My tagline is now a single word: immigrant.
I am saddened this is now a political statement, but there it is.
Maybe you think I’m a “good” immigrant because of the color of my skin or my religion or the nationality or citizenship of my parents when I was born. Or maybe it’s the country where I was born. Or maybe how little time I spent in that country. Maybe even because I wasn’t a refugee?
If you’re excusing my immigrant status for any of those reasons, I think you need to ask yourself why.
I have to imagine a huge sense of freedom comes with no longer being president.
Yes, this is the third time I’ve used this image. It still makes me smile. :-) Godspeed, President Obama!
With apologies to Rodney King, can we all just get along?
I’m studying these suggestions for surviving Thanksgiving from Sally Kohn so I can respond appropriately tomorrow. May you have a blessed, maybe apolitical, Thanksgiving!
Update. It’s good to have a buddy system. Friends don’t let friends feel attacked. Have an exit strategy. Forgive everyone you possibly can.
Yesterday I said I just wanted the election to be over. That was a lie. I wanted a certain result, a different result. I just couldn’t imagine this result. To help myself process, I jotted down a few random thoughts.
Elections have real results. Here they come…
It’s election day eve—most will vote tomorrow. Many of you have already voted. That’s great! I voted a few weeks ago.
If you have already know who you’re voting for, you can stop reading right now. I don’t have anything for you other than encouraging you to go vote.
If you’re still undecided after months and months of campaign coverage, I’m not sure I can help you. It’s not you, it’s me. I just don’t understand.
When I originally wrote this post, I tried making three main points:
But I deleted it.
My first point doesn’t seem convincing. Obama had little government experience when he ran eight years ago, yet he was elected. This time around, Trump, with no government experience was nominated by the Republicans. At least Obama went to Harvard Law School, became a law professor teaching Constitutional Law, was a three-term state senator in Illinois, and then a U.S. senator. And Hillary’s done a lot, too. Probably even more than Obama. But people don’t seem to think being president requires any prior government experience or legal training. So, hey!
The press and many other influential people have documented Trump’s egregious behavior and how he gives comfort to the worst in our society. I can’t imagine how any listicle I might write would tip the scale on my second point. So, ignore that, too. After all, you’ve been doing a good job of that so far. Maybe you believe the press is biased, even Fox News. Maybe you think it doesn’t matter—because emails. Whatever.
My third point was maybe best made by Hillary herself:
Hillary should know. She baited Trump with Khizr Khan and Alicia Machado. And he bit—hook, line, and sinker. Yet, people who should know better don’t seem to mind, including most of the Republican elites. And they’re experts at military stuff, so maybe the commander in chief’s temperament doesn’t matter. Besides, Trump claimed to have the best temperament. Maybe that confused them.
So, I give up.1There is one point that I haven’t heard much that means a lot to me. Trump operates in a win-lose world, not a win-win world. He doesn’t feel like he’s winning unless someone else is losing. That might work fine in the business world, when you can keep finding other, new customers, but it doesn’t work in the geopolitical world. America doesn’t win because Mexico or China loses. In fact, America might do better because Mexico or China do well. Maybe this resonates with you, too. I don’t know. It was worth a shot. I can’t imagine what I might say that would finally help you make up your mind.
But still, you should vote. Vote for Hillary. Or The Donald. You can even throw your vote away to a third-party candidate or a write-in. Maybe that would be best. You could say you didn’t vote for either “evil” and feel good about yourself, yet not having made any real choice or difference in the election.
I believe our democracy is best served when people vote. So, at least do that. If you can… :-/
Yesterday I checked the mail to find our ballots. Woo hoo!
I love Oregon’s 100% vote-by-mail system. I didn’t expect to. Before Oregon changed its system some years back, going to the polls was a near-religious experience for me, fulfilling my civic duty and all. Then, the first time I tried voting by mail I got hooked. With my ballot, a voters’ pamphlet, and my laptop on my kitchen table, I researched each vote until I was comfortable with it.
No worries about not having done enough research before going to the polls. No worries that I won’t have time on election day to get to the polls. No worries about what polling place to go to. No worries about long lines at the polls. No worries that taking my time was preventing someone else from being able to vote.
Just plenty of time to do it right.
I voted. Now it’s your turn. Don’t throw it away.
The straw that breaks a camel’s back is significant only to the camel.
“Telling it like it is”
doesn’t describe the world.
It reveals you.
Politics is a muddled activity in which people have to recognize restraints and settle for less than they want. Disappointment is normal.
