embrace healing
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are not saviors. They are not superheroes. They are not the great hope of America — its people are. Yet with their win we have at least gained a foothold instead of falling off the cliff — time to take a breath, be grateful, and reach out for the strength to rebuild.
On the night in 2016 that Donald Trump was confirmed as the President of the United States, I was walking home when I was stopped in the street by a man and his two friends, who asked me laughing, “How much?”
Even in London and other parts of the world, suddenly racists, misogynists and other bigots felt empowered to reveal their brutality by the example of our new world “leader”.
That set the tone for the next four years of anger, despair, and struggle for many communities: immigrants, Black and Indigenous and LGBT+ American citizens, and once the coronavirus hit, millions of vulnerable people.
We cannot say our problems are solved. There is a pandemic ravaging every country in the world, with poor indigenous people the hardest hit.
Breonna Taylor’s shooter is now suing the partner she left behind, citing “emotional distress”. The planet is in a more desperate condition than ever, and many endangered species are now unprotected by law.
But we now have space to speak, instead of being shouted down at every opportunity.
We can watch the news without feeling immediately threatened. We can begin to hope, instead of struggling to get through the day without being overwhelmed with fear and bitterness.
This is only the beginning of our work. The Vice President-elect said “Democracy is not guaranteed, it is only as strong as our willingness to fight for it.” We will hold our new leaders, and ourselves to their words.
The Brexit transition period ends this year. The next Philippine presidential election is in 2022. Register. Mobilize. Take action. Let the work to come be part of a great healing!
Originally published at https://wonderwanderwomen.blogspot.com on November 7, 2020.
