Yesterday my husband and I watched "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver." While my instinctive response to the post-election results has been to bury my head in the sand, John Oliver assured us all (with wit, grace, and urgency) that this behavior is not an option. The political climate ahead is uncertain. With anticipation and angst, many of us await promises of walls, barriers, repeals, racism, misogyny, and steps backward in time. With many erratic and misleading statements from President-Elect Donald Trump, we simply cannot predict what the future holds for health care (among many other issues).
And so we wonder. What can we do if our access to physical and mental health care becomes restricted, limited, and even more complicated to access?
John Oliver's advice is simple, yet comforting: We cannot become complacent, this is not normal, and we are stronger together.
We cannot become complacent.
We must keep our eyes open to discrimination, racism, sexism, and close-minded ways. The more we hear Trump preach on these issues, the more they begin to seep into our way of life and shape our country. It is our job, as Americans, to keep from becoming complacent. It is our job to not let this new climate shatter our core beliefs, to not let it dissuade us from moving forward, to not let it keep us from fight for what is fair, just, and American.
While Trump has recently indicated that the signature issues in his campaign are not to be taken literally (building a wall on the US-Mexico border, deporting millions of people to Mexico, overturning Roe v. Wade, plans to get rid of Obamacare), it feels impossible to walk blindly into the night, knowing what we know about his intentions.
This is not normal.
Remind yourself daily. Put sticky notes up on your refrigerator. Talk to people who feel the same. This is not normal. So much of what Trump believes in and advocates for is damaging to entire races, cultures, and religions. It is damaging to an entire gender. It is damaging to those living with disabilities, those who have taken refuge here from another country, those part of the LGBT community, those who are of a minority, and those who benefit from and rely upon Obamacare. It is damaging to our climate. It is damaging to women who want to make choices about their own bodies. It is damaging to those who aren't thin enough or beautiful enough for his standards. It is damaging to those recovering from eating disorders. It is damaging to our children who have watched him bully his way to the top. It is damaging, and it is not normal. Say it with me now: this is not normal!
We are stronger together.
How many times have you heard someone say that if Trump becomes the next President of the United States, they are moving to Canada? It sounds like a romantic and idealistic solution, but it's not the answer, and here's why: if we do not have a President who will look out for the wellbeing and best interests of Americans, then it becomes our job to do so for each other. It becomes our job to stand up for what we believe is fair and just, to speak out against racism, sexism, and violence, to protect laws that we have worked tirelessly to put into place, and to create an atmosphere where we all feel at home and safe.
We can't move to Canada. We can't bury our heads in the sand. We can't live in the past. We can't run away. We can't simply talk about change, but not actually do anything. We can't give up.
Remember, Donald Trump did not receive the popular vote. This means that an overwhelming amount of Americans voted against him, and do not have values and political opinions that align with his. If we run away, or simply become complacent, what will become of America?
And so we stay, we advocate, and we fight. We understand that this is not normal, we do not allow ourselves to become complacent, and we stick together. We use our voices to empower and lift each other up, and we protect the issues and standards that are important to our country.
So now that we understand what we need to do post-election, let's talk about what we can really do. Concrete ways we can make a difference.
•Donate. "If you can afford the time or money, support organizations that are going to need help under a Trump administration. For instance, if you're concerned about women's health, donate to Planned Parenthood (If you're feeling feisty, donate to Planned Parenthood in Mike Pence's name. The anti-abortion VP-elect receives a certificate every time someone donates. On Tuesday evening, Planned Parenthood told the Indianapolis Star that 12.5 percent of all donations made to the women's health organization since the election have been made in Mike Pence's name. That's 20,000 donations from "Mike Pence."), or the Center for Reproductive Rights. If you don't believe man-made global warming is a silly issue, donate to the Natural Resources Defense Council. If you don't think refugees are a terrorist army in disguise, donate to the International Refugee Assistance Project."
•Support Actual Journalism. "You need to support actual journalism by buying a subscription to outlets like The (New York) Times, The (Washington) Post, your local newspaper, or donate to groups like ProPublica, a nonprofit group which does great investigative journalism."
•Still not feeling inspired? Check out Michael Moore's Morning After To Do List. "There's no Red Cross for losing an election, but that's the kind of thing people are looking for."
Earlier on Huff/Post50: