Democrats and people who love America are grieving. That is understandable. Everyone will need time to express feelings of shock, anger, and fear. Respect those who need to talk about what happened and those who don’t want to talk about it. Everyone will need to process the results in their own way.

It will take time to digest what happened and why it happened. Both are necessary inquiries. But there is no rational explanation for America’s election of a felon, adjudicated sexual abuser, incessant liar, narcissist, and aspiring dictator. None. So, think about it as much as you need to, but don’t waste emotional energy seeking answers where there are none. 

Trump is an avatar of anger for millions who see their world slipping away. There is additional nuance about racism, misogyny, and white nationalism, but it’s not more complicated than that.

We must invest all our energy in the process of recovery and the continued defense of democracy. 

Before the election, many commentators warned about the end of democracy if Trump won. That isn’t going to happen—not on our watch. America is bigger than Trump and his extremism. Democracy will end only if we give up. I am not going to give up. Camarillo, you aren’t going to give up, either. It won’t be easy. It may get worse before it gets better. But it will get better if we refuse to give up the fight.

11/7/2024