If you live in the US, today is election day. Yeah our system sucks and needs change. Fucking do something about it by voting. I don’t know what will happen. Nobody does.
You do have a choice. While the federal races are frustrating and only matter if you’re state is considered a swing state where the race is close, your local races matter far more in your daily life. Change starts small at the local level. District race margins are far smaller. It’s an odd year election so turnout will likely be lower. That means you have a bigger impact.
If there are any problems you have with where you live, or feel that you don’t like something where you live, voting gives you that opportunity to voice your opinion with choices. It’s not perfect, but that’s life.
Voting is about having faith in democracy. To have faith that generations before have fought for in the trenches of war and the trenches of the streets to battle to earn the right to vote. So that everyone can vote or the choice to vote. For the choice to run for office. For the choice for change.
You don’t even have to completely fill out your ballot. It doesn’t take more than 20 minutes.
July 4th. American Independence day weekend. I don’t feel like celebrating.
Living in America feels like a bad dream. A never-ending nightmare of bad news. Yeah, there was that legislation to improve gun safety. But will it really change anything? I doubt it. It feels like another feel-good, a little too late, a middle-ground bill that pleases nobody… And the violence continues. We really need young people in charge. We really need non-corporate slaves in charge. Voting Republican isn’t a solution. Their goal is to create more problems. Way too many were cheering when January 6th happened when America almost became a fascist state.
I’m tired of Joe Biden being a caretaker president. Nothing has changed. His best argument when running was that his long record as a Senator would help him pass legislation through our deadlocked (by republicans) congress. That hasn’t happened. Sure, he has signed many Executive Orders, but those will be canceled by the next eventual republican. We gave him a good shot to get things done, to make big changes… And it hasn’t happened. I’m not voting for him again. I’m so tired of getting my hopes up with politicians only to be disappointed.
So far, he’s been the “Not Trump” candidate.
We need an actual liberal as president. Who isn’t another corporatist wearing a democrat mask? We need leadership that will be alive after their time as president is over, so they must live through the consequences. We need a president who hasn’t lived in the DC bubble, has worked a regular job for a living recently and is not wealthy. I love Bernie Sanders, but the man has done enough for the US. AOC would be a good choice for any of The Squad. There aren’t enough women holding office anyway. It’s embarrassing that we still haven’t had a woman as president. It’s fucking time.
I’m so grateful to live in Washington state. I wonder if things will improve in my lifetime here in America. It sure doesn’t look like the corporate hold over this country will soon disappear. Problems keep piling up, and these piecemeal, half-ass (aka middle ground) solutions won’t cut it any longer. So no, I won’t be celebrating this independence day weekend. Because we, as a country, are dependent on capitalism and corporations. As long as wealth exists, there will never be true equality. Never because some person will be able to be above another.
What am I supposed to do when I can be outspent by some rich person who can donate more money than I will make in my entire life? What am I supposed to do when those same rich assholes own news companies and can indoctrinate millions into what they want? My one vote only goes so far. I can only convince so many people. What am I supposed to do when a group of appointed assholes makes decisions based on their beliefs and not the law? Do we even need the supreme court? Do I even want to be an American?
I’m so exhausted from watching this country slowly disintegrate from a democracy to some nightmare straight out of 1984.
Also, fuck fireworks. They are loud and noisy everywhere these days. They cause pollution. Most of the time, they are set off late at night on a random day and time when you’re trying to sleep, just like a car alarm going off. Of all the amazing things in life, and this modern world, seeing or buying fireworks is the last thing I want to do.
Fireworks’ long history in a nutshell. 😑
Alright, enough complaining. Here are things I can celebrate.
I opened the WordPress app today and saw that the all-time views passed 5000! Wow! That’s a big deal for a personal blog like this! I’ll take it!
I dropped the ball on the 1000 likes landmark and should’ve celebrated it sooner. It happened with this post:
I’ve blogged about it quite a bit. I keep talking about it, but I am not moving forward. Well, not quite. Last week, I began seeing a therapist again. I started seeing a life coach. My scrolling Instagram for hours is paying off because most of that time is spent watching therapy-related reels and images.
I went and saw my buddy on Saturday. He’s going through a hard time, and it’s tough to see him in pain. I’m grateful to have been there for him. That I do have him as a friend.
Feels like everyone is struggling these days…
Since I started in March 2020, the hardest part of this journey has been to pick myself up from rock bottom as my life started over at that time. Relationships changed. People changed. I changed. Life changed. So much so that I’m still adjusting to this new normal.
I had to learn the hard way that the only person to save me is myself. It’s okay to ask for help. Or for support. The bottom line is that I have to be the person to do so. Others do want to help. Others want to be in your life. However, you have to advocate and be there for yourself. It’s part of being an adult. To be healthy.
Despite all the difficulties, there are little things to celebrate. So that’s something… Guess I got that going for me. 😑🙃
I’d like to thank everyone who has taken the time to stop by this blog, read these posts, comment, and like them. I appreciate it. It makes my day. Doing so makes me feel not alone because others connect with my writing. It’s the one way I feel connected to the world and others. It’s hard to cope when I take a lot of time to write, edit, and advertise a post and few people read it. Please continue to stop by.
Song of the post, United in Grief by Kendrick Lamar
(I’ve been listening to this album on repeat, it’s a new favorite and I captured this moment in time perfectly.)
I wish I could say that this is a surprise, but it isn’t.
Abortion is a right.
A woman’s right to choose is a right.
This supreme court decision is the first domino to a worse US.
Anyone who votes Republican is a monster. I’m done being nice.
I have little trust that my fellow Americans will make this right by showing up to vote in November.
Fetuses are not people.
In fact, this argument and the argument about how many weeks until they are human is built around the fact it can be measured by science. That isn’t how science works. You don’t get to pick and choose.
While we are on it, Covid is real, Vaccines are safe, to choose not to get vaccinated or mask up means you are a selfish asshole.
You can’t be pro choice and pro life with vaccines and abortion.
If you think you can get a choice not to get vaccinated, then you don’t get a say when a women chooses to get an abortion. You aren’t Pro Life if you feel you can get covid and spread it to others, causing them physical harm. Unlike Fetuses, coronavirus is real.
If you think abortion is murder, then I think you are a murderer for not being vaccinated. It’s murder to force birth, and not give any support to the child or the parents. It’s murder to not be vaccinated and be around children.
If you vote Republican, you don’t deserve any of the rights or benefits that liberals and democrats have fought for everyone since the start of this country.
You can only read this because schools exist, which are paid by tax dollars. Private schools exist because of government.
If it was possible to abort with a gun, Abortion would be legal. Not that you care what would happen to the mother after as we’ve seen in this debate. It’s always been about power and control over others.
So, no guns, no right of free expression of religion, no legal protection, no social security, no medicaid, no social security, no right to vote, no equality… Nothing. Not like you pay taxes or want to. Pull yourself up by your bootstraps and do in on your own. Oh wait, that’s impossible without voting or government.
Fucking go it alone.
Hate me because you don’t have a say? Because you don’t have a choice?
I woke up this morning just in time to see the headline that Trump has left the Whitehouse. His term as president is finally over. I could relax just a little as his plane took off.
I dunno about anyone else, but I let out an exasperated exhale. Good riddance. Soon he’ll be held accountable in DC, but that can wait. Today we can breathe again.
I could breathe again after 4 years of bracing myself every day from Trump’s bullshit.
Not going to miss this feeling
Relief
I can relax and breathe easy as Kamala Harris is sworn in as VP. There was no time to celebrate after the election as Trump there a fit every step along the way as the biggest sore loser in American history. No more.
We’ve made it. It’s safe. Kamala Harris, is Vice president of the United States of America. The first woman, the first black woman, and first Asian woman to be VP in history. She’s got the experience and skills to get the job done. I had to remind myself today that she is all these firsts, and this was really happening. I’m still in PTSD shock because of the president-eject.
I can breathe easy now that Joe Biden is President of the United States of America. He’s been here before as VP, and many years as a Senator.
The election didn’t feel real until all the mail in ballots were counted.
It didn’t feel real after all the recounts in swing states and certification of the votes by electors.
It didn’t feel real because Trump never acknowledged reality.
It didn’t feel real when his supporters threatened violence.
It didn’t feel real when they went and raided the capitol during the count of electoral votes by the senate.
It didn’t feel real or safe as the inauguration was locked down and had a heavy police and military presence in case of violence.
After these past 4 years, it felt like anything bad could happen.
It only felt real, and final, today when both Biden and Harris were sworn in. It was actually nice not to have Trump there at the inauguration. It would have been like a bad ex showing up to a wedding. Thank goodness for this new day, this new administration.
Biden signs three documents after his inauguration ceremony: his inauguration day proclamation, his nominations for the Cabinet, and his nominations for sub-Cabinet positions.Jim Lo Scalzo/Pool/AP Source
Despite this mask, I can breathe
It’s not going to be easy. America is in its deepest hole yet. The threat of racial injustice is burning hot. Climate change rages. The pandemic takes our breathe away… Literal and figurative as feelings override fact. Never have we been so divided. No it will not forgive or forget those that attacked our nation, and egged on by the president-eject. Justice is on the way. Equality has taken steps forward after being kneecapped by white privilege. By enemies domestic. Terrorists. For now, we can breathe. We can put down the news and live our lives instead of worrying about the news. So much needs to be done, and its on the way. Change is here.
If there is two things I have learned the past year, it’s one day at a time, and celebrate the little things.
Biden, Harris and their spouses leave the US Capitol after the inauguration ceremony.Sarah Silbiger for CNN Source
For now, we can breathe. For now we can rest from this awful hangover caused by the last 4 years.
I’m pretty pessimistic that republicans will actually work with Biden. Not with how they acted after Obama was elected and they abandoned him right away. Not after all their awful enabling behavior the past 4 years with the President-Eject. Guess we will see what happens next. For now, I am completely exhausted from the last administration, and haven’t had time to heal until the President-Eject’s twitter account was banned.
Starting tomorrow, I’m taking a break from the news. I also need to take a break from being on the pc and phone. I’ve been on both far too much since October and I am worried that I am addicted to them again. I was planning on taking this break after the election, but since it dragged out, I didn’t feel safe not to be up to date to stop. I finally feel like I can without the threat of Trump causing destruction.
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