I listened to this, this afternoon, tearing up just a bit.
I'm doing my best to work on cherishing right now. (I meant that seriously, not in a snarky way.) And also on this:
This is painful and it will be for a long time. But I want you to remember this:
Our campaign was never about one person, or even one election. It was about the country we love, and about building an America that's hopeful, inclusive, and big-hearted. We have seen that our nation is more deeply divided than we thought, but I still believe in America, and I always will. And if you do, then we must accept this result and then look to the future.
Donald Trump is going to be our president. We owe him an open mind and the chance to lead. Our constitutional democracy enshrines the peaceful transfer of power. And we don't just respect that; we cherish it.
From the concession speech of Hillary Clinton (12 minutes and 13 seconds).
I'm doing my best to work on cherishing right now. (I meant that seriously, not in a snarky way.) And also on this:
Our constitutional democracy demands our participation, not just every four years, but all the time. So let's do all we can to keep advancing the causes and values we all hold dear.
I had a college history professor who told us that it generally doesn't matter who is in power (except for murderous dictators), life for the peasants goes on and nothing much changes. Keep up the good work you are doing and continue being a positive influence to those around you.
ReplyDeleteI think I agree that nothing *much* changes, at least not for those who are fairly comfortable and protected (like me and maybe you). But there are people for whom the person in power makes a huge difference -- the soldiers who do (or don't) go a war that a president does (or doesn't declare), for example.
DeletePart of the reason that I was so teary that particular day is that I had a student sobbing in my office earlier. She and her 3-year-old niece were both born in the U.S., but the rest of her family has lived here undocumented for decades. She is terrified that they'll be separated. For her, the threat of very big things changing in her life is very, very real.