“It’s going to be a bumpy night.”
Bette Davis, how chill. Badass Bette.
I’ve been sickened, disgusted, by what happened Tuesday. I only could write notes, not even personal journal quality, for all of yesterday. Some consolation, my home state of Illinois, Land of Lincoln, stayed blue. Pod (yes, pod) bless (save) Chicago.
I did not have the stomach for concession speeches. Could do just a few minutes of MSNBC analysis, and of Bulwark and Nerd Avengers. My smart person silos. There will be more of this for our time, and for history. I am terrified of the potential destruction, and revisiting my plans to live it out house-sitting in France. Yup. Well haven’t we seen a sudden surge of queries about immigration by Americans to Canada and Mexico (yes, Mexico) and Europe. That’s the data.
Small update. I finally streamed a little bit of concession, grace and fight. “We will not let the light go out.”
In some ways I get that people feel angry, frustrated. People do work hard and try to do right as they (not I) see it. At least some love their families, friends, and communities. Some probably never felt love for another or even know that experience. Sorry, not sorry, but yes sorry for those.
Some of them…no politics…have been personally kind to me (and I, kind to them, and grateful to them, for helping me). Got a long list of thank you letters owed.
But get over your uneducated selves. Yup, wrote it. Uneducated. That’s the demographic, just the facts. Everyone has struggles, to each our own, without becoming brownshirts or heaving grievance.
Those of us who know better, do better.
Jeez, the ugly, obese, cognitively confused, evil rapist, felon, who would shoot political opponents in the face. That stench does not represent me or my values. Will he be coming for me?
Just a mention. My Grandfather immigrated to the United States from Belgium when he was still a boy and went to work in coal mines. A kid. I can’t even imagine. And then he, with my Father, when my Dad was still young, built not one, but two, houses, with their own hands. Raised a close family. And then my Father did even better, giving me and my brothers the dream childhood home and our opportunity futures. Son of an immigrant, my Dad and a childhood immigrant, my Grandfather.
Respect immigrants. That’s my family you’re insulting.
And I’ve personally known immigrants, sometimes colleagues and sometimes good friends, who worked very long and thoughtful hours, contributing to reasonable and humane cultural discussion in for goodness sake, California, New York, Texas and yes for sure Chicago.
And how many hotel ladies are immigrants who made up a bed and cleaned up a bathroom, cities everywhere, for garbage wages for my (and others’) privilege.
How many young and also seasoned women and men are working disgustingly below (way below) minimum wage to drive and deliver? Immigrants.
How many immigrants, like guys outside my apartment mowing yesterday and landscaping every day for bigger places?
If you’re not of original people origin, you’ probably come from immigrants too. Respect yourself and those who made it possible for you.
I could go on about racism and misogyny…as plenty of educated people have…in this crap election. Those most deplorable of human instincts full display, but my own rants about them will have to take their time.
Dayna Finet 