WHEN THEY GO LOW, WE'LL GO HIGH

I was fortunate enough to be in New York City at the Javits Center, looking forward to celebrating our first woman president as she shattered that glass ceiling. Unfortunately, as you all know, that did not happen. While Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by over a million and counting, she lost the electoral college. My friends, colleagues, and loved ones are now wondering what happens next. I posted the following on my facebook page and would like to share it here as well:  

Dear friends, please take care of yourselves. Take the time you need to process what has happened and grieve. Last night hurt deeply, and today has been painful. Many have called this election divisive, and it has been, but it has also uprooted deep-seated racial, sexist, xenophobic, ableist, and anti-LGBT tensions in our country. These did not show up overnight. Last night was devastating because we risk losing the progress we have made and fought for. So I ask you to take care of yourself. To allow yourself the time to grieve now, because we all have work to do.

We have a fight ahead of us to ensure the rights and civil liberties of every human being living in our country are protected and upheld under the new administration. The past several days my social media has been filled with stories of people of color and immigrants receiving threats and violence for simply existing, and we have seen a disturbing bolstering of the alt-right movement. We have also seen news agencies taken to task for their conduct during the election, and social networking organizations chided for not moderating the flow of fake news that has been (and continues to be) misinforming the American public.  Currently, there are many theories being proposed about how the election was decided, who voted which way and who did not. Yes, white people overwhelmingly voted for Trump. However, it is important to note that over half of our citizens did not vote, and we have to consider the role that voter suppression and intimidation may have played in those statistics. Regardless, we now find ourselves at this impasse as we wait to see if the electoral college exercises their power on November 19th. Until then, my friends have shared some resources that may prove necessary moving forward: 

• Oh Crap! What Now? Survival Guide
• "We're His Problem Now" Calling Sheet
• Southern Poverty Law Center's Hatewatch and Tipline
• A List of Pro-Women, Pro-Immigrant, Pro-Earth, Anti-Bigotry Organizations That Need Your Support
• A Guide to Disability Ally-ship in the Age of Trump
  

People with disabilities and disability advocates are understandably concerned about what is going to happen under the new administration given republican threats to repeal Obamacare, gut social security and Medicare, and even change provisions under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Below is a link to an article that gives a great overview of these concerns:

• Disability Rights Advocates are Terrified of a Donald Trump White House

These issues stand in stark contrast to the advancements we have made in disability policy under the Obama administration, which you can read about here, and diffuses the excitement many in the disability community felt over finally being included as a valuable constituency in a Presidential candidate's platform. So, what do we do now? I think that First Lady, Michelle Obama's words were somewhat prescient. When they go low, we go high. We must hold onto our beliefs in what is right, and not normalize this Presidency or become complacent in the events to come. We must resist the divisive tactics that have been plaguing our communities, and come together for common good and social welfare of all - including disadvantaged and marginalized groups, recognizing the role that white privilege and class have played in getting us to the point where we are at now as a nation, and working together to ensure a better future in the face of mounting oppression. Without this, our society as we know it will not survive.

UPDATE: I just read that Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren have been appointed to Senate Democratic leadership positions, and Chuck Schumer will be the new Senate minority leader. This gives me hope. I wish, however, that Warren and Sanders had stronger positions on disability issues. This looks like a great opportunity to inform and advocate! 

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