It feels like so much is against us: the pandemic (which makes meeting in person difficult), the loss of an objective press corps, social media, misinformation, rampant voter suppression, and the usual voter apathy. I don't have a magic solution other than trying to build a groundswell of support within our communities for voting and local activism. I'm certainly doing my part (more than my part if I'm being honest) but I have no crystal ball. And, being in Texas (in an area in which we had more than our fair share of insurrectionists), I'm blinded by how many Republican idiots (sorry, not sorry) live around me. I can only hope other parts of the country are in better shape.
It's so demoralizing, so frustrating, so exhausting, I'm afraid we're at the brink of giving in and giving up. The midterms are crucial, but I'm seeing more and more Democrats announcing that they're leaving public office this year. Can't say I blame them. It's a thankless job with no real accomplishments or victories in sight.
But this is how fascism grabs hold and that's the thing I think we all understand. We can't let it happen here.
I'm growing tired of writing the obvious without being able to come up with an answer. I'm venting, and I'm not alone. Thousands of writers are out there every day, using different words to tell the same story, and, despite our bleating, nothing much changes. We've learned to celebrate small victories as if they're game-changers and that's a danger in itself. The fight ahead is enormous. We can't underestimate our enemies.
I'll be writing about this again but cheerleading as we consistently lose sounds hollow after a while. And because nothing much changes, I know I'm repeating myself.
But venting is often a comfort, and if we can do anything together to calm our nerves and ease our fears, I'm all for it.
It feels like so much is against us: the pandemic (which makes meeting in person difficult), the loss of an objective press corps, social media, misinformation, rampant voter suppression, and the usual voter apathy. I don't have a magic solution other than trying to build a groundswell of support within our communities for voting and local activism. I'm certainly doing my part (more than my part if I'm being honest) but I have no crystal ball. And, being in Texas (in an area in which we had more than our fair share of insurrectionists), I'm blinded by how many Republican idiots (sorry, not sorry) live around me. I can only hope other parts of the country are in better shape.
It's so demoralizing, so frustrating, so exhausting, I'm afraid we're at the brink of giving in and giving up. The midterms are crucial, but I'm seeing more and more Democrats announcing that they're leaving public office this year. Can't say I blame them. It's a thankless job with no real accomplishments or victories in sight.
But this is how fascism grabs hold and that's the thing I think we all understand. We can't let it happen here.
I'm growing tired of writing the obvious without being able to come up with an answer. I'm venting, and I'm not alone. Thousands of writers are out there every day, using different words to tell the same story, and, despite our bleating, nothing much changes. We've learned to celebrate small victories as if they're game-changers and that's a danger in itself. The fight ahead is enormous. We can't underestimate our enemies.
I'll be writing about this again but cheerleading as we consistently lose sounds hollow after a while. And because nothing much changes, I know I'm repeating myself.
But venting is often a comfort, and if we can do anything together to calm our nerves and ease our fears, I'm all for it.
Thanks for writing, Misty. It really does help.