New YouTube video, and this one was something I’ve wanted to do for a while, and especially after last week, my friends and I realized no time would be more appropriate. If you need any sort of pick-me-up to your day, I hope this video helps in some small way. It was definitely a labor of love. ❤
Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin has a great new interview with President Obama in Vanity Fair. In the wide-ranging interview, they discuss Abraham Lincoln, Obama’s biggest regrets from his time in office, and how a visit to the pyramids reminded Obama that cable news doesn’t really matter.
But perhaps the most intriguing bit was when, in a brief discussion of Obama’s plans for his post-presidency, Obama hinted that he planned to start speaking out more like an activist than a president.
There are “things,” he told Goodwin, “that in some ways I suspect I’m able to do better out of this office.” He elaborated that because of the “institutional constraints” of the presidency, “there are things I cannot say.”
He went on to essentially say he wanted to use his post-presidential bully pulpit more like an activist than a venerable elder statesman. “There are institutional obligations I have to carry out that are important for a president of the United States to carry out, but may not always align with what I think would move the ball down the field on the issues that I care most deeply about,” he said.
And while vague, this is an intriguing hint that Obama is thinking about being a very different ex-president than we’ve been used to.
There’s something I realized with the results of this election, fear wins. A lot of people aren’t openly hateful, but so many people are afraid and have been made afraid. I understand that a lot of us on tumblr are justifiably scared now, I’m scared too, but it was also fear that lead to that man winning.
He won because he convinced people they had to be terrified of certain groups, of certain laws, of this, that, and the other thing. And while hate was involved, so was extreme fear of the future. We are afraid now, but we can’t be like that man, we can’t scare people into thinking our way. We need to be brave now more than ever and show people that their fears were unwarranted.
I don’t mean coming out in dangerous homes/towns or impeding your physical safety, but we can’t show that man’s supporter’s hate because they’ll think he was right. I don’t want to be the bigger person, I want to fight them all tooth and nail, but sometimes the best way is to show love and compassion to everyone, and maybe then we can bring some change. We’ve lost unity because of fear, we are divided because of fear. But fear can be fixed with love and compassion.
Communities and people have had to be patient for years, and it’s sad to think that has to keep on going, but hate will never win. Love trumps hate, and I don’t like it, but to make a different America, we will have to be a counter culture of love and bravery.
Always fight for your rights, but do not threaten or be cruel. Never be like him. You are better than him. You can make a better America. You can make America great for the first time. Because a great America loves each other.
while it’s true that we need to “keep fighting”, it’s important to remember that we’re not fighting people. we’re fighting hateful ideas and ignorance.
we need to educate & listen to each other. yes even (and especially) when the other person is a huge bigot, because we’re never going to change their mind by making fun of them.
we need to explain and educate and fight the problem, not the people.
honestly i feel kinda bad for trump supporters. they’re worried and scared and genuinely think they’ve done a good thing. we need to learn from this election that we’re not gonna change any of that by hating them or ignoring them. unfortunately. that would be a lot easier.
this fight requires a lot of work and conversation with people you don’t wanna talk to.
and i hate to say it, but the same thing goes for afd voters! it’s nice to just say fuck them they’re idiots. it’s nice and easy and feels good.
but the uncomfortable truth is that that’s not going to get us anywhere.
I’m posting this to warn people in North Carolina, Muslims and
Jewish peeps (Muslims and Jews of colour especially), all people of colour and queer people (lesbian, trans, gay, non binary, agender, asexual, all of you) to please be safe wherever you are on that date.
If you do not feel safe, please stay at home or with friends. Do not attempt to engage them or incite them to violence for your and your friends and families safety, please. Do not give them a reason.
If you want to organise a counter protest, that is fine too but please, always be safe. Organise the protest on secure channels where it is safer and away from potential fascist infiltration.
First, understand that the opposite of panic is not blithe acceptance of the situation – it’s clear-minded, positive, day-to-day action. Panic makes you do stupid shit or, even worse, curl up into a ball and do nothing. Don’t tell me you have reason to panic. You never have reason to panic. You have reason to act.
So yeah, be upset for as long as you want. Get drunk. Do whatever you have to do. After that, I want you to sober up, splash water on your face, and consider some facts.
Your country didn’t go anywhere. It’s right here where you left it. America is nothing more than a big ol’ collection of people, and those people are more diverse and progressive than they have ever been. That train won’t be stopped. Donald Trump’s supporters are by and large an aging and shrinking demographic. We didn’t see the backlash coming, but that’s on us – a look at our history would have taught us to expect it.
In light of that, there are a few things to understand going forward.
Currently some very scary people are slated to take over two of the three branches of government.
We can’t do much about the executive for four years, which sucks, but we can do something about the legislature.
In 2018 there are 33 SENATE SEATS UP FOR GRABS, ALONG WITH ALL 435 HOUSE SEATS.
36 of 50 Governors will be up for re-election.
You need to vote in the midterm elections!
One of the most productive things you can do right now is register to vote and sign up for an absentee ballot.
Tumblr is a very young population, and very mobile. We move around a LOT–for school, for jobs, for relationships, etc. So an absentee ballot is great way of ensuring that you stay ready to vote even if you have to move for school.
Just make sure that you either have the ballot sent to a family member you can trust to forward it to you in the mail, or that you keep your current mailing address updated in the system.
Tyson ends the episode with a quote that humanity still has many “rivers” (voyages to come) to cross.
Despite what just happened, despite the selfish, racist, misogynistic (etc) arseholes who managed to get a vote thru for Brexit, for Trump. There is still good in the world. There are still good people, who will prevail. Be strong.
Initiative Archival Network 