The Election is Over
Making Peace in a Divided World
Half the country is elated; the other half is not. And yes, I’m well aware that is an understatement—I’ve received the phone calls, the emails, and the texts to prove it. I’ve also seen the black squares replacing people’s profile pictures on Facebook and the Statue Of Liberty memes—head in her hands, storm clouds hovering overhead. People are angry. They are also afraid.
It hasn’t even been 48 hours since he was elected president, and I’ve seen articles with titles like, There Is No Constitutional Mandate for Fascism and Donald Trump’s Revenge. (To which I’m purposely not posting links.)
On Tuesday, pretty early in the evening, my husband and I turned off the news and watched a movie instead. We saw the way the evening was going, and no matter the results, we decided we were going to continue living good lives—being decent, treating people well, and maintaining our health.
“I’m going to get up tomorrow morning,” my husband said, “have my coffee and go to work, just like any other day.” We decided this time around we would not buy into the fear-mongering.
Easier said than done, I know. I also know that anger and blame won’t help. Giving up on civility won’t help. And complaining on social media, though it might make you feel better in the moment, the…
