Recall Judge Aaron Persky: This is How Democracy Works

On June 5th, voters in Santa Clara County, California will decide whether to recall Judge Aaron Persky. I recently moved out of the area, and I'm so disappointed that I cannot vote on this issue. That's why I hope I can count on you to vote YES in favor of the recall. 

The Letter

I first heard about the Brock Turner case in June 2016, the day after his sentencing, when I read "Emily Doe's" letter. The letter in which she describes – in court –  the profound impact the assault had on her. The letter many victims of rape and sexual assault wish they could write. The letter I wish I had written many years ago. It was her letter that moved me to tears and to join the campaign to Recall Judge Aaron Persky.

Am I the only one who doesn't want 2016 to end?

Disclaimer: Although the f-word appears frequently in this post, it's actually not my 2017 theme word. Maybe next year.

This is it. 2016 is finally over. Today is the last day. The year that gave us so many deaths, mass shootings, terrorist attacks, killer clowns, Fuller House, the desecration of American democracy, and an explosion of unapologetic hate and ignorance is Now. Officially. DONE.

Except… I don't want it to be done. Am I the only one who doesn't want 2016 to end?

For the last eight weeks, I've been dreading 2017 somethin’ fierce. Next year was supposed to be a year of hope and light, but now 2017 feels like a sinister darkness waiting around the corner. It's a monster that I believed couldn't be real, yet here it is - foreboding, snarling and salivating, ready to rip us apart in a torturous fashion. The knot in my stomach grows with each passing day as the monster gets closer and closer.

Why am I so pessimistic? In just a few weeks, #DJ will actually become President of the United States, and things will get worse long before they get better. So I guess I was just hoping to put that off as long as possible. 

#MikeAndDJ Memes

If America's favorite bros, Barack and Joe, have their own side-splitting memes, the upcoming TP duo should have theirs, too, right? So I created some memes for them because I'm "trying to move on" and "get on board" and "give them a chance."  (Not really. I'm just really fucking snarky.)

I dub these memes #MikeAndDJ - Yes, I'm putting Pence's name first, and yes, I'm referring to Trump as DJ. Because I think Trump would really fucking hate that, and that makes me smile.

Send me your own #MikeAndDJ memes and/or meme ideas! I will add them to mine below and share. Keep checking back here and search #MikeAndDJ on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for more as they roll out.

Because if we can't laugh right now, we'll just fucking cry.

Enjoy.

This Aint Trump Country - Beyond the Safety Pin, Part 1

This is not defeat. I am not done fighting. I will not live in #TrumpCountry, and you won't either if we keep fighting together. Those of us who value kindness, love, and compassion above political party allegiances, WE have courage. WE are a force. WE have a whole lot of fight left.

Michigan gay couple reports hate note from "Trump Country."
photo credit: mlive.com

Let's go #BeyondTheSafetyPin. Yes, that safety pin is a fabulous symbol of solidarity and a possible message of comfort for those who need it, so thank you for wearing them. Please ignore the haters, and keep wearing them. But the haters are right about one thing - we need more. Wear those pins if for no other reason than to be a reminder for yourself and those around you that our fight is not over. It's just beginning.

Our nation needs action. Let's turn that safety pin into a badge, a promise. The pin should mean "You are safe with me AND I'm actively fighting for you." Make it mean more than "here's my pin, and that’s all I can do." Don't wear the pin unless you are willing to fight!

We are not done. Too many acts of hate have happened around the nation since the election, many citing that "this is Trump Country now."

I say, like fucking hell it is!

Influencing the Electoral College and a Sample Letter - Beyond the Safety Pin, Part 2

In Part 1 of my #BeyondTheSafetyPin series, I listed several ways we can actively fight to keep America great. The most urgent of which is to plead with the electoral college NOT to vote for Trump on December 19th. Here's a little background.

Surely, most of you know that the electoral college is the body that actually decides who will be President of the United States. I, like many of you, have cursed the existence of the electoral college, but today, we need it to save us. Like it or hate it, it's what we've got.

#ShowMeYourKindness

I had planned on publishing this post tomorrow. Then again, I had also planned on Hillary winning the election, so this is going live a day early.

First, I just want to say that as a woman, I am scared right now. However, I'm also a privileged, middle-class, straight, white, cisgender woman. So I recognize that no matter how intense my fear and grief are right now, they do not match those of the LGBTQ, Black, Muslim, Mexican, and other communities that our next president has targeted. This post is not intended to overlook or minimize those feelings, nor do I think posts like this will be all it takes to offer comfort. My intention is only to spotlight kindness amidst all this uncertainty.

Because I don't know what else to do right now.

Going Forward

There's so much to say right now, but there are no words. I wasn't prepared to write this.

I live in the liberal bubble of California, surrounded by people of all races, religions, cultures, and walks of life. Education is highly valued here, and even those who do not have college degrees are open-minded and accepting. In my little corner of this beautiful melting pot, there are no Trump yard signs, t-shirts, or bumper stickers.

In fact, I drove by a house on Halloween morning that had dozens of Trump-Pence signs stuck all over their yard, and I laughed because it was obvious that someone had pulled a practical joke on them like they had been "flamingo-ed."

Yesterday, I proudly wore a blue blazer over my Hillary t-shirt and jeans to work without any fear of retribution. I would have worn a pantsuit just to show solidarity, but I don't have one. No, here in California, most of us don't have to wear that type of attire to appear professional, even in corporate offices.

Yep, we're definitely spoiled in the Golden State.

I had glimpses of what the country was like outside of my bubble. I am originally from Michigan, and I saw a lot of Trump support in my Facebook feed. I am active on social media and was confronted with a lot of hate and evil for my strong liberal views.

So I knew the election would be close, too close for America in 2016, in my opinion, but... I wasn't prepared to write this.

I don't know what's going to happen now. I don't know how to tell my 5-year-old that the bully came out on top. I don't know what our country will feel like now that the next president has enabled hate to be acceptable, ignorance to prevail, and darkness to shine.

Today, I feel very much like I did on the morning of September 11, 2001. Shock. Disbelief. Sadness. Terror. What the fuck just happened?

Today, I am reminded that our fight is not over. This fight against hate, evil, and ignorance that has raged in our country for hundreds of years rages on.

Today, I wipe my tears and vow to be a louder voice in that fight.

Today, I am putting on my makeup like it's fucking war paint.

Today, I am going to love my children fiercely and remember that my most important job in this lifetime is to make sure they grow up to be good, decent, compassionate, loving people who will also fight for what is right.

To all my LGBT, Black, Mexican, and Muslim friends, you do not have to fight alone.

To the woman in this country who are scared and angry right now, I feel you, but we have come too far to back down. Think of all the women who came before us and fought for the rights we have today - what would they want us to do right now? Please remember that we are #StrongerTogether no matter who the president is.

Also remember that our children hear everything we say. Please do not let our anger and fear become theirs. This is a teachable moment - that the good guys don't always win, but we never stop fighting.