I have, as Tim said, spent my entire adult life fighting for what I believe in. I have had successes and I have had setbacks. Sometimes really painful ones. Many of you are at the beginning of your professional public and political careers. You will have successes and setbacks, too. This loss hurts but please never stop believing that fighting for what’s right is worth it. It is. It is worth it. And so we need―we need you to keep up these fights now and for the rest of your lives, and to all the women and especially the young women who put their faith in this campaign and in me, I want you to know that nothing has made me prouder than to be your champion. HRC
I hesitated posting yesterday. This election has given me writers block. All I can think about is what’s next. Like many of my readers, I was with her. I watched the election unfold in fetal position from behind my couch because I thought I was going to have a panic attack. I am devastated at the outcome but am going to take to Hillary’s advice and give him a chance to lead with an open mind.
I saw he wanted to limit the number of terms a congressman can hold office, which I do think is a good idea but Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell said is not a priority and likely will not pass. I do have conservative fiscal views but I’m so socially liberal, I would never align myself with either party.
I read that Trump wants to appoint a climate change denier as the head of the EPA as well as cancel billions in payments to U.N. climate change programs. Sounds great for the environment.
I’m nervous about what will happen to women’s reproductive rights and pray it gets left to the states (sorry Texas). I’m nervous for the 22 million and counting people who have Obamacare. I’m nervous for the LGBTQ community and minorities who already have faced assaults, name calling and threats in just the first 2 days after the election.
Apparently ISIS is celebrating and thinks we are going to have a civil war. I think we are a nation divided but this is a bit extreme.
The election is over. Trump is going to be our president, unless he get’s impeached before entering office which is a possibility with a Trump University lawsuit starting in late November. Hillary wasn’t a perfect candidate but what difference does it now make.
What I wanted to do in this post is encourage those of you who are upset with the outcome to realize that your voice needs to be heard now more than ever.
Here is a list curated by Jezebel of Pro-Women, Pro-Immigrant, Pro-Earth and Anti Bigotry organizations that need your support.
Instead of sitting at home texting complaints to your friends, actually find a way to help and be the change. Maybe it’s donating to Planned Parenthood or volunteering at the Boys and Girls club, but do something. To reiterate the above quote, “…Never stop believing that fighting for what’s right is worth it. It is. It is worth it.”
Most importantly, be kind. Rise above the hatred. Be the change you want to see in our nation. And remember, not all Trump supporters are racist, bigots or sexist. Yes, they exist and their actions make the news but they aren’t all bad.
“And to all the little girls who are watching this, never doubt that you are valuable and powerful and deserving of every chance and opportunity in the world to pursue and achieve your own dreams.” -HRC
I had to write this post as a therapeutic action for myself. I’ll return to fitness, health and mommy blogging tomorrow.
Wow…this post actually makes me feel a bit more hopeful with less despair. Like you, I don’t side with a political party and I am also fiscally conservative and socially liberal. I agree that if you want to make a difference do something to get put there and make that difference.
Thank you for a wonderful post.
Great post Sarah, it is good to see bloggers acknowledging what has happened and good to see there are people who care about our future.
Thank you so much for shedding light and positivity on such a tragedy that has overcome our country. This has only inspired me to continue fighting for what I believe in, protect my loved ones and only spread love and positive regard to all who need it.
Dear Sarah,
Thank you so much for this post! I really dislike it when other bloggers only stick to their own thematic and have zero opinion about what’s going on in the world or our country.
Let’s stay vigilant!
Sara please stop ending blogposts with sentences like “I’ll return to fitness, health and mommy blogging tomorrow.” You shouldn’t apologise for not only writing about fitness and health and mommy stuff, it’s your blog you should write about what you want ????
I have followed you for years since I was a teenager, I enjoy all aspects of your blog, even your mommy stuff and I am not even near being a mommy myself but I still enjoy it, and I don’t see why you can’t write about whatever you want because this is your blog and your space! ????
Thank you for speaking about this! We don’t operate in a vacuum and this election will affect us all. I too was with her and am terribly upset. My entire office is in mourning.
Hi Sarah,
I have been living overseas for the past few years, but still very much care about the goings on of the US. Like you, my heart is heavy over Tuesday night’s events. I worry for the example we have just set for our kids, and that hateful, bigoted rhetoric has effectively been deemed acceptable. I worry the safety of minority groups and for the rights they currently hold. The day after the election, I donated to Planned Parenthood and I will continue to support groups doing good work even if I am halfway around the world. I worry about what is to come, but I also have hope for the future of this country. Maybe this week’s events were just what our young people needed to become inspired and get behind some good causes.
Thank you for having the guts to write your views. I subscribe to many blogs and just read a post where the blogger actually apologized for her previous post because it was “too political” (which it was not at all). I think this kind of acquiescence is not what your country needs at this time (I am Canadian). Even though I’m not American, I felt your despair Tuesday night. I actually woke up at 3am and went on the internet and then the result kept me up all night. The only thing that is comforting is knowing that there are many others who feel this way, and that we all have an uphill battle.
I really appreciate you sharing this post. Like you (and probably most of your readers), I’m terrified of what may happen in the coming months and years. I’m horrified that the face of our nation is now a racist, sexist, xenophobic bigot and that some of his supporters are using his election to be publicly hateful. Please never apologize for sharing your perspective on politics. Some bloggers take the easy way out by saying they want their space to be 100% happy. To me, that means they’ll never take a stance or be real with their readers. You’re doing so much good by using your platform to share the names of organizations people can donate to. Even if only a few people are compelled to act, you’ve still made a difference and I think that’s worth keeping up in the future. We’re going to need voices like yours over the coming years.
“Be kind” and “donate to planned parenthood” really don’t belong in the same paragraph. Providing more and more options for women to get rid of their babies is not kindness. I do wish the fitness blogs I follow would stick to fitness. I get more than enough election exposure from my friends and the articles they talk about and post.
So don’t read LCI…
Honest question--how is abortion “good work”? I read comments from the liberal side of the political aisle and wonder how good people can support such seemingly horrific practices. Don’t get me wrong; I’m pro-choice. I just happen to believe that the time for choice is at the moment two people decide to have sex, not when a third life is potentially sacrificed in the choice (except in cases of rape, incest, the mother’s life is endangered by the pregnancy). Could someone please explain this line of thinking??? It’s always been so fascinating to me how we cherry-pick what parts of the imperfect political platforms that are our options and conveniently ignore the nasty parts. One thing Sarah got right--Hillary Clinton is every bit as “imperfect” as many Democrats are saying Donald Trump is, just in different ways. I, for one, felt every bit as much inner pain as I’m hearing expressed now both times Barak Obama won, and many of my worst fears were realized. I can tell you from first hand experience that you’ll live and the world will go on, just perhaps not in the way you’d prefer. ???? Get lots of workouts in; that’s a great stress reliever!
What fears were realized?
What did Obama do that actually changed your life as you know it?
Do not equate his Presidency with that of someone built his entire campaign on bullying women, immigrants, etc. Obama never ever went after any group of people durin his campaign or his presidency.
Equating his victory to that of Trump is ridiculous. Obama is just another Democrat. Just like Bush was just another Republican.
Trump however ran an entire campaign on hate and marginalizing entire groups of people. People are fearful for their actual lives.
What did Obama say that could make anyone fear go their actual life? Give me a list of three to five things he said on the campaign that illustrate his desire to go after a group of people.
Thank you for this.