I’m glad that Trump didn’t win by a popular vote landslide as previously thought, but by a very narrow margin. That means half the country wasn’t deceived, delusional, hateful, or members of a cult. However, he did win and each of us will have to deal with his policies and observe the inevitable corruption, cruelty, incompetence, garishness, and downright lawlessness he will again bring to the office of the presidency. My response is to do what I can to avoid the mental, physical and financial fallout of another Trump term.
Apparently, I’m not the only liberal who has turned away from corporate media. I ceased watching CNN and MSNBC prior to the election because I noticed they were more interested in views for profit than delivering actual news free of bias. Their “both sides” approach using more pundits with opinions than actual news was a turn off. They clearly sought to gain higher ratings above exercising their duty to inform and so they minimized the actual threat Trump posed to our democracy and to marginalized groups. They normalized his dangerous rhetoric and left millions of Americans with the false impression that he would be good for their pocketbooks. It’s no wonder their ratings have tanked post-election. They don’t deserve viewers, and I certainly don’t want to contribute to national news organizations that omit important stories while they spin the news for views. They committed malpractice and now the nation will pay the price. While CNN and MSNBC don’t outright lie like Fox News, they still failed to report what was really happening and to warn of the danger ahead. CNN was more guilty than MSNBC, but I won’t watch either of them. However, I’ll continue to support investigative journalism, keeping my subscription to the New York Times and getting my news from local stations and publicly funded news organizations who are beholden to me, the viewer, and not corporate shareholders.
Limiting my news consumption will be one of the keys to my preserving my mental health. Already, Trump’s ridiculous cabinet pics and his trade war threats with Canada and Mexico are causing anxiety. When I get anxious, I find action to be the best remedy. I ask myself what I can do to protect myself from the root issue that is causing the anxiety. In this case, my anxiety seems from Trump’s cabinet picks and his promise to place tariffs on our trading partners and to deport millions of immigrants who provide needed labor. Both of these policies will raise prices and cause shortages. Of course, my anxiety cannot compare to the families who will be torn apart by his cruel deportations or the small business owners wondering how they will survive the tariffs on goods they import or the poor who will be negativity impacted by higher prices and cuts to public safety net programs they rely on.
For peace of mind, we’ve acted on decisions to protect our finances and physical well-being. We renewed our passports. We moved some investment money to safer havens. We made major purchases for our home (including a generator) and we completed some renovations we wanted. We’ve stocked up on non-perishables and everyday household supplies. We’ve expanded our vegetable garden. We already grow most of our own fruits and vegetables, but we’ll do more. And this Black Friday, I took advantage of the sales and incentives and purchased essential clothing items and gifts for the next two years. I’m grateful that we were able to accomplish all of this without going into debt or compromising our retirement. We have lived well below our means for many years and our priority of consistent hard work, frugal spending in favor of greater savings and investments has paid off and has prepared us for such a time as this.
After Trump takes office, I will be more apt to wear a mask in public. My husband and I have been vaccinated with all the recommended vaccines for seniors. Already, fewer people are being vaccinated against the flu and Covid-19. I suspect things will get much worse as the Trump administration will be far less likely to be concerned with public health and more apt to cover up any outbreaks and threats to public safety. I will continue to get my annual flu shot and Covid-19 booster if it remains available. But wearing a mask in public spaces will definitely become the norm for me. We already have a water filtration system and air purifiers. I suspect the water and air to go unprotected against pollution in the coming years as the Republicans and the Supreme Court remove power from the EPA. Red states will be worse than blue states that tend to care more about climate change and environmental issues.
A new priority will be saving money and supporting certain organizations. Since we’ve purchased pretty much everything in advance, I plan to use those saved future dollars not on goods, but on greater savings for medical bills, ready cash, and to help fund organizations that feed the hungry, provide education scholarships, and defend our civil rights.
And finally, as a black woman, I think most Americans know that I’m probably not a Trump supporter. That automatically makes me a target to MAGA members, some of whom are hateful and a few who are violent and present a real danger to my well-being. I will avoid spaces where they congregate and when I encounter a red MAGA hat, I will avoid that person. Should a Trump cult member attempt to engage me, I will silently and quickly flee the situation. It is not beyond some people to actively seek confrontation and so I will be avoiding those people at every turn. My greatest concern is that bigots and macho men will be emboldened to harm people of color, LGBTQ folks, young women, and religious minorities once Trump takes office. Our collective sense of personal safety and the expectation of respect from others will be greatly diminished for the next several years. This makes me sad and cautious because I know people are going to get hurt.
My goal is to continue being the caring and respectful human I have always been and to treat others with the dignity and respect their humanity deserves. I plan to be a refuge to the fearful and the injured. I will treat others in the way I want to be treated, with kindness and respect without regard for how they voted. For example, yesterday, I encountered a very pregnant white store clerk. I had no idea how she voted, but I wished her a safe and quick delivery and a healthy baby. She thanked me. She may have been a Trump supporter and if she follows any news, she knows I probably voted for Kamala Harris. However, whatever her politics, she cannot escape the fact that I, a black Harris supporter, wished her well. My point is that we must hold fast to our decency when others have chosen indecency.
There is a verse in the Bible that says it is kindness that leads to repentance. And Lord knows, half of this country is in need of repentance.
Be wise, be safe and stock up and strap in for the next several years.