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I keep promising that I will write a “normal” post but this isn’t normal, is it? Life isn’t normal and 2020 keeps delivering us a nasty, gut wrenching, surprise each day and week. But we keep going. I keep logging into the darn iPad and fussing with the zillion distance learning apps. I still occasionally ponder the Loewe puzzle (many of you are telling me to do it. But WHERE do I wear??) I am on my 15th Ravensburger actual puzzle. I worked on mine Friday night and cried about RBG.
To that: here is a post I have been putting together for some time but which I haven’t posted because I felt almost like it’d be too elementary. But why? We are inundated with so much information about how to vote, get involved, but we are also so busy with distance learning, work, etc. I told my husband that I feel like we have another baby again, dealing with the kids in the day and staying up late to make up the rest. If you’re going through this know I’m here with you. A reader (hi Z) who works at a biotech recently sent me an e-mail at 2 AM. I responded back to her half an hour later. We were both taking work “breaks.”
So on the topic of voting and getting involved: most of you may know this information but if this post helps even one person it will have been worth it. And putting it together certainly helped me clarify my own plan. Some ways we can vote, get involved, and ensure the future of our democracy:
Register to vote. And then actually vote, of course. WhenWeAllVote makes it super easy to register (and is safe and legit). I am already registered but just re-did it to make sure it is safe and real. It is! You’ll be registered to vote in whatever level elections you choose, from national to local.
And, I want to be honest about something that I am embarrassed by, in case some of you are too and kind of buried under your shame/guilt. I was not a voter for most of my life. The first time I voted in a Presidential election was four years ago. I never did before, because I’m in California and assumed my vote didn’t “count” anyway. I voted in 2016 because I wanted to say I had a part in history and in electing the first female President and obviously it did not work out that way. It was heartbreaking.
But as I get older, have children of my own, I understand so much more the importance of voting. Not just in the US election but also at our state level, county, city. A reader commented that this is where we have to get involved and I agree. I took a look at some of my own city’s recent legislation and was pretty shocked/appalled. Dear God!! And seeing some of the crazy xenophobes on my own NextDoor who ARE posting, who are voting, has only incentivized me to get more involved and become more vocal. I wrote my first letter to city council this week.
Donate. I chose GetMitch this weekend. It’s super easy and you can even change the split to your preferred candidates if you’d like. Here’s another good place to send your money: Flip The Senate. Also a personal favorite of mine is Phil Arballo but that is because I hate remembering Devin Nunes is from California because he’s such a disgusting toad. Right now given the coming election I am prioritizing legislative races over specific issues. But if you can donate, if you have the means, choose what you think will help what is closest to your heart. What I’ve been doing is when I am reallllyyyy close to buying a certain piece of clothing, etc – if I manage to step away I give myself a pat on my back and donate that amount instead. It’s a great feeling, seriously!
Volunteer. I have constant guilt about the volunteering aspect. A lot of the opportunities that I’d want to do are in person and we are very careful of Covid as we are in a “pod” with my mom. But there are also plenty of activities you can do offline:
A general destination to find opportunities: VolunteersWinElections
A cause close to my heart for my Asian language speaking readers (and if you are fluent in another language, search for a similar opportunity!).
And in person: help safe voting! Go to Power the Polls to see how you can serve as an election worker to help ensure everyone has safe access to voting. Especially if you live in certain states (Kentucky, Alaska) that are in dire need of volunteers. Did you see this piece about these sh*thads blocking access to an early voting site in Virginia?
I’ll be honest and upfront: in my own life, it’s donating to the candidates that are in tight races that’s the most I can do right now. Because I don’t have alternate childcare, I don’t have much time. If I can help with money, versus time, that’s best solution for me at the moment.
Last, I want to make it clear that I do not support the re-election of Donald Trump for President. I don’t support him for President now! If I had magical powers and a time machine I would travel back to 2016, buy Tesla stock, and happily shoot the entire Trump family into the far reaches of space. He is a disgrace to the office. I have stated that I believe in science and wearing masks and climate change and so I’d kind of been working off the assumption that was enough of an indication of my political leanings. But now I want to be explicitly clear. And yeah, it’s kind of the blogger playbook to say sort of generic things on the topic and “we should all vote! No matter who for! Exercise your right!” And I completely understand WHY bloggers might dodge the issue, because of not wanting to alienate your audience/lose advertising $$$ or because you don’t want to get the crazy emails from QAnon (even little ol’ me has received a few!).
But we’re kind of past that point now, aren’t we? This is the most important election of our lives. This moment and election will be written about in history books (if books are allowed to exist by then). So once again: I hope you vote. And I hope it is for Biden. Not just hope. It should be for Biden. It’s the right and moral thing to do. He wasn’t my top candidate. But he is my candidate now. If you are on the fence about voting itself, if you are feeling apathetic, if you are tired and don’t believe in the system working anymore I understand all of it. But please give me (or someone) a chance to change your mind. To talk or just discuss.
Also – just curious, because you are all so smart and I love hearing from all of you: how are international readers seeing what’s going on here in our country? What do you all think?
76 Comments
Sharon
September 21, 2020 at 8:48 amYou have certainly not alienated me…I agree with you 110%! Biden was not my candidate either…but I have said from the beginning I would vote for ANYONE against Trump. Absolutely anyone. I feel like holding my breath until Election Day. We will be voting by mail…well, not really, we will take our ballots to one of many places to turn them in rather than use the USPS…which I support, but has been under siege and I will not leave my vote to chance. The stakes are way too high.
Kat
September 21, 2020 at 8:29 pmThe stakes are high. Thank you for taking voting so seriously!
Julia
September 24, 2020 at 2:05 pmHi Kat, I knew you would have an authentic way of addressing the election, thank you for your openness .
As an international reader (EU citizen, brought up in the UK) I can honestly say I’m scared. Scared that the US institutions, judiciary, military, postal service, media, healthcare system won’t be able to withstand another 4 years of a crooked President and his grafting friends.
But mostly I’m scared as to why this race is close and tightening. Why can’t everyone see what a despicable man he is; putting his inexperienced family on the payroll, flat out racism, believing Putin over his own intelligence agencies, bad mouthing those who have served, bullying and lying and acting dishonourably, disgracing himself and the office. He belongs in jail yet he still appears to have a decent shot at a second term. Why?
Anonymous
September 21, 2020 at 9:15 amSo refreshing that you’re actually taking a side!!! Like you said, most don’t on this platform. Agree with everything you’ve said. Vote BIDEN/HARRIS.
Keshia
September 21, 2020 at 9:43 am*claps*
simiyalalala
September 21, 2020 at 9:44 amI am in agreement with all that you said. This administration has been a disaster for this country which will probably take eons to correct. I hope people wake up and vote! Biden/Harris!!!
Anonymous
September 21, 2020 at 10:04 amDear Katie, I totally get how you feel. To be honest, I tend to keep my political opinions to myself, having been brought up to respect that political and religious viewpoints are best left off the dinner table. But times, they are changing! I disagree with the current president on many topics but I also feel the way about the other candidates. I was tired of friends ad family around the world giving me unwarranted opinions about this and that candidate. Then RBG’s death woke me up. I realized that I do care and it’s time to be less apathetic. I can’t sit and hide under the covers anymore because I’m tired of depressing news and just want to be left alone. Because if I don’t take action, even baby steps, I may wake up in a new world where people like me, minority, female, immigrant DO NOT MATTER.
Kat
September 21, 2020 at 8:30 pmThank you for taking action and anything counts. Believe me, I relate to wanting to hide under the covers!
Karen
September 21, 2020 at 10:12 amCanadian here. I was devastated when Hillary lost. I literally couldn’t watch the rest of the election results being announced. I went home, went to bed, got up the next day and had a drink. Then I cried. One of the side-effects of that idiot being in charge of America is that it’s put less impetus on our leaders up here to be better, because of the constant comparisons to the dumpster fire in office down there. It’s so hard to be worse than that (I don’t know how Brazilians deal with their idiot…) I hate it. The bar is so low.
The only silver living I can think of is that it’s really opened my eyes to the structural/institutional racism that exists up here. I’ve been a lot better at being vocal about my beliefs and throwing money at causes I support, but I l cannot understate the importance of the upcoming American election on the literal rest of the world. I wanted to donate to GetMitch (god I HATE him), but it’s restricted to American citizens only (fair). For your international readers, I’m wondering if you know of any ways we can help?
Kat
September 21, 2020 at 8:31 pmI’m so sorry to have spread our crud to your wonderful country (and thank you for sharing your insight which was fascinating). I love the question and hope someone will be able to answer, but I’ll also ask others I know!
Anonymous
September 24, 2020 at 8:51 am“Canadians and other non-U.S. citizens are prohibited from making financial contributions to campaigns in the United States. However, they are allowed to volunteer by canvassing for the candidate they support.”
You can volunteer to phone bank. Also, use your social media platforms to talk about why you support Biden/Harris etc. You can also reach out to your friends in America to try to get them to vote – and down ballot is extremely important too. The people behind the GetMitch fund have a website where you can adopt a state to help swing the election.
https://votesaveamerica.com/
susan
September 21, 2020 at 11:03 amThank you for sharing your thoughts! What a way to start the week.
revanche @ a gai shan life
September 21, 2020 at 8:58 pmSpeaking to Anon 9/21, 11 am: by and large I think it’s true that there’s no way to change a Trump supporter’s mind (likewise nothing could ever convince me to be ok with him) but I know of at least one person who has finally woken up the damages he’s caused and I can only hope that they aren’t a total anomaly.
Kat, thanks for speaking clearly on this. Far too many bloggers are disappointingly noncommittal on political matters because **life and money** are inherently political. The right to life is political, the right to live our lives freely (and not be murdered by LE) is political. All of it is. To deny any of this is an outrage. I can’t waste my time with people who pretend that because they have it good, everyone else is fine too.
I wanted Biden least as the candidate of all the possible candidates but now that he is, we need to suck it up and get that horrible lying scumbag murderer out of office. Then we work on Biden to make sure he does a good enough job. But we have to get 45 out, period. We can’t survive another 4 years of him. 200,000 Americans and who knows how many non-American lived have been lost now, we can’t do this again.
revanche @ a gai shan life
September 21, 2020 at 8:59 pmOops this was supposed to be a regular comment, not a reply!
Anonymous
September 21, 2020 at 11:16 amOne thing that was more devastating than the election of DT was the realization of how impossible it is to convince someone with a different political view to change their standing. Trump’s effort to provide alternative facts and muddle with science have had such long lasting damaging effect that it’s even harder to have conversations based on common ground! I’ve alienated people who were friends after learning they supported trump with the horror that I thought I knew them but then I really didn’t! And that seldom happened with other presidential election, sigh. I cried my heart out with the passing of RBG.
Gina
September 21, 2020 at 11:27 amThere is a San Francisco mom who has devoted a lot of time and thinking for how to flip the Senate. i think NPR even did a feature on it.
https://gretchen.substack.com/p/gretchens-list-may-her-memory-be?fbclid=IwAR2YFcZrVssKBQeoJnTOu3kOx9GrF77H3AHoBGkV2eVExItLTvHChgB_cWM
Kat
September 22, 2020 at 9:32 amReally love this. Thank you for sharing.
Anonymous
September 24, 2020 at 9:03 amThis is a great resource. McGrath’s coffers are overflowing (I donated when she announced her bid) but she’s still a long shot against a deeply unpopular McConnell. Heidi Heitkamp received millions when she opposed Kavanaugh’s nomination and still lost. Even small donations to the campaigns Gretchen bolded will go very far to help those candidates.
CharN
September 21, 2020 at 11:53 amI agree with you 100%, So brave of you to take a stand and speak out! I’m appalled that the POTUS is a pathological liar yet not enough people call him out on it (or at least the percentage that supports him). Where is the honor and the dignity that should come with this office? Have we as a country sunk so low?!? I’m speechless witnessing Trump’s behaviors internationally and nationally since he took office, shame on Trump! I’ve always voted mostly Republican before but now have changed party and will not support those old white males any longer, So disgraceful! Fervently hoping we can flip the Senate, elect Biden in November and make America decent and inclusive again!
CharN
September 21, 2020 at 2:26 pmAlso I should note that I did NOT vote for the incompetent, ignorant (to science & everything else) one in office now!
Viv
September 21, 2020 at 12:23 pmThank you for speaking up abiut this! This isn’t about being a Democrat or Republican, it’s about voting for a leader with morals and integrity.
Anonymous
September 21, 2020 at 12:23 pmAbout*
A
September 21, 2020 at 1:01 pmHi, I’ve been following your blog for years and it’s great to see you taking a strong political position. I think those of us belonging to minority “wedge” groups have an obligation to work on behalf of our own communities but also an obligation to side with the oppressed in general and to ensure that we are not complicit. Of course all of this is easier said than done and it’s something I’m also personally working on.
Hadilly
September 21, 2020 at 1:29 pmThank you Kat! I like your suggestion to donate rather than spend. I have about 2k left in my clothes budget for the year. I will direct most of that to a Biden Harris victory.
Winnie
September 21, 2020 at 2:18 pmOh my god, thank you! My eyes have almost permanently rolled to the back of my head with so many bloggers I follow who have either chosen to not even acknowledge the current crises *MULTIPLE crises! going on or are being told “stick to blogging”. These past 6 months have seen me going from one end of the spectrum to another, incandescent rage about the orange cheeto that is our president to most recently being completely heartbroken about RBG. I didn’t think it would be possible that the country could vote such an incompetent, racist, sexist idiot into the higher power in the US in 2016 but it happened and I have been so horrified since that I am desperate to make sure it doesn’t happen this year.
I also found GetMitch this weekend and loved it. I thought it was a genius idea for people like me who are intimidated by the amount of research and political strategy that I feel like sometimes goes into looking into who to donate to. This hopefully ensures my money is going where it’s needed and that I’ll be making a difference.
I see peopling posting about how both Trump and Biden suck and thus they won’t be voting at all this election. I’m going to be honest that I understand that this is their way of exercising their rights but my god it still frustrates and enrages me because everyone one else is going to suffer because they can’t see the big picture. Biden was not my #1 pick either but I voted for him because I knew that he would honestly be the candidate that most of the US was going to get behind and that he would be the top contender that would take Trump down.
The whole problem in 2016 was that parties were so incredibly divided and all that Trump has done since taking office is continue to single out, harass, bully, and divide the American people even further. I’m tired of this rhetoric. I’m tired of fearing being attacked when walking around because I’m asian and our president has continued to encourage xenophobia and racism against asians. I’m tired of seeing all the injustices against women and to be so scared of what’s going to happen to the Supreme Court now that RGB is gone.
I’m angry and I’m going to fight. Dump Trump and his rotten, racist, sexist, hypocritical cronies.
Kat
September 22, 2020 at 9:32 amThank you for your passion! F*** Trump and let’s vote him out of office.
Grace
September 21, 2020 at 2:21 pmMy favorite post ever. I’m leaving a comment here. I am donating. You have motivated one additional person. Thanks Kat.
Kat
September 22, 2020 at 9:24 amThank YOU!
Mai
September 21, 2020 at 4:47 pmOh my god, thank you! Totally agreed with you. I too have marched (Women March in Washington DC), donated, registered to vote, spoke up when lies were spread (lost fb friends, and families). Again thank you.
Patricia
September 21, 2020 at 5:29 pmHi Kat, I was born and brought up in the UK but now live in and am a citizen of Canada. As I’ve told my other favourite
California blogger (Kim of Northern Cal Style) before, it does my heart so much good to hear the voices of ordinary Americans who oppose Trump. In my opinion the reputation of the US is in the toilet right now, so it’s good to know that there are people who are fighting to stop this madness. I watch and read a lot and it makes me so angry to see what he is getting away with. I, too, cried when I heard about RBG on Friday. I wish you all the very best.
Anna
September 21, 2020 at 6:52 pmMy neighbor, white male veteran and retired, came to me and asked how we were doing/feeling with all the xenophobia that was going around. He also told us that having been a republican his whole life, he voted Hilary in 2016 because Trump was NOT acceptable to be the president and will continue to support Biden this year. He is what gives me hope for this country.
Kat
September 22, 2020 at 9:24 amThat is wonderful to hear. The most unexpected people have reached out to me to ask how we are faring. You’re right, it does give you hope.
GS
September 21, 2020 at 8:50 pmBravo, Kat! Good for you for writing this, for donating, for educating yourself about local politics and doing whatever you can! I’ve been trying not to despair, especially after RBG’s death, which was just crushing. So I’ve been avoiding reading headlines and news alerts and donating instead. That’s a great strategy of yours about making donations instead of buying clothes. I am just so frightened about what could happen. We cannot, cannot, cannot let these horrible, corrupt, disgusting people continue to ruin our country!
GS
September 21, 2020 at 9:27 pmP.S. Friends in DC are part of this organization: https://www.31ststreet.org/. The strategy is to support underfunded candidates who have a real shot at winning their legislatures and turning their states blue. They are focusing on Iowa, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina. They are a regional group that organized through Swing Left: https://swingleft.org.
Kat
September 22, 2020 at 9:23 amThank you for sharing this!
Anonymous
September 21, 2020 at 11:06 pmI love this post!
Anonymous
September 21, 2020 at 11:32 pmReader from Australia here. I watch in horror at what is taking place in the US. When Trump was running in 2016 I thought it was amusing, as I never in a million years thought he would actually get elected. I hope the upcoming election sees a new President for you.
Kat
September 22, 2020 at 9:31 amI hope so too!
Anonymous
September 22, 2020 at 5:51 amWell, I’m from Malaysia and in the 2018 election, we finally managed to have a change in government for the first time ever after much difficulty. In February this year, some power-hungry elected representatives decided to form a new alliance and overthrow the government, sending the stock market crashing before covid-9 broke out. So the previous government is back in power again and everybody is so so so disillusioned. For background on the previous government, you may want to refer to Billion Dollar Whale.
Nvie
September 22, 2020 at 8:15 amMakes me realise after so many years of voting that my vote does not count anymore! I thought we succeeded in making that change…unfortunately it was short lived.
Kat
September 22, 2020 at 9:23 amI did read Billion Dollar Whale – I think I recommended it on an earlier weekend update! I haven’t been following Malaysian politics so closely but didn’t realize that the admin of Razak was back in power?? I still think it’s incredible Jho Low hasn’t been brought in.
Anonymous
September 23, 2020 at 6:26 amIt’s like the best bad reality tv show ever( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_Malaysian_political_crisis). Lies, betrayal, sex scandals, legal trials, fugitives etc. Such a pity none of the cast are good-looking though (haha).
Kat
September 22, 2020 at 8:17 amPopping in to share a comment from S, who emailed this to me:
I’ve been on your email list for years and years now. And, because you ask, we can’t believe that Trump is President of the USA and aghast at how America is unfolding over Covid. I am crossing all my fingers for Biden which would be a saner choice for America and the rest of the world too. Or we face another 4 years of crazy shit. I live in London, UK (for 20 odd years) but born in Singapore. I say “we” but, London, UK and Europe are increasingly divided too. Just take a look at Brexit, clock in the increasing xenophobia everywhere and the rise of the right wing factions in each country. Growing up in Singapore in the 70s, America was the beacon of the Free World and I can’t believe that America is where it is now.
Nvie
September 22, 2020 at 8:33 amAs an international reader, I don’t like either US presidential candidates. One is too old and the other too erratic. If I have to choose, it will be one who can take on China, Russia and North Korea…hmm, don’t these countries have something in common? We all know who that person is. Erratic as he may be, he has done several things right, US stood up and made the right decision of leaving WHO as they are not doing their job, over 30 million infections to date. Black lives matter – what did the previous administration do about that? It did not happen overnight.
Continuing from my previous post, my vote doesn’t count anymore in my country. I’ve finally understood the rationale behind ‘my vote doesn’t count anymore so I stopped voting’
Lilian
September 22, 2020 at 8:49 am1. Both candidates are older, but that’s where the similarities end.
2. ‘Erratic as he may be he has done several things right…’ – there are BABIES in cages. Worst recession, and a woefully managed pandemic, and too many other awful things to list here. But again, you’re an ‘international reader’ so you wouldn’t know. Oh, and according to the ‘erratic’ one, Neo Nazis are ‘…very fine people…’ President Beef-With-Everyone doesn’t get anything done. Ask anyone who worked for him, and never got paid. Mr. Bankrupt-Many-Times-Over. P.T. Barnum himself. That man has NOTHING going for him, except smoke and mirrors. He places steaks and water on a table, plasters his name on buildings and y’all think ‘…he’s getting things done.’ Oh, and in case you missed it, HE THINKS NEO NAZIS ARE VERY FINE PEOPLE.
3. Black Lives Matter. And yes, the previous administration did A TON. But as a black woman, I can tell you right now that the FIRST BLACK PRESIDENT wasn’t going to wipe out racism alone. 400+ years of a system built to oppress people and you expect one person to do it? That he was able to get as many things done as he did AFTER a whole Republican president ran a war that drained all the finances is a miracle on itself. Do not speak on President Obama and issues pertaining to the black community and race, please, because you don’t know what you’re talking about. And I say this as a BLACK woman, raising black boys in the United States. YOU HAVE NO CLUE.
A
September 22, 2020 at 10:56 amGreat reply Lillian, so depressing that you have to keep saying it! Keep those black sons safe!
Nvie
September 22, 2020 at 4:02 pmDear Lilian,
As a non Muslim Malay in a Muslim country, we are called as non-Bumiputera/non-son of earth or soil, we definitely do not have privileges of the country’s New Economic Policy (NEP) meant to eradicate poverty, with many policies uplifting the livelihood of Bumiputera in the country. As a third generation migrant citizen, we still have to deal with property, education, government contracts quotas after NEP was introduced more than 50 years ago. So yes, I completely understand your pain points as a black American.
So you might wonder what do we do? Well, we work hard, we are the biggest income tax payers in the country, what do I get? I don’t benefit anything except national security. We pay through our nose for private medical healthcare, international school education for our kids because we have a choice. We could go down the public healthcare and education route. We realised there’s nothing much our administration could do about it, whether there’s a change or not.
My point on Mr Erratic is he could handle issues that any Mr Nice Guy will always be diplomatic about. Read about how a Chinese tycoon gets 18 years for insulting the President. My opinion, only Mr Erratic could handle those personalities.
Kat
September 23, 2020 at 9:13 amHi NVIE, I confess I didn’t know much about the treatment of non Muslim Malays so thank you for sharing some of your experience (if you have any articles/books you’d recommend I’d be interested, too). Just as you are the best arbiter of your own experience I think the experience of Black Americans is a unique one best understood by those living it. The knowledge and fear that your children (or you) could be walking down the street and be shot simply for being Black; or that you could even be sleeping in your own home, your own bed, and killed and nothing would be done about it. Of course these things have existed before this current administration however never before have we had a President who seems to condone it…foreign policy aside (which we disagree on), on this point alone I think Trump must go.
Lilian
September 23, 2020 at 12:58 pmI empathize with your position as an ethnic minority in your country. That said, I take EVEN more umbrage at your suggestion here: I completely understand your pain points as a black American.
“…you might wonder what do we do? Well, we work hard, we are the biggest income tax payers in the country, what do I get? I don’t benefit anything except national security. We pay through our nose for private medical healthcare, international school education for our kids because we have a choice. We could go down the public healthcare and education route. We realised there’s nothing much our administration could do about it, whether there’s a change or not…”
Well, the descendants of slaves were brought here as chattel. They BUILT this country, even that White House that Mr. Erratic is living in. They pay taxes (yes, ignore that ‘welfare queen’ trope Republicans play all the time, or the ‘entitlements’ one – there are studies that show how much and where benefits go. But they are gunned down in their own homes. They are shot and suffocated by law enforcement. And then the cities they live in have to pay out their families because law enforcement is king in these matters.
‘Mr Erratic’ didn’t fix ANYTHING with regard to China. If anything, his approach has worked against the US, because his insults have alienated at a time when the US needs information from the authorities in China. All those racist tropes and ‘trade wars’ that amount to nothing because it’s all showboating haven’t helped one iota. Do you really think Obama, or Biden, or Hilary, or Pete, or any of the other 11-teen hundred candidates with actual experience in leadership would’ve sat there lying to an author writing a hit job book about the effects of a pandemic? He plays GOLF while people die. He treated the federal stockpiles of PPE needed to keep healthcare workers as his personal “favors” stash, to dish out to governors who would ‘bend the knee.’ He’s banning an app because teenagers trolled his presidential campaign. He is LITERALLY not on speaking terms with a fair number of world leaders, because he’s erratic, insulting, and ill-informed. And he takes pride in these things at the expense of others. Farming in the US is all but ruined because of his tweets and trade wars. So tell me again, what is “…handled…” – diplomatic or not? Do you think a Dueterte-like American (because he is) leader is effective?
The tycoon who got jailed for ‘insulting the president’ issue you raise has to do with free speech. What are the laws of the land where that happened? What does that have to do with the US President, and how he ‘…handles those personalities…”? Just because he stood next to the NK dictator for a few minutes and exchanged a couple of letters? Do you know why it’s imperative for US authorities NOT to give a person like that recognition or audience? Because it legitimizes them. He legitimized a tinpot dictator and got NOTHING. So what, pray tell, was the sum total benefit? Is the dictator still ruling? Yes. Did he let up on his people? No. Did he stop nuclear testing, or any other provocative acts? No.
The issue I have with your take is that you’re focusing on the surface aesthetics, which is what a carnival barker like the current president does, to distract you from the other terrible things going on. You’re too busy worrying about Chinese tycoons being jailed, but ignoring the fact that the US is running a pay-for-play scheme. Women’s rights are being reversed, and minorities are in jeopardy. And Neo Nazis have the ear of the most powerful man in the world. Marinate on that for a minute, and think what it means for the future of the world, instead of focusing on random meetings between evil dictators wanting to be seen and heard on the world stage.
Kat
September 22, 2020 at 9:30 amHi NVIE, I commend you for being honest enough to share your true opinion even if I don’t agree. Many people who hold your views would just be quiet because they don’t want to take the heat. I would like to ask why you believe that Trump is better equipped to take on China, Russia, and North Korea? Is it a personal view or an opinion that is more widely held in your country (from your earlier comment, are you in Malaysia)? Lilian does a good and passionate job below of sharing the perspective of a Black woman in the US. I can say that as a Asian woman I felt far safer under the Obama administration. I don’t believe Trump views people like me as an equal…if I had Asian friends coming to visit the US right now (not that most of them would want to) I would caution them against visiting many areas for fear of xenophobia.
Alice
September 22, 2020 at 10:06 pmI’m truly baffled at the perception that Trump is good at pushing back against China, Russia, and North Korea. There is significant evidence that the relationship between the United States and those countries have deteriorated. On the other hand, Joe Biden has over three decades of experience in foreign policy and the widely held belief is that is one the reasons that President Obama picked him as the Vice-President.
In regards to the US leaving the WHO, if it is indeed true that Trump left because “they didn’t do their job” then I think that’s pretty childish considering the US is a member state and is partially responsible for WHO if they weren’t “doing their job”. Whether we like it or not, it is in the best interest of every country to work together in a coalition like WHO because diseases don’t stop at the borders of a country.
Lastly regarding Black Lives Matter, the last administration didn’t call white nationalists who hate anyone who is not white “fine people”. He called people who want me an Asian American to DIE “fine people”. Don’t tell me Hilary wouldn’t have been better.
Lilian
September 23, 2020 at 1:01 pmAll of this, Alice. All of this. I have a relative who works for WHO, and if what she has endured is “…didn’t do their job…” I don’t know what work is. And that allegation is pretty rich coming from a man who ignored a whole pandemic for 5 months, and then tried throwing money at it to see if it’d go away.
Anonymous
September 23, 2020 at 9:15 amIs he standing up against Russia? For all we know, they are trying to get him elected! And how does blaming China for all of America’s problems actually help solving the problems? Trade wars? Please educate yourself on economics 101. He wants an America where blacks and all other minorities as slaves and the white enjoy their supreme statuses. Not happening, sorry but no.
Lilian
September 22, 2020 at 8:51 amI’ll vote for a screaming bag of monkeys if Biden and Kamala are unavailable. I’ll crawl over broken glass. I’ll do ANYTHING, because as a black immigrant woman, NOTHING that this administration has done is meant for me, or people who look like me. And I’m doing it for people who DON’T look like me, like the babies who were left in cages and are still in detention, three years later.
I vote sane, humane over erratic any day, and twice on Sunday.
Kat
September 22, 2020 at 9:46 amPerfectly stated.
Patricia
September 22, 2020 at 3:16 pmLoved your reply above Lilian, and this one too! +
Winnie
September 23, 2020 at 5:18 pm100% echo this sentiment. Anything is better than what we currently have.
Lily
September 22, 2020 at 2:28 pmThank you Kat, for taking a stance and explicitly stating it. I’ve been a long time reader of your blog, ever since I was in undergrad (yes..it’s been a while), and this is my first comment.
The time for keeping politics “out of it” is over. We are one foot into the door of fascism. I will be pursuing immigration avenues if Trump gets re-elected.
Linda
September 22, 2020 at 2:47 pmSo I have thought long and hard to say something, you are a great blogger and I do look forward to your recommendations and post. I will say that I don’t agree with you on this issue. The discord that is occuring is the fault of everyone who is participating by keeping and spreading the hate. You may not like Trump but no one can say that it would have been better with Hilliary (yes, I don’t like her). This is a grass is always greener situation. The only thing I see now is businesses closing, children getting behind and fustrated and lots of rioting (I live in Seattle, I saw it, it was next door kind of thing). Will this be solved magically by one election, by one candidnate, by one vaccine? NO. The same can be said that all these issues and all these issues didn’t just come from one president, one election and one presidential term.
PS I liked Pete Buttigeig and I hope he tries again.
Kat
September 22, 2020 at 3:11 pmThanks for coming forward even though we don’t see eye to eye on this issue. I knew just by law of averages there’d be people who wouldn’t agree with me and thank you for keeping it civil. I think the one thing I would want to just say is that I’m sure you are a compassionate person and I think you have read my blog for awhile so “know” me a little; I do personally feel very frightened if Trump wins, not in a general “we’re doooomed sense” but me and my children’s safety. Racism has always existed in the past administrations but I do think this one has emboldened a certain group to feel that they have the tolerance (or even support) of the President – as a minority you can feel it thrumming in the air, a kind of animosity certain people have towards you. I’ve never felt that before. I respect your right to vote for your candidate (or abstain from voting altogether if you don’t like either, ha!) and please just ask you to consider that my own position comes from a real personal fear of what happens if Trump wins again.
PS: I would preferred Pete over Trump. I like Pete too. Issues don’t get come/get solved from one person but in a Biden/Harris administration maybe someone like Pete can at least have a big role.
Linda
September 23, 2020 at 10:01 pmOh I what I would give for Pete Buttigieg vs Mitt Romney, but alas it will not be. I will never disregard anybody’s feeling of fear. You have the right to feel the way you do. But do not let your fear become hate because it is a slippery slope. Hope and happiness is always what I want. I hope we can all be different but unified after the elections, irregardless of what it may be because no matter what, we are here together to help in our own ways.
H
September 22, 2020 at 4:17 pmHi Linda, as a Chinese American, I would say that while coronavirus would have still happened and lead to deaths with Hillary as president, I don’t think she would have called it the “Wuhan Flu” or “Kung Flu” or even the “China Flu” and making me extremely uncomfortable when I’m walking around as I wait for someone to yell at me. I also don’t think she would have had an interview with Bob Woodward where she told him it was really serious, and then told her supporters don’t worry about it, no need for a mask. As a result of Trump saying that it wasn’t a big deal early, one of my family members who is a police officer got covid, and they think it was because she was assigned to the police car of someone else who had covid, and because the president said it wasn’t a big deal, there were no extra sanitation processes in place. Had the president taken it seriously, maybe she wouldn’t have gotten it. She now has a heart murmur and permanent damage to her lungs per CT scans, and is trying to get on permanent disability. She is 28 years old and had a perfect health test done in January, so it as due to covid. Of course nothing will be magically solved by one president, one election and one term, but certainly the current president has made a bad situation even worse with his thinly veiled racism and cover-ups.
Lilian
September 23, 2020 at 1:08 pmLinda, you are brave to bring these questions up. I will say this: Neo Nazis marching in Charlottesville wouldn’t have happened. And issues dealing with race would’ve been addressed by a Hilary administration, because she has been under fire for a lot of the criminal justice rhetoric that went down in the 90s and led to some terrible laws that impacted black and people of color disproportionately. A career politician would’ve known that this type of ‘shit’ wouldn’t fly and that s(he) would pay for it at the polls.
The current administration is packed with people who have NO experience in politics and leadership outside corporate walls. You notice how quickly they revert to rallies and ad hominems to counter their very real failings? Because that’s what you do in the middle of a crisis when you run a corporation. You attack, defend, and rally your troops. You do ‘surface’ things to make it look like you care, or have solved the issue, when in actual fact you’re waiting for the furore to die down. Does any of that sound familiar?
…and you DEFINITELY can agree that Hilary wouldn’t have needed an index card with “I HEAR YOU AND I CARE” in bold upper case letters to remind her to sound empathetic during a meeting with the parents of children gunned down in a school.
P.S. I LOVE Mayor Pete, and yes. One day, that man will be president.
Anonymous
September 22, 2020 at 5:54 pmThank you so much for your honesty!
Anonymous
September 22, 2020 at 7:52 pmForeign citizen living in the US here. I fully agree with you. It frightens me that 40% of Americans still approve of Trump.
C.Michol
September 22, 2020 at 8:36 pmKeep speaking up! Thank you!
A
September 23, 2020 at 6:40 amThank you ! Thank you !
I am an Indian immigrant with a phd and work in AI for Climate. He has managed to terrorize our bunch with immigration laws that change/could change by the month. I can’t imagine what other immigrants in lesser privileged positions must be going through. He has undone decades of progress made in terms of environmental protections. He has diluted expertise in institutions that are the nations pride and strength. When I try to convey it to Trump supporters, I get met with “yay, if you leave, real estate will get more affordable in California. Your job can go to an American”. Same lines as what the Hitler supporters said when Jews were being set to the gettos. If the history is a learning experience, I have to raise flags.
Lilian
September 23, 2020 at 1:10 pmHi A! I am so sorry for what you have had to endure. I immigrated to the US, and know what it is like to pursue your papers in an uncertain environment. It is SO hypocritical of him to try to cut down the channels of immigration knowing full well that his family has fed from those same rules and regulations.
I hope it gets better for you and your peers trying to get your GCs and citizenship, and I hope it does soon.
Kat
September 23, 2020 at 8:34 pmThis is the kind of post that makes me so proud of the immigrants currently working in America (Climate AI PhD wow) and so sad for what the country is doing to them. And please stay, f*** those people who say that to you. Not like those people could even do your job…otherwise….they’d be doing it.
Emily
September 23, 2020 at 3:10 pmThanks for this post! Flip the Senate is a great one.
I too, have been appalled at some of the things people post on Nextdoor, even in the very liberal Silicon Valley. I can’t believe here of all places, we can still be debating that black lives don’t matter, all lives matter, or saying things like “if black people don’t want to get shot by the police, maybe they should stop being criminals.” Yes, how dare they buy skittles, sleep in their own house, whistle, etc. Ugh.
Just to show how pervasive and systemic some of this racism is – the deed to my house in the very liberal, open-minded Silicon Valley from the 40’s states that this property shall never be sold to people other than whites. I hope whoever added that clause into the original deed is now super effing pissed that Asians have infiltrated their house!
Anonymous
September 24, 2020 at 3:36 amAny reasonable US president would have acknowledged that an innocent White medical worker shot by accident in the comfort of her home while sleeping is something that requires justice regardless if her white boyfriend aim fire at intruders. It was trespassing and her boyfriend’s gun is registered. Yet, nothing is said by the current president. How strange. Wait…it is not a white medical worker and white bf.. oh, it’s a Minority. And the one who did the accidental shooting was a white officer. So the president’s lack of acknowledgement seems to reinforce that Black Lives Don’t Matter / Make America White Again. I mean, “Make America Great” Again.
Breanna Taylor was an innocent black woman. A young medical worker and sleeping in the comfort of her own home. She was no Rodney King. Trump will twist the riots as “look..minorities are scary…they are disrupting our streets.” But minorities and whites and everyone have a right to protest against racial inequality and abuse of law enforcement…not to mention their covering up of this case.
As for Hillary handing the pandemic if she were president, I have to agree that she would have been more politically correct and not labeled this as the China Virus so quickly. We still don’t know where this virus originated. For all we know, it could have started in the U.S. People already had strange flu like symptoms in December. Nobody knows what caused the coronavirus. Was it a bat or pangolin? Was it already evolving in the air? Hillary would have let the CDC do their job and and not change their recommendation from virus is airborne to not airborne… virus spreads beyond 13 ft to 6 ft…children can catch covid to no they cannot..
She would not pressure vaccine manufacturers to produce a vaccine to the point that is not fully tested and we cannot even trust to have our children to take the vaccine. Children are not part of these vaccine trials. How can this vaccine be the cure to the pandemic?
Face it. Trump is a crook. He was a crook when he built his casino in Atlantic City and hasn’t stopped ever since. He did a wonderful campaign in the form of his reality show called “Your Fired” which he applied to everyone who passed him off in the White House…I mean Celebrity Apprentice. A crook that dazzles people with his beautiful model daughter who is as corrupt as he is. An immigrant hater who cages children and builds a wall yet historically marries immigrants. A crook that scares Americans to thinking the current mail in voting process is corrupt so he can stay in office for 4 more years to push his own monetary agenda and those of his business friends. A crook that is crossing his fingers that he can produce our first female president in the form of his daughter who he would marry if she wasn’t his flesh and blood. A crook who hides his tax returns that show tax evasion and possible affiliation to the Russians aka Putin. A crook that thinks the North Korean leader is brilliant despite the camps.
If Gov Cuomo were running for president or VP, he would have people’s vote. What he did for the state of New York, the honesty…the daily communications to keep the death rate down…is what America needs.
200,000 U.S. lives dead from Covid 19 in the last 6 months. Trump’s remark, “It is what it is.” Also, “fake news. But hey, let’s make America White Again. Oh, have you seen the stocks? It is going up!” *insert Trump wide grin*
Anonymous
September 24, 2020 at 9:35 amAs a long time lurker of your blog, I’m thrilled by this post. Many people espouse voting, but don’t take a stance on which candidate.
I live in your neck of the woods and being in a bubble, it has been easy to become complacent in a deeply blue state. Like you, I’m ashamed to say I’ve only now become active in politics with Trump’s ascendancy. It has exposed the ugliness in America that we have tried to gloss over. The only silver lining is that more of us are now aware of our shortcomings and the importance of engagement in politics as keeping our eye off the ball has shown the fragility of this great American experiment.
Everything I believe in has been under attack over the past 4 years and it has been exhausting fighting it all.
We must vote him out.
We must take back the Senate.
We must VOTE DOWN BALLOT.
State legislatures play an enormous part in gerrymandering and voter suppression. If Roe v Wade is overturned, it will be legislation that will give back some semblance of women’s rights to choose. I fear with the new 6-3 SCOTUS, the ACA will also be stripped, leaving millions of Americans vulnerable.
Democracy is hard, and it is easy to slide into cynicism and authoritarianism. We must continue to fight; if not for us, for our children. MLK said that the moral arc of the universe is long but bends towards justice. But we must be there to help bend it.
Kat
September 24, 2020 at 10:38 amI love your last paragraph. Thank you for this comment.
VS
September 25, 2020 at 8:27 amKat, I appreciate your honesty and openness – I know it can be hard to put ourselves out there with opinions. I fully agree with you and love that you shared volunteer opportunities. I truly hope we don’t have another 4 years of this Trump madness.
Alisa Gabriel
September 25, 2020 at 9:22 amGreat post, Kat! Trump is an embarrassment, a disgrace, and a clear and present danger to democracy. Only today he told a crowd of mostly white supporters that they had “good genes”. Anyone who doesn’t see parallels to Nazi Germany in 1933 has his/her head in the sand. This stuff is terrifying.
Not voting is NOT an option. The stakes are too high — and the level of rhetoric too low — to ignore.
Good Thing Friday (85) « A Gai Shan Life
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