even had a Harris Walz sign up, and it was not vandalized, nor did anyone harrass me about it. So there may be tiny glimmers of hope. Not much, I admit. Please stay in touch via FB or email. I send you hugs and tiny shards of hope from VERY RED Texas! (I am applying for a UK passport. I have dual citizenship.)

    (I will keep my art blog, so you can reach me via that at jillybeanswiggins.wordpress.com )

    1. Hugs from Maine as well! I will keep blogging as that seems like a form of resistance to me. Resist, I think, will be my word of the year, and have already used it for the banner on my blog.

      Glad to read your sign was left intact and that you weren’t harassed.

      Yes, apply for that passport!

      I will definitely stay in touch and will visit your art blog.

      Onward!!!

  22. I was “nauseously optimistic” that she would win, but when you could see it was starting to slip away (like when Pennsylvania was starting to look bad), I felt true FEAR. I couldn’t get to sleep at all that night.

  23. Sending love and hugs across the miles Laurie and let’s keep rocking in the free world 💞💜💞 xxx

  25. Sending you big hugs Laurie. I don’t understand it either but I do see the far right and authoritarianism making waves all over the world. It is what happens when people feel government is ineffectual and doesn’t care about their problems – someone who says he has the answers and will get things done is appealing. They don’t look at then consequences or learn from history. sadly the people most likely to vote for Trump and his allies are the ones who will probably suffer most.

    1. Thanks so very much! Yes, you have hit on some key points.I think immigration and fear of the other is also a factor, not just in the U.S but also around the world.

  27. Dear Laurie
    we didn’t expect that Trump would win. We couldn’t imagine how one could vote for Trump.
    Anyway, now we have to live with him as president and we will survive it and fight for the better.
    Keep well
    The Fab Four of Cley
    🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

    1. Many thanks! So hard to imagine why anyone would vote for him, yet have this country’s voters did. You’re right. Now we have to live with him as president. Oh, my.

      1. Our county voted for Trump 50% to Harris 47%. There is a joke map of NJ that names the sections and ours is “Basically Alabama”. I am literally afraid to put out a pride flag or to have a bumper sticker supporting anything even vaguely political.

        No need to reply. I am ranting. lol

  29. Sending hugs of solidarity, Laurie. It was a shock to us too. My daughter had an insightful comment, I think. She said that we are privileged to be able to vote with our conscience. Some people aren’t able to make ends meet at all and have to vote for their survival. (Why anyone would think Trump will help them, I’m not sure.) But that did give me pause as I was thinking half of the country must be racists.

    1. Yes, Sigh. And I also wonder why anyone would think Trump will help them. A real mystery that I can’t seem to figure out. At the very best, over half the voters don’t care that Trump is a racist. What a discouraging thought.

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  31. I know from our recent correspondence that you and I have a similar view of recent developments in the US. So does our blogging buddy Tanja, and I will share with you a thought that I’ve just shared with her. As events unfolded on your side of the Pond, I remembered the lyrics of a song in the stage play War Horse. Sung in the English folk tradition “The Year Turns Round Again” offers hope in the darkest of times. The lyrics include these lines:

    I’ll wager a hat full of guineas / Against all the songs you can sing / That some day you’ll love / And the next day you’ll lose / And winter will turn into spring / And the snow falls, the wind calls / The year turns round again / And like Barleycorn who rose from the grave / A new year will rise up again”

    There are tears in my eyes as I read those words. We have to believe that winter will turn into spring, and a new year will rise up again. Without hope, we are truly lost.

    The lyrics work even better if you can hear them being sung. This link should take you to a recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYd5LT6XHZo

    Stay strong, stay hopeful, stay happy.

    1. Absolutely beautiful! I’m listening to it right now, and it has moved me to tears. Oh, we can just hope that this country, and the world, isn’t too shattered by four more years of Trump. It really does feel as though a Marvel villain just won the election.

      Thanks you so very much for your kind words and thoughts. It really does help.

  32. I can relate to your feelings. Believe me but atleast he won’t have the third chance. In India we don’t have any restrictions. Unless people see the truth out of the blue. A big hug.

  35. I tried so hard to resist that bit of hope that was swirling around, but it must have found a way in because the morning after the election was like a punch to the gut. I was shocked, yet not surprised. Misogyny and racism won. I hope your blogging break has given you some time to rest and reset.

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