This is the 15th year of continuous daily publication for 365Caws. All things considered, it's likely it will be the last year as it is becoming increasingly difficult for me to find interesting material. However, I hope that I may have inspired someone to a greater curiosity about the natural world with my natural history posts, or encouraged a novice weaver or needleworker. If so, I've done what I set out to do.
Wednesday, November 16, 2016
Abandoning Pretense
Day 34: I can't do it. I cannot continue pretending to myself and to my readership that it's a lovely day for a walk on the trail, or that the metaphorical weather will change for the better if we just wait out the cloudburst. The truth of the matter is that my country just dealt itself a mortal wound, and I am reeling as I try to make sense of "human rights and equality" as something which can be discarded at the whim of an individual's power. Nor can I wrap my head around policies which deny science and turn a blind eye to matters of global importance, fueled by greed. I cannot go on without speaking out against racism and misogyny and the thousand other evils which dominate the palette of the current political sphere. Each morning, I rise in the hopes that something has changed, but the changes I see are for the worst. I fear my neighbours. I am afraid to voice my feelings to all but the closest of friends. At my age, I despair of ever again being proud to acknowledge myself as an American. I have nothing to offer any other country, no skill which would make me desirable as a refugee/immigrant to another nation.
Are there no wiser leaders, familiar with the machinery of politics, who know of legal means and measures by which this descent into despotism can be stemmed? Where are the champions of good and decency? When will they stand up and save us from a detestable administration which would make America hate again?
Thank you for expressing your feelings about TRUMP--it's even hard to say the name. I've stopped watching, listening, or reading any news--this is probably a temporary reaction but I'm as sickened and concerned as you are. I remind myself that however slim the margin, the majority did not vote for him. Still, half the nation has a flawed process for making "truth" decisions and that is most troubling and indeed, we could absolutely be headed toward some hellish years. No reason to think it will be otherwise. I'm thinking the survival stance is to be faithful in our small corner of the world and hope that will be enough to slow whatever tide is beginning to flow.
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