Poem : First Feeling : by Wil C. Fry

The first feeling I felt was shock and surprise
That progress lost out to bigotry and lies
Now we must fight to regain what was already won
Weren’t we supposed to have — by now — moved on?

Who are these people who overwhelmingly voted?
They’re all around us, it must be studiously noted
As I lower the shades and draw down dusty blinds
Wondering how long the racists will pretend to be kind

Is it paranoia if they promised they would get you?
Is it cowardly to hide if they said they’d let you?

“I might be okay”, I thought because I’m white
And a man and straight and never liked to fight
But it’s different when you’ve got skin in the game
My kids, my friends — we all know who to blame

I feld a profound sadness as TAINTUS’s victory became a reality, not only because he’s a steaming pile of monumental proportions, but because of the party’s platform that so many of his voters overhwelmingly support. With regressives gaining the White House while holding onto the Senate and House — with an open Supreme Court seat in the bargain, I fear for the safety of my family. The past several years of living in a “red state” were tempered by the knowledge that the country as a whole was more balanced, with plenty of progressives lining the coasts. That knowledge turned out to be faulty, as this election showed just how many bigots there are. The regressive party has repeatedly made it clear they’re coming after us — black people, atheists, gays and lesbians, Mexican-Americans, women, and more. The only real questions I currently ponder are: (1) who will be targeted first? and (2) how long before it happens?