This is a space for those who like and have supported Hillary Clinton, as we consider the way forward. Those who degrade her and her supporters will be met with recipes and pictures of pets.
This is also a Trump-free zone. Meaning I will not be blogging about the latest horror brought upon us by Donald Trump, his minions, or his other enablers. Positive change and Donald Trump have nothing in common, so if you want to read about the latest Trump outrage, you’ll have to check out one of the other diaries. I will, however, blog about any positive actions taken to resist Trumpism.
Happy New Year, everyone! At least, may it be a happy New Year. I thought I would start it by documenting the ways in people are preparing to fight for positive change, or to otherwise resist:
The Guttmacher Institute is preparing to fight restrictions to women’s reproductive rights:
Founded in 1968, the Guttmacher Institute has been a key source of research, information, and explanation on many aspects of sexual and reproductive health and rights. Their stated vision of a “world in which all people are able to exercise their rights and responsibilities regarding sexual behavior and reproduction freely and with dignity,” and their commitment to promoting and spreading factual analysis have always been enormously important in a society where the battles over sexual education and agency and reproductive justice have ebbed and flowed, but never fully settled.
In light of this new reality, Guttmacher has published a special, post-election, pre-Trump presidency edition of their peer-reviewed research journal, Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health:
Planned Parenthood is fighting as well, having just sued to stop Texas from cutting it from the Medicaid program:
Planned Parenthood has asked a federal judge to stop Texas from cutting it from the state’s Medicaid program, which the country’s largest abortion provider says would reduce health services for nearly 11,000 low-income women.
The request to US district judge Sam Sparks was filed late on Friday in Austin and is part of an ongoing lawsuit filed last year.
Texas is one of several Republican-controlled states that have sought to deny Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood following the release of secretly recorded and heavily edited videos by an anti-abortion group last year.
In North Carolina, incoming Governor Roy Cooper sued to stop the Republicans’ authoritarian power grab:
Cooper argues that the changes approved by the legislature two weeks ago violate the concept of separation of powers and are therefore unconstitutional.
He also argues that the law will have far-reaching implications for all residents of North Carolina because it creates numerous obstacles to voting.
“This complex new law passed in just two days by the Republican legislature is unconstitutiotnal and anything but bipartisan,” Cooper said in a statement posted on Twitter. “A tie on a partisan vote would accomplish what many Republicans want: making it harder for North Carolinians to vote.
Also, fellow Daily Kos member violining247, a passionate Hillary supporter and field organizer, wrote a diary called “Still Here, Still Fighting”. She talks about her journey from grief to determination, and here is a segment below, though the whole thing is worth a read:
The most heartening part is that after the election, I was so afraid that people would give up, especially the ones who had sunk so much time and resources into the campaign only to have it go up in flames at the end. That isn’t what I’ve seen at all, though. Every single person I met on the campaign who I talked to in the aftermath of the election has stated unequivocally that they are staying in the arena and they are going to keep fighting and resisting the incoming administration every step of the way. No one is giving up. That said, a few have asked me what I would recommend as best “next steps,” so for what it’s worth, as a former field organizer, here is how I have generally been responding to that inquiry, in order of priority:
- So many things are going to be under attack that it's going to be impossible to work for every worthwhile cause, so realize that first and foremost. If you try to do it all, you will burn yourself out before we even get through 2017.
- Regarding burnout, take care of your physical, mental, and spiritual well-being, and also look out for the people "in the trenches" with you. It's hard to change the world if you're too beaten down to get out of bed, and as Audre Lorde said, “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.”
- All that said, pick the cause that is nearest and dearest to you, the thing you would throw yourself in front of a bus for, and get involved with a well-established organization that works for said cause (e.g., NARAL or Planned Parenthood if your cause is reproductive rights). Throw yourself into it wholeheartedly. No individual can save the world by his or herself, but if we all take a small corner and work to make it better, we can start to move forward again.
Finally, it’s possible Trump’s election could make more women run for office:
She Should Run, a non-partisan non-profit that encourages more women to get into politics, has seen more than 5,100 women sign up for its incubator programme since the election, according to Erin Loos Cutraro, the group's chief executive and co-founder.
The incubator, initially launched in March, helps prepare women who are interested in running for office and connects them with like-minded women.
Chelsea Wilson, a 27-year-old member of the Cherokee Nation and Oklahoma native, is one of those women who felt empowered to step forward.
The Washington, DC, resident went through the programme in the spring. She plans to return to her home state and run for office.
"More women in government injects new perspectives and ideas," Ms Wilson says. "And I think the election shined a light on what's missing in politics.
Think positive and fight onward. Make the impossible possible. This is your open thread.