Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Pagan
Five Days Later

Five Days Later

Last updated on: November 13, 2016 at 6:24 am by John Beckett

Five Days Later 2016-11-12T11:40:30-06:00 John Beckett

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

One of my jobs as a Pagan blogger is to be a voice of reason. Or at least that’s what you’ve told me over the years. Some of you, anyway.

I think we need a lot of voices of reason right now. Not necessarily voices of moderation, but voices of people who will look at a difficult situation and tell it like it is. This situation is so complicated I don’t think any of us can get it completely right, but between us all we can sort out the likely dangers from the unlikely ones and come up with a course of action – several courses of action – to make things better.

I’m going to try to be a voice of reason right now.

I’m not going to tell you how to feel. You feel what you feel: disappointment, anger, fear, betrayal, depression, even hatred. Whatever it is, whether it’s justified or not, whether you’re proud of it or not, allow yourself to feel what you feel – because you do.

I had a few drinks watching the election returns. Alcohol doesn’t put things in your head, it just lowers the filters so you say things you’d otherwise keep bottled up. I said some things late Tuesday night that I’m very glad my wife was the only one who heard. I was so angry. I can compromise on economic issues, but on issues of individual rights I can’t compromise an inch, and it pisses me off that anyone wants to take away the rights of others. I was angry. I’m still angry. I expect I’m going to be angry a lot in the next four years, and I’m not going to pretend I’m not.

Take the time you need. Feel what you feel.

I’m not going to tell you how to respond. I’ll be honest – I don’t think protest marches accomplish anything, and they haven’t since the 1960s. But if marching helps you deal with this situation, then march away.

Beyond that, there is no standard playbook for stopping a fascist dictator wannabe and his anti-science theocrat accomplices. Let’s try a lot of different approaches. If something works, let’s do it more. If it doesn’t work, let’s try something else.

I’m not going to tell you it’s going to be OK. It’s not going to be OK. It’s going to suck, a lot. It’s going to suck for me, and I’m a straight white man with a middle class job. I can only imagine how much it’s going to suck for those with less privilege and more vulnerability. We have to see things as they are even when they’re painful and scary.

But there are some things I am going to tell you.

The immediate need is for personal safety. There aren’t any more xenophobic racists in the country than there were in 2008 or 2012. But the election of Donald Trump has empowered and emboldened those who were already here. Do what you have to do to protect yourself.

To my friends who voted for Trump: if you see or hear anyone being the least bit rude – much less dangerously aggressive – toward an immigrant, a religious minority, a woman, an LGBTQ person, or anyone else – stand up. Say something. Intervene if you can, get help if you can’t. Not because this is your fault, but that’s what good people do when bullies attack the vulnerable. Needless to say, the same goes for the rest of us.

The short-term future is uncertain. Like all politicians, Donald Trump made a lot of campaign promises he cannot or will not keep. He’s said some nasty things, but we don’t know what he’ll do, or what the Republican-controlled Congress (many of whom don’t like Trump, for reasons that may not exactly be comforting to those of us of a progressive orientation) will allow him to do.

The monster you can’t see is always scarier than the one you can see. Reality is bad enough – be mindful and don’t let your imagination make things seem worse than they are.

The mid-term future isn’t going to change as much as you think. Remember how little President Obama was able to get done in his first two years even with the Democrats controlling both houses of Congress. A country is a huge thing that turns slowly, even in this era of rapid change.

The Affordable Care Act will be repealed (though Trump is now saying he wants to keep parts of it), but it will be replaced with something. That new something will help some and harm others – until we know what it is, you can’t know which group you fall into. It would be prudent to plan as though it will harm you, to the extent you can.

Marriage equality and the right to an abortion are constitutional rights. Neither the President nor Congress can repeal them, and Trump’s first Supreme Court appointment merely restores the status quo. Pray for the health of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and pray that John Roberts develops a conscience and a backbone.

The long-term future was always going to suck. The American empire is crumbling – not even electing Bernie Sanders would have reversed that trend. The ultrarich continue to siphon money from the poor and squeeze the middle class out of existence. Reproductive rights have been under attack even during the Obama administration. We’ve passed the point of no return on climate change. Trump will accelerate it, but Hillary would not have stopped it.

Which is not to say there was no difference between the two. There was. A Hillary Clinton Presidency would have been much better for women, immigrants, racial and religious minorities, and LGBTQ people. Donald Trump has said – directly and indirectly – he intends to make things worse for all those people. It is no surprise they, everyone who knows someone in one of these groups, and all of us who generally believe in treating everyone with compassion and respect, are scared to death and mad as hell.

I cannot tell you how to feel or how to respond. I encourage you to acknowledge and express your feelings as deeply as necessary, for as long as necessary.

And then when you’re ready, start turning those feelings into reflections, reflections into plans, and plans into actions.

I’m going to be a compassionate presence in a xenophobic world. I’m going to support people and groups doing progressive work. I’m going to take care of myself and my community. And I’m going to work on my flying skills.

What about you?

Previous Post

November 10, 2016

Learning to Fly

Next Post

November 14, 2016 Be The Light – A UU Chalice Lighting

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Books Community CUUPS Druidry Foundations and Context Gods and Goddesses Magic Myth Nature Ritual Spiritual Practice Theology Travel Uncategorized Videos

Select a Month November 2026 October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

I am twelve men sent to explore the Promised Land, but only two gave a good report. Who are we?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Leaders of Israel Explorers Messengers The twelve spies