Thoughts About 2016: December 4th

Countdown to the end of this year. 27 days left. This month I am writing posts reflecting on what has transpired and where I think I am headed and any advice or offers I can make for 2017. So today’s installment…

Thought for December 4th, 2016. “When they go Low we go HIGH”- Michelle Obama

Though my site and my company are not going to be particularly political in the future, I have wanted to write about the USA November election results since the unthinkable happened 3 weeks ago. Trouble is, my reaction  is such a big, emotional, fearful powder keg. These days I think progressives are filled with so much doubt. How did we get it so wrong? How did we not see this coming? What will happen next?

I have been active in Democrats Abroad for about 14 years. That means I work very hard to make sure US citizens can exercise their right to vote. So I care, a lot. I also have all my family and many friends back home in America.I wish I could say that I thought things would be ok, would work themselves out somehow, but I think deep down we all know that the next 4 years are going to be marred by scandal, greed, selfish, ego-driven mistakes and that is the list if things don’t go too badly wrong. Hopefully, we are not looking at another 9/11 type situation.

So what can we do? Lots of folks have written terrific stuff about where we go from here and how we can process what has become of our executive branch. I especially was moved, inspired and activated by these posts: (but you can find many more)

“JUST START WHEREVER YOU ARE” by Anna Kunnecke

“A Message from FreakLabs” by Chris Wang

“President Trump” over on Feministing

Taking The High Road

What is clear is that we will need to work even harder, love even more fiercely and channel all the good stuff we can.

We will need to stand up to bullies, demagogues, sexists, racists, homophobes and the rest of the creeps from under the rock that feel like they can now have their day in the sun.

I Love Michelle Obama, her honesty, her passion and her class. She is my roll model in what comes next.

Her call to take the high road was so wonderfully embraced by Former First Lady and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. These women can lead us forward and inspire us, as they have always done. They have a mandate. Team Hillary, after all, has won the popular vote by a pretty damn big margin. 

So my plan?  My own high road includes doing these things in 2017

1. Look for ways to make a positive difference in the world.
2. Keep a focus on the media and pressure them to not normalize the president-elect, who is the least prepared nominee to ever win the Whitehouse.
3. Refocus on connecting with my progressive friends across the globe.
4. See what comes next. Act accordingly.
5. Not let confirmation bias dictate our next steps. We need to really understand what happened before we make wholesale changes to our processes.
6. Do what I can to support those who will not be treated very fairly by the new administration and the GOP.
7. Keep a dialogue going with my international friends so they know that a majority of Americans did not choose Donald Trump to be their president.

What will you do to make the world better in the face of haters that rise to the surface in these uncertain times? Share in the comments.