Now What? After the Election-by Sherri Rosen, Sherri Rosen Publicity Intl, NYC
Filled with so much emotion today. The presidential election not going the way I wanted it to, the American Indians still fighting for the right for survival now at Standing Rock, the rise of hatred towards many nationalities in our country, the fear that has overtaken many folks to not make competent decisions. Feel so overwhelmed. Don’t know yet what I can do to help turn the tide of horribleness that is happening in our country. The pendulum has gone from one end to another. We will be finding out what fascist rule is like with the new president elect.
Do people learn from history? Some do but most don’t. Last January I performed a live story called “I Didn’t Know I was A Dirty Jew Until I Was Told I Was.” When i created the live story did i have any inkling of what was to come? By the way here’s the link to the piece if you want to view it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8X_HZLPxJg8. Actually in the small lovely theatre I performed the story in, a woman came up to me and asked me “what country this happened in?” I was surprised by her question.
I’ve never wanted to happen in Germany to 6 million Jews to happen here in the United States. And now we are being tested. Really tested. All the horrible things that the president elect said during his campaign wants to be the norm, but it isn’t. It’s horribleness at it’s worst. Are we trying to normalize Facism and all of the negative isms that are sprouting their ugly head in our country. Black Lives Do Matter!!! Gays Do Matter!!! The Elderly and Poor Do Matter!!! Immigrants Do Matter!!! Jews Do Matter!!! Just think of how long this hatred has been going on with people of color and now it’s being brought to the forefront with many different cultures and gender choices.
I had said before our election that if “he” gets elected I would leave this country.” Once it happened I knew I could not leave my country. I know I have to stay and fight a good fight or whatever I am supposed to do. I really “got it” how much I love my country and I know I will not run away, even though I would like to.
Last week I joined an online Task Force on What To Do After The Election. It was our first phone call and one person in particular was so frightened. No one said anything and just allowed the person to express his fear, but what I found happened to me was after I hung up from the call I found it hard to contain my own fear and contain the fear of others. I tried to reach out for support but there was none. I believe most on the call were experiencing their own fear plus the intense fear of this one person. I believe all on the call were in shock by what had happened in the election. So I will try again, but if i still feel the same way I will have to try another way to become an activist.
It was a different experience being on the Task Force fighting the possibility of our president elect winning. That was different. We were all hopeful and full of energy with the possibility that our voices could turn the tide of the election, but other forces were stronger. But I felt a cohesiveness with the group even if others didn’t feel the same way. Now, it’s a whole different ballgame. Finding a direction and how to take action even though I’m in shock at what has shown itself in our country.
I haven’t yet been able to speak directly to people that voted for our president elect to ask them “why”? I will but don’t want to do it right now. It’s so hard for me to imagine that folks that voted for the president elect would vote for him with all of the hateful things he said about women, gays, people of color and the list goes on and on.
So I have begun donating to the Southern Poverty Law Center, Standing Rock and I don’t know who else. It feels like instead of a dream I am in a nightmare that I can’t walk or run away from. But what I can do this moment is connect with the love in my heart and try to make conscious decisions not from a place of fear but from that place of love.
Tags: all religions, anti-semitism, black lives matter, Donations, facism, fear, Gays, immigrants, Latinos, NYC, President elect, sherri rosen, Sherri Rosen Publicity Int'l, Southern Poverty Law Center, Standing Rock, Transgender
This entry was posted on Thursday, November 24th, 2016 at 12:33 pm and is filed under African American, Friends and Colleagues, jewish, publicist nyc, publicity nyc, racism. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
January 2nd, 2017 at 11:01 pm
Unlbaieveble how well-written and informative this was.