one person one vote
I don't know what to say. Things ran through my Heart and through my mind all day. each, really, cancelling the others out
democracy.
half, or very close to it, half
the citizens of this country voted for a racist.
ok then.
who knows what the break down would have been if the Planet were actually taken into consideration which it wasn't at all.
ok, then. I guess this is who we are. Americans. ok. This is where i live.
All day today, thoughts of my parents were on my mind, in my heart. As immigrants who came here from Spain, my Dad in 1923, my Mom in 1932, both struggling with the English language and both so proud when they became citizens. Coming into America through Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty welcoming them, opportunities awaiting, many hands reaching out to help them. They would not know this America…
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soul on deck
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OOx
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Grace that’s not really quite it – Half the population of this country did not vote for a racist (besides he’s not necessarily ANY of the labels because he actually doesn’t believe in ANYTHING but keeping the spotlight and rousing the troops–however of course he IS a racist and a misogynist and a manipulator and exploiter and fraud)…Anyhow, the electoral college awards blocks of votes to states and the popular votes are the only one for one votes…and the amount of folks who vote has to come into it too. It’s still astounding. But Hilary won the popular vote–only the electoral vote counts more ’cause you have to have so many to win. It was meant as checks and balance but has been abused and aught to be changed: http://www.learnnc.org/lp/media/lessons/davidwalbert7232004-02/electoralcollege.html
Everyone I know is stunned but most are not in the least defeated: “One of my Zen teachers says his response is to dig deeper in to his practice. Another yogi friend is running for local office to see what she can do to improve things for others. Another is helping with efforts to elect candidates more in line with her values. Every thought and every gesture matters. Doing something positive is ‘being’ what you want to have happen. May we be that.”
Remember “nothing material lasts forever, not humans or creatures, plants or planets, and certainly not political systems, governments, parties, or policies. I take comfort in that knowledge so the prompt for me is “stay aware and informed, keep events in perspective, and be kind whenever possible”. The same prompt might be useful to ‘winners’ and ‘losers’ alike.”
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You are probably too angry to read my latest post but it’s kind of nice and I quoted from it in my comment http://mscomfortzone.blogspot.com/2016/11/aftermath.html
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Very scary ….. such a contrast to the HOPE I felt when Obama took office.
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one of the rallying cries of the week could very well be — let’s ditch the electoral college.
but even had she won, everything you say above holds. Half of us voted for a sociopath with no policies no coherence no capacity to speak the truth or to even have a recognizable relationship to reality. Half of us voted for a man with a long-record of cheating and greed and litigious bullying. And that doesn’t even get to the racist/sexist part of him — also well-documented over decades.
The racism scares me. The ignorance scares me (what does it mean to live in a ‘post-factual’ world)? The ability of many to make some people wrong for minor infractions while embracing another who has doubled down on all that they claim to hold dear (and now I’m talking about mainstream GOP and the Christian right, and not the former coal miners, etc.) fills me with rage.
Were we a broken system going into this? Yes, indeed. Money in politics has got to go. Maybe super delegates have got to go. Maybe the press needs to remember what their job is.
But will enshrining this so-called champion of the little guy with a trigger, vengeful temper and a bottomless need for admiration FIX anything? So much to be frightened about.
Here we are. Yes indeed. Here we are. As Liz said, I make lunch, I plan dinner.
PS Michelle’s post is a tonic.
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Yesterday I listened again to the interview with Thich Nhat Hanh from On Being. It helped. There is a lot of work to do. But there would have been either way. The earth did not have a champion in her corner.
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Michelle…the one thing i am NOT is angry
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Since yesterday morning I read a lot in german and american news papers it didn´t decrease my fear just the opposite. We here in Germany also have many troubles with the ” post-factual world” as Dee mentioned. People who are reacting because of a diffuse feeling of being neglected and who don´t want to hear arguments, they are waiting for somebody strong who would solve their problems and make them proud. And there are people who fit perfectly into this need. People with a strong egomanical personality. You can find it in other europian countries too. The most of germans still have strong aversion against strong leaders but the number of the others grow mostly in the former east parts of our country.
I´m not very hopefully for you and us. But it will take some time untill all those who are searching for easy solutions with a strong leader will see, that it dosnt work. There are no easy solutions. And those egomaniacs don´t help at all. World is in change – dramatically. But … and I think that is our fault too we have to increase our efforts to shape our future not only to watch how it happens.We are in danger – so let´s roll up our sleeves and get to work. Everybody on his place.
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Did I say you were? Oh–I see, I did but I think I meant you might be angry I was hawking my own post. Well, if not anyway that’s one toxic emotion down…and anger used well can in any case be useful and positive :–>
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Ok then. Let’s keep going.
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I work in a Trump environment. They want someone to “save” them. Give them jobs (but they don’t want to actually work)-give them health care-free would be nice (while they chug energy drinks (or alcohol) and eat fast food); find them a place to live (rent free like at Mom’s but without Mom) and legalize pot and make cigarettes a dollar a pack. or free As to free or low cost college tuition— I often wonder if they would take advantage of more education–I’ve considered paying tuition for some out of my hourly wage.
Did they vote? I don’t think so. Ages from 21 to 30 and then another group from 40 to 65 who did vote, I think, mostly to say no to gun background checks.
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Stay strong, keep our focus on what is good and true. It’s the best we can do at any time. I too am devastated by the election results but we must hold our heads high. We can still make a difference in our own small worlds.
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In these circumstances it is difficult to accept what is. You are a lovely example.
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I remain hopeful
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A sad time . . . for us all. But Grace, not half the citizens voted for a racist. Almost half the citizens didn’t vote at all (which in itself is terrible) so just over a quarter voted for the racist which is perhaps some comfort. And then I have to trust that not all of them are racist themselves . . . with their vote they’re letting us know how desperate they are for change.
Easy for me I guess, way over here, but we have the same problems and seem to have retreated to corners and not discuss issues with those who have a different opinion. We just sit hoping they’ll not come into our space. To see the extreme right rising, it’s all too sad.
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Oh Grace. It’s been a week and it seems that my grief and sorrow have grown deeper. I have lost friends over this election – how can I remain friends with people that have put me and my family and so many others in danger? I wake up in tears. I am taking a break from social media and the news for a short while. Untangle the threads – person, political…strengthen and center myself…for myself, for my children, for our country, for the world. You are in my heart.
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no. they would not know this America. Because America was
not being twisted as it is today….it still had a pure
innocence
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love
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more love
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he IS racist. I recognize him because my father was racist
and i recognized that racism tho denied as a very young child.
it has a smell.
and i will forever and always be kind and aware and informed
but i will not buckle.
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it’s in Response to that beauty FULL hope some of us felt
and others had to “eat”…choke down
History plays out.
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these are things we NEED to think, to hold close and FACE
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nothing excuses us if we love Earth
we have to forge a way to live inside this Time
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Doris…this has such great sustenance for me, the hearing and seeing from another part of the world
Thank you SO SO SO much and PLEASE send more word…it helps me so much to know that the web that we are is strong and fierce
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we of course, will keep going. there’s no question of that.
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so in a certain way you are Lucky…you are in the middle of it.
and i hope it’s possible to open a conversation….of the
question
WHAT might help you to feel Better?
and then to consider that because it’s not what’s happening now
we need to find some common ground to SEEEEEEE this
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Holding High…YES….we can. and we have to. We WILL.
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I don’t accept it. I look at it. I will find a way to
Just Go
in it.
But i don’t accept it.
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always hopeful, but always ready to Stand.
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i hope it is that they are desperate
because of how their own lives are going
but i don’t really imagine that to be true.
I think we need to look at how deeply the Root is of racism.
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yes. grown deeper. I know this….
how to continue the exchange. IF possible, but to that, i need to always leave a door open. It’s our only real hope.
Under neath Anger is always, always, Fear.
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So, I have contemplated the election and the outcome. I have had a very challenging year personally. The one thing, of many, that I have learned is that I need to LET GO of all of the negativity. Obama had had a full two terms to make his mark. I realize that anger toward the new administration might have been the anger felt by those who have had a president for two terms that they did not support. I need to let it all go. I need to focus on the positive and not all of the negative, in my personal life if nothing else. Give Tey a hug from me.
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i wish you well, LAB. and i will. i will give Tay a hug.
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windthread 
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