Hi, Friends.

Sorry I haven’t been in a space to write lately. I’ve been doing a broad smattering of pre-election volunteering: checking on polling places, Get Out the Vote calls, training as Poll Challenger (stupid title – really a poll defender) for Election Day. Plus more trainings and some race-related facilitations, and my work hours have gone up. BUT MOSTLY it’s stress over the upcoming election. If Biden wins, the door to real democracy is cracked open, though still heavy. If Trump wins … I guess my attention turns mostly local. I haven’t thought much about what happens with a legitimate Trump win (limited legitimacy due to: massive voter suppression, historically & inherently racist Electoral College, constant disinformation, etc), either because I’m lying to myself or because the polls only give that a 10% chance of happening.

If he tries to steal the election, I guess I’ll see how much I’m willing and able to contribute to massive national protests and strikes and whatever else. There are lots of resources for nonviolent resistance out there. Feel free to contribute yours below. Who knows when we’ll even know anything. Sleep and exercise and meditation are good. I’m mostly managing to maintain those, if not other things, like a good diet. We do what we can.

I have been trying to prepare myself for how to live in a Trump America, if it comes to that. I’ve spent a wee bit of time assessing what will still be within my reach of influence, what I can still love and partner with and help. With the caveat that the personal is political and no utopian parochialism will entirely protect us from a violent autocrat, and our acceleration towards an increasingly human-unfriendly environment will be unrestrained under a continuing Trump regime, these realities still exist: