My life before these last four, was fairly unpolitical. If it wasn’t an election year, my focus was rarely, if ever on the White House. If it was, it was because Obama did something funny, or Michelle planted a garden, or Malia and Sacha were part of a special event, playing with their dog -or something cute.. As I moved through life, I took for granted that things were being done well in this great country. Human rights mattered, polluters were being kept in check, our national parks and endangered animals were cared for, and we were hopefully creating a more perfect union gradually that would have a fair place for all of us, all races, religions and for LGBTQ people.
Four years ago we skidded to a halt on all that we were moving toward. We not only stopped the progress, but actively turned the clock back. Suddenly things we took as a given- women’s rights, human rights, protections of the earth, and care for our fellow man on the planet all got relegated to the waste basket. We became a country I no longer feel proud of. I refuse to be quiet about this and I know many of you feel the same. So much is at stake in this election.
If you have been reading my blog for a while, you know I sometimes speak out about more than decor and design. People don’t always like it. I have been told directly to stick to the fluff and please stay in my lane. I wrote about George Floyd this summer. I don’t think I can change the mind of someone who is a Trump supporter. However, I would feel like this blog has lost its soul if I didn’t mention this election. It may be to my own detriment, as I’d have more followers if I just keep my opinions on the down low. The problem is I was raised to believe in the good of America and how very special it is. Four years ago I was utterly devastated by the win of Trump.
My dad, who is a conservative, even told me, ‘Honey someone like that will never get elected.’ We both couldn’t believe it. After the shock wore off, I thought a lot about what I personally could do. I never was active in politics, but seeing someone of Trump’s caliber become president really woke me up and (and a whole lot of others).
In the time since Trump has been elected, I marched in women’s marches and the anti-gun march with my friends and family. They were some of the most powerful and moving things I have ever done. It felt very validating to be out there with so many who felt the same as I did. In this four years, many of my friends have gotten involved in this election process on every level, from texting to fund-raising, to writing letters and even working on campaigns. It’s been inspiring to see what we all can do. I began, like many others following politics obsessively, tried to better educate myself about the political system and our history, and write letters to congress and others. I have also learned much following Heather Cox Richardson, a political historian who writes the daily Letters From an American.
Trump spent the last four years doing as much damage to our country and our rights that he could. My dad asked me to give him a chance and I tried. How can one feel attached to a man who never shows empathy and whose main emotion is hostility? I could go on about so much else he has done, but this year he showed how poor a leader and human he is.
When the Covid pandemic hit, we had the perfect storm, a man who wanted to keep information about the virus spread under wraps and above all, keep the stock market high, at the peril of our citizens. What a horrible and sad disaster. If anyone was unsure about his ability to lead, it was proven with this tragedy. Trump’s priority was love of money and his own ratings- and American citizens came last.
His utter inability to ask us to take any nationwide sacrifice to save lives, and wear masks, has been another huge mistake. This has resulted in the deaths of over 231,000 of us, and more are coming. We need a leader who will ask us to do what is right for the sake of America and for the greater good, if we are to ever be done with this. Simple measures work amazingly and other nations have mandated masks and nationwide rules and fared so much better. By letting each state do what they want, with no leadership from the top, we have become a deadly mess. If we had done the same as Australia we would have 94% less deaths. If we did as Canada did, 59% less.. There are more facts here.
We closed our borders to China only after 40 other countries also did, and we continued to allow flights in from Asia and China for citizens and others living there for many weeks after, with no stops at the airport. People in our town wrote into our local news that full flights came in and walked straight through the airport with no stops for months after the January 31 order. The horrible deaths from the virus in New York in the spring came from a European carrier. We closed our borders to Europe months after China. The stats are here on what was actually done. Blaming China for this virus was convenient and a way to never take responsibility for any part of this. Other countries have this and have not pointed the finger at others and instead put a plan in place.
Today’s election has been on my mind for so long. Biden was never the person I saw as the Democrat nominee, but I have come to admire Joe and the kind of man he is. I appreciate his years of service to this country and his care for the others and clearly the values this country was founded on. Biden with Kamala, a California girl my own age, will be a very great team, with diverse talents and backgrounds. It bodes well for creating a nation that could be more inclusive, more diverse, forward looking and where facts and science matter.
It may be naive, but I do believe the people of this country will prevail and we will all do what is right. I hope this election is the start of more good to come. I believe so many Americans know their votes are the most powerful thing they can do right now. I am blown away by the early voting numbers, which are historic and huge!
If nothing else, these four years have shaken us all awake and alerted us to the need to be involved in our elections and who has a place in our government. This set back has made us stronger, more committed and more involved than ever. We will never take democracy for granted – or our part in it again! We are more knowledgeable than ever about the constitution, our Supreme Court and the executive powers.
Thank you for listening on this momentous day and I just had to share and I wonder if you all felt the same?
Much love,
Kim
