Have you been as caught off guard as I have by the sudden ‘Everything Will Be OK’ sentiment across social media?
Some of us are tired. Actually, after this election, tired doesn’t begin to cover it. Both sides painted such a dire picture of each others’ agendas. Both made it sound as if we wouldn’t have a country if the other side won. But the day after the election, I started seeing different messages on social media. These new missives advised everyone to sit back and relax. Take a deep breath. That everything will be OK.
While one might argue that messages of hate came much more frequently from one side, both offered up plenty of drama. It was clear, each said, that if “that other person” won the presidency, we would be in for real ruin one way or the other.
I get it. That’s what politics is all about: one side has to make the other look so horrible that there’s no other choice. Our two-party system is, by nature, meant to divide. (I know, you’d prefer to blame “the media” for that.) But the fact is, the Democrats and the Republicans have a vested interest in an all-or-nothing ball game. They don’t want a third-party to ever get any kind of foothold. They don’t care about more moderate ideas; they want you to be “all in” with their own.
So you’ll have to forgive me if, the day after the election, I was a little surprised. The mood went from “We have to win” to a somber yet sincere, “Everything will be OK.”
That’s quite a switch!
I suppose it’s what happens in a locker room after a football game. You have, at some point, to be able to accept defeat. You keep pressing on and start worrying about the next game. It’s not healthy, after all, to go on brooding about a loss.
Vice President Kamala Harris, in a concession speech Wednesday, showed integrity and class in her remarks. Consider this sample:
A fundamental principle of American democracy is that when we lose an election, we accept the results. That principle, as much as any other, distinguishes democracy from monarchy or tyranny. And anyone who seeks the public trust must honor it. At the same time, in our nation, we owe loyalty not to a president or a party, but to the Constitution of the United States, and loyalty to our conscience and to our God. My allegiance to all three is why I am here to say, while I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign—the fight: the fight for freedom, for opportunity, for fairness, and the dignity of all people. A fight for the ideals at the heart of our nation, the ideals that reflect America at our best. That is a fight I will never give up.
After 2020, it would be difficult to imagine her opponent making that kind of statement. If you voted for Donald Trump, I hope you can at least respect Harris’ speech and her pledge to help Trump transition back into power.
But I hope you can realize something else
There are people who are genuinely hurting. Not so much because their side lost, but because some of the rhetoric the winning side delivered makes them now feel they’re not safe.
One of my readers, Diana, put it this way in a comment to the previous post:
I can tell you that the transgender community is in shock! I see on Facebook… “I’m scared!” “What do we do now?”
From all the anti-transgender rhetoric that came out of Trump’s campaign, everything from from rolling back non-discrimination laws to banning diversity in the workplace and schools.
The community is worried that this is the start of what happened in the 1930s in Germany. There is talk about fleeing to Canada or some other country. Did you every think that here in America people would be worrying about being persecuted because who they are?
A friend on Facebook told me he’s worried someone close to him is actually contemplating suicide out of a deep level of fear for their own safety.
Far from the “everything will be OK” messaging I’m seeing on Facebook, I see others saying, “I’m not ok.”
I’m OK. But I understand why a lot of people aren’t. And I understand why a lot of people feel a tremendous loss that goes far beyond an Electoral College vote count.
If you voted for Trump and you can’t fathom why anyone might be hurt, I’d urge you to stop shouting and pay attention. Listen to the other point of view. Listen to the grief. And, most importantly, try to imagine the sense of loss you might have felt if Harris had won.
I hope both sides can see how much damage has been done. I hope the winning side will make a little extra effort to heal some of the wounds.
That’s how we can all begin to make sure that everything will indeed be OK in the future. At this point, it’s past time to start making those efforts.
