A Somber Post-Election Day
I’ve been a regular blogger for PSYCHOLOGY TODAY since 2009, assigned to writing blogs related to Overcoming Child Abuse. But I haven’t written one since June 28, 2019, when I wrote about the inhumane treatment of children at our nation’s border and what we could do about it. https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/overcoming-child-abuse/201906/inhumane-treatment-children-our-nations-border?eml After that what more could be said? The normalization of evil seemed to permeate the news 24/7, and every day I would think about those children, those children who were being tortured by my country day in and day out, those children who would probably never be able to recover, and gradually, contrary to what I’d written in that blog, I felt that there was nothing I could do about it. Well, except for calling or writing letters to Congress, which I did do. But even their responses – form letters that said nothing about my particular request – felt useless. No, worse than useless, rejecting.
As I write this it looks like Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will win the election, and I hope and pray that when all the votes are counted their victory will be clear. But I must say that still, it is for me a rather somber day. Why? Because so many voted for Donald Trump and the thought of that disappoints me deeply, scares me, and renders me basically speechless. But Marge Piercy, author of one of my all-time favorite poems, FOR STRONG WOMEN, said it well in one of her Facebook postings 2 days ago, and I quote her here: “…People voted for more Covid, more hurricanes and wildfires, more hatred, more racism and anti-Semitism, more isolation from our allies and more torture at the borders. Also for more unemployment, the rich getting richer and the rest of us losing much of what we have, more ignorance, more violence.” And artist Mary Engelbreit said it well on Instagram yesterday: “ Looks like Biden will win and I’m glad about that. I don’t feel the Jimmy Stewart/West Wing jubilation I thought I would feel because I now realize almost half the country is perfectly fine with the depravity, cruelty, and racism of the trump administration…”
So, I thank Marge and Mary for articulating what my brain was too weary to provide, because that’s where it’s at for me today. And I also thank like-minded members of my family and friends, who have been working toward the American Dream with me and will continue to.
PS I’d like to add to this blog a few more words, ie.perfect words, from one of my favorite authors, Anne Lamott. I just read them this evening in her tweet, and this is a direct quote: “What shocks me to my very core is that SEVENTY MILLION people voted for this traitor, this sexual predator, pathological liar and flagrant criminal. One of the most bankrupt, grossest humans in the country. 70 million people.” Thank you for sharing this, Anne.
Catherine McCall - Telling 
Cathy, thank you for helping me understand the malaise I feel today. Listening to journalists and political pundits as they try to make sense of almost half of the citizens of our country aligned with the current administration. I find it baffling and discouraging. Citizens that he has gone after and yet somehow can create a narrative that he is good for them. It seems they have sold their souls to protect their privilege and grow their money. I woke on Wednesday asking myself how I was going to play this. I don’t know if I can or if I want to.