Coping

First, the most vulnerable amongst are now in danger. We need to, more than ever, open our arms, hearts and purses.  Jezebel posted a list of pro-women, pro-immigrant, pro-earth, anti-bigotry organizations.

Go there, pick a few and send them the money you might have spent on that cute pair or earrings, that bottle of Jamo or that gorgeous Coach Market Tote in bronze pebble leather. Yeah, that's my list of things I can rilly do without. Big *sigh.*

Just FYI, as a late middle aged woman who’s not in perfect health, I’m in the vulnerable bin. I live in Massachusetts though. Health Care Reform became reality in 2006. In 2004 we became the first in marriage equality. Elizabeth Warren is my senator! Stephen Lynch is my rep in the House. I might be OK – a lot poorer, probably stone broke, but there’s a chance I’ll live through these next four years. Not everyone will.

For now, I'm in search of ways to achieve calm, ways that I can make a positive difference and work towards productive change. I'm attempting to quiet the burgeoning, angry tide of panic.

I surely hope that AARP and other powerful groups put up one hell of a mammoth fight when the Tea Party/Republicans try to eliminate Social Security, Medicare AND the, not perfect but wonderful, Affordable Care Act.

Also, just to be ultra clear:

As of this writing, Clinton leads the popular vote by roughly 20,000 votes, with 92 percent counted. Further, her lead will likely grow, with most of the remaining votes coming from blue states California, Oregon, and Washington.

However, because Clinton's support was geographically concentrated, Donald Trump will win the Electoral College and become president of the United States.

This comes only 16 years after Al Gore won the popular vote but did not become president of the United States, in a similar affront to democracy. (source)

From FactCheck.org:

Why does the U.S. have an Electoral College? The short answer is the framers of the Constitution didn’t trust direct democracy, and provided an extra layer to ensure, as James Madison put it, that “factions” of citizens with a common interest don’t harm the nation as a whole.

and

…Alexander Hamilton thought the electors would make sure “the office of president will never fall to the lot of any man who is not in an eminent degree endowed with the requisite qualifications.” (source)

So then, NOT every vote counts and once again the "right" has stolen the presidency.

We need the National Popular Vote interstate compact to be the law of the land. EVERY vote should/ MUST count!

The long arc of history bends toward justice.
~ Martin Luther King

Just not in his lifetime and maybe not in mine,