Thank you Jessica, I just became a paid subscriber. We need your voice now more than ever. I think I’m still in shock. I know I shouldn’t be but I guess I still had hope that there were more people who would choose freedom and intelligence and human decency over a racist, hateful, misogynistic, sexual assaulter, criminal clown. I underestimated the countries hate for women and racism. I’m embarrassed and ashamed of my white sisters who voted for him and against their own rights. We failed the country. I alternate between rage and despair. I know I can’t curl up in a ball and disappear even though that’s what I want to do. My 21 year old daughter and I checked in on each other and here are her wise words. “It’s genuinely a bunch of young kids who don’t know what they are talking about or who they are voting for. It’s uneducated boys and it’s girls that want male validation.” 💔
This will be my last message, frankly every one of you but especially Jessica needs to think about a safety plan asap as talk about this issue will likely be legally iffy after Jan 20th.
Thanks for fighting and here’s hoping there will be a brighter future.
The world feels very unsafe right now. Spent the day crying with overwhelming disappointment and in shock. So many will suffer. Even the women who so clearly voted against their own best interests. Is that what it will take?
"Hopelessness is baked into the recipe." A friend just texted me that after watching one of Jessica's IG posts. Yup. We cannot eat this cake they baked for us! (Am I taking the metaphor too far?)
I was listening to David French of the NYT on a podcast. He ended his analysis by saying our job breaks down into just two main tasks: Defend the Vulnerable, Speak the Truth.
How do we continue to have relationships with family members who voted for Trump? I'm really struggling with this right now. I'm absolutely devastated that my brother, sister, and niece voted again for this man. I don't know how I can push that aside anymore and continue to make excuses for them.
My husband just wrote off his sister, her children and several friends. He said he can't look at them anymore without a total lack of respect. He said he will speak to his sister on the phone about his Mom, but when she brings up politics and used her evangelical religion as defense as she always tries to do, he will hang up. Thankfully, I don't have any close family to deal with.
This is such an important question. I think so many of us are dealing with this. Sometimes I feel like it is a choice of my own mental health or contributing to the division in this country that has made all this possible. Do I keep building bridges or do I protect myself?
I would say protect yourself now because shunning them may have an effect and wait for them to realize it once all the good governance is gone and they will start to get hurt. These people don't understand how the Democrats and our check and balances and the rule of law over the decades prevented this type of Republican autocratic thing from happening sooner but they will once it falls apart.
I feel your pain. My husband and I have lost much of our large extended families to MAGA. For decades we agreed to disagree over politics and made excuses for racist and misogynist behavior in the service of "family harmony" and "tolerance of other viewpoints." But we could not forgive people who rationalized putting children in internment camps and voted to put our daughter's health and life at risk. We made the choice some time ago to distance ourselves and to nurture our chosen family who share our values. In the end, for us, leaving those relationships was less painful than maintaining them.
"In the end, for us, leaving those relationships was less painful than maintaining them. " TY. Words of wisdom even in other conflicts (which I do have with my siblings).
Thank you so much for the thoughtful lifeline today. I've spent way too much time today crying about feeling so disrespected by a nation to which I have given so much of my life in service. A female relative once asked me if I was angry that RBG hadn't stepped down earlier, to help us avoid the terrible court scheme that we have now. I confidently said "No. I won't blame a woman for the bad behavior of a man." I hope we can all be thoughtful moving forward to place the blame for this election on who deserves it: the voters that have indeed chosen the "worst man" over the best woman. We did everything we could. It was a brilliant and joyful campaign. I can only hope that the universe will find a way to balance things in the end. But in the meantime, I'm going to work hard to help raise the next generation of women and men who understand compassion, empathy, and integrity.
I just had some liberal white guy tell me I am 'no better than Trumpy,' because I said I don't view men the same way as I did prior to last night. This MF told me to 'do better'. I am done giving men the benefit of the doubt and explaining my viewpoint.
I told a friend this morning that I've been feeling fear, which is a super disempowering emotion, and that I wanted to be ale to feel rage, because that's more empowering. Your comment did it for me!
Thank you. I hope you are taking care of yourself as much as possible too. Very interested to know your opinion on whether or not it’s safe to get pregnant in a red state right now and if that safety will decline over the next four years. Appreciate your work and experience much!
I shared this a lot today, I knew so many women were feeling this too. A friend in Ireland texted during the night, they were watching in disgust there. They don’t know why Americans can’t see that he’s “mental”. So I filled out new passport forms for the kids, as I’ve been meaning to, and will use some of our education savings to show them more of the world and consider studying abroad.
Thank you for always seeing the right thing at the right time. I'm so lucky to be in community with all of your readers. The gift that you sent for buying your book actually arrive today, which is a good reminder that I am committed to this fight.
Thank you Jessica, I just became a paid subscriber. We need your voice now more than ever. I think I’m still in shock. I know I shouldn’t be but I guess I still had hope that there were more people who would choose freedom and intelligence and human decency over a racist, hateful, misogynistic, sexual assaulter, criminal clown. I underestimated the countries hate for women and racism. I’m embarrassed and ashamed of my white sisters who voted for him and against their own rights. We failed the country. I alternate between rage and despair. I know I can’t curl up in a ball and disappear even though that’s what I want to do. My 21 year old daughter and I checked in on each other and here are her wise words. “It’s genuinely a bunch of young kids who don’t know what they are talking about or who they are voting for. It’s uneducated boys and it’s girls that want male validation.” 💔
I have to go teach Sociology and Gender Studies classes today and I still don’t know what I am going to say to them. I’m at a complete loss.
This will be my last message, frankly every one of you but especially Jessica needs to think about a safety plan asap as talk about this issue will likely be legally iffy after Jan 20th.
Thanks for fighting and here’s hoping there will be a brighter future.
Stay safe
The world feels very unsafe right now. Spent the day crying with overwhelming disappointment and in shock. So many will suffer. Even the women who so clearly voted against their own best interests. Is that what it will take?
Jessica, we’ll be there for you as well. This community you’ve built to care for each other, will be here for you. 🩷
"Hopelessness is baked into the recipe." A friend just texted me that after watching one of Jessica's IG posts. Yup. We cannot eat this cake they baked for us! (Am I taking the metaphor too far?)
I was listening to David French of the NYT on a podcast. He ended his analysis by saying our job breaks down into just two main tasks: Defend the Vulnerable, Speak the Truth.
I can do that. We can do that.
How do we continue to have relationships with family members who voted for Trump? I'm really struggling with this right now. I'm absolutely devastated that my brother, sister, and niece voted again for this man. I don't know how I can push that aside anymore and continue to make excuses for them.
My husband just wrote off his sister, her children and several friends. He said he can't look at them anymore without a total lack of respect. He said he will speak to his sister on the phone about his Mom, but when she brings up politics and used her evangelical religion as defense as she always tries to do, he will hang up. Thankfully, I don't have any close family to deal with.
This is such an important question. I think so many of us are dealing with this. Sometimes I feel like it is a choice of my own mental health or contributing to the division in this country that has made all this possible. Do I keep building bridges or do I protect myself?
I would say protect yourself now because shunning them may have an effect and wait for them to realize it once all the good governance is gone and they will start to get hurt. These people don't understand how the Democrats and our check and balances and the rule of law over the decades prevented this type of Republican autocratic thing from happening sooner but they will once it falls apart.
I feel your pain. My husband and I have lost much of our large extended families to MAGA. For decades we agreed to disagree over politics and made excuses for racist and misogynist behavior in the service of "family harmony" and "tolerance of other viewpoints." But we could not forgive people who rationalized putting children in internment camps and voted to put our daughter's health and life at risk. We made the choice some time ago to distance ourselves and to nurture our chosen family who share our values. In the end, for us, leaving those relationships was less painful than maintaining them.
"In the end, for us, leaving those relationships was less painful than maintaining them. " TY. Words of wisdom even in other conflicts (which I do have with my siblings).
I'm not going anywhere.
Subscribed. Power on Jessica. You are my hero.
Thank you, Jessica, for all that you do.
Thank you so much for the thoughtful lifeline today. I've spent way too much time today crying about feeling so disrespected by a nation to which I have given so much of my life in service. A female relative once asked me if I was angry that RBG hadn't stepped down earlier, to help us avoid the terrible court scheme that we have now. I confidently said "No. I won't blame a woman for the bad behavior of a man." I hope we can all be thoughtful moving forward to place the blame for this election on who deserves it: the voters that have indeed chosen the "worst man" over the best woman. We did everything we could. It was a brilliant and joyful campaign. I can only hope that the universe will find a way to balance things in the end. But in the meantime, I'm going to work hard to help raise the next generation of women and men who understand compassion, empathy, and integrity.
I just had some liberal white guy tell me I am 'no better than Trumpy,' because I said I don't view men the same way as I did prior to last night. This MF told me to 'do better'. I am done giving men the benefit of the doubt and explaining my viewpoint.
I told a friend this morning that I've been feeling fear, which is a super disempowering emotion, and that I wanted to be ale to feel rage, because that's more empowering. Your comment did it for me!
Thank you. I hope you are taking care of yourself as much as possible too. Very interested to know your opinion on whether or not it’s safe to get pregnant in a red state right now and if that safety will decline over the next four years. Appreciate your work and experience much!
I shared this a lot today, I knew so many women were feeling this too. A friend in Ireland texted during the night, they were watching in disgust there. They don’t know why Americans can’t see that he’s “mental”. So I filled out new passport forms for the kids, as I’ve been meaning to, and will use some of our education savings to show them more of the world and consider studying abroad.
Thank you for always seeing the right thing at the right time. I'm so lucky to be in community with all of your readers. The gift that you sent for buying your book actually arrive today, which is a good reminder that I am committed to this fight.