I’ve begun and abandoned an embarrassing number of pieces in regards to Trump supporters treating The Capitol like a portable outhouse at an outdoor music festival. Try as I might, I can’t quite get my words into coherent sentences. Whenever I feel close, I suddenly remember that my city got invaded with BORTAC agents because of some graffiti on a courthouse. When this piece of knowledge collides with my realization that Mr. chewbacca bikini will get organic food in jail, I have a rage blackout and have to start all over again.
And no, I don’t have a problem with prisoners getting high quality food or practicing their religion while behind bars, but I have to point out that the U.S. has a rather uneven record in this regard.
During the last impeachment (which is a thing we can say during this administration and that alone is both sad and hilarious) I paid close attention and documented the proceedings in a series of blog posts.
Now doing that feels pointless, because it’s a lot of the same cow excrement all over again.
On my young and humble blog, I have been a broken record about the danger of Bad Faith Arguments. One of the hazards of watching such tactics play out on the government stage is the exhausting effect is has on the people.
Anyone who read the Mueller Report (or even just skimmed it) knows that the Russia investigation was not a waste of time. Yet today, plenty of house Republicans were eager to repeat the tired (and false) talking point that it was a mere political witch hunt. These individuals have access to intelligence sources that would stop any bloggers heart with excitement, and yet they persist in this lie. They keep their speech juuuuuuust civil enough to try and convince onlookers that they are sincere in their convictions, but it’s always a trap. To actually debate them would be pointless. If they won’t break form Lord Dampnut after hiding from violent Q maniacs for hours, then there’s no reaching them. The whole thing is both draining and horrifying to watch.
Which is probably a huge part of why they just lost. So what now?
Honestly, I don’t know for sure what will happen in the coming days. I had hoped that basic self preservation would discourage anyone responsible for security in the Capitol from siding with the folks who were looking to execute Vice President Pence, but it seems that was potentially not the case for all personnel involved. My bad. I underestimate the power of death cults sometimes.
I strongly suspect that Lord Dampnut will ultimately be removed from power and that life will go on. There will unpleasantness, possibly violence, and maybe even more deaths. But I think we’ll get through it and have a semi-functional federal government again soon.
And every single one of us must take care to never take Democracy for granted ever again.
That doesn’t mean we should all be constantly checking twitter (in fact we should really probably stop doing that so much) it just means that we should consistently vote and call out lies when we see them. As we were all just reminded, doing these things saves a lot of trouble.
As for healing, we need that too. But healing can’t happen without accountability and justice. Not on a national scale, anyway.
On a personal scale, however, there are things you can do.
Over the last few weeks, I’ve been trying to reclaim parts of myself that have gone undernourished in these times. I’ve been reading more quality fiction and poetry. I’ve been letting myself enjoy videogames. I have been singing and making music for personal pleasure. And I have, for a moment here and there, found a peace that I have not known for years.
I had originally hoped, when I started this blog, for politics to be merely a fraction of the content. But I’ve had a hard time managing this goal in light of, well, everything. So I now I’ll repeat myself- Politics matter because people matter.
The point of paying attention to current events isn’t to find out if you can actually cry blood. The point of holding powerful people accountable through votes/phone calls/ public commentary is so that we can get a real COVID plan and go play DDR at the local barcade sometime this decade.
Right now, your brain is under the stress of constant uncertainty. But we did not always live like this, and we won’t always live like this. Don’t wait for everything to “feel” calm again. Bake that batch of cookies. Watch that movie that always makes you laugh. Listen to a favorite album or compilation. Do whatever comforting activity you have the time and energy for.
We are so close to this chapter being over. Let’s take care of ourselves and pay attention, so that the next chapter is actually better. COVID-19 is still killing, and not all of Lord Dampnut’s enablers have been brought to justice. But if Georgia overcoming years of gerrymandering and voter suppression in order to flip the senate blue is any hint, Americans are fed the fuck up and change is in the air.
Be well everyone ❤
Sing Into The Void 