Election Blues – The Climb #621

Wednesday 4^th November 2020

I think I’ve worked it out. I think I’ve worked out why my writing compass has been thrown completely out of whack.

It’s the US election.

That’s surprised me a little today, but watching results trickling in, I’ve kinda worked out why.

I think if I were a US citizen I’d be very much a Democrat. My personal politics seem to be very much centre left. In short, I’m not against people making money and becoming rich, so long as that doesn’t come at the expense of other people’s welfare.

And as I get older, I find myself becoming much more vocal about human rights. I believe in equality and diversity, and whilst I do sometimes get it wrong, it’s something I try and constantly educate myself about and deepen my understanding.

I’ve always said, I want life to be a big party where everyone has a good time. I don’t think it’s too much to ask one group to modify their language or behaviour so another has a good time.

It’s for that reason that I detest Trump. I absolutely loathe the man. He is diversive and hateful in a way a statesman should never be. And I get that some republicans may have voted for him because back in 2016 he was the republican candidate.

But his actions are such that I’ve public stated, supporting him, is support raciscm. I’ve felt genuinely sorry for Republican friends who feel they’ve not had a choice this election. I’ve said to them that they are allowed to criticise EVERYTHING Biden does, but they really have no option but to vote for him. Because the only other option is a vote for racism.

So to see Trump get so many votes? Well, I have to say it makes me despair. Yes, some of it is ignorant votes, ones who dismiss his racism because they are white. It can be easy to do. I have, and I’m sure I will sadly continue to occasionally inadvertently ignore some minorities plight because I don’t understand it.

But it’s so blatant, I really don’t think anyone has any excuse.

And so it utterly depresses me to see the volume of votes he has. I’m sure it comes as no surprise to my BIPOC friends, but for me it’s very eye-opening on the scale of the problem.

And I just can’t write. And that’s something that rarely happens. Procrastinate, yes, but actually stopping me writing? I usually pour my emotions into written pieces, but this is too strong. Why do I want to write for a world that is so hateful?

Today, the world seems a very, very dark place.

So I’ve gone and buried myself in games. They’ve often been a place of refuge. I’ve been playing a lot more during lockdown as a way to keep my sanity, but right now, I feel like I want to enter them and never come back.