I think so much of what women consider rant-like is an internalization of the “don’t speak up if it will ruffle feathers” dictum with which most of us were raised. If nothing else, this election has brought home to me how pervasive this is, and how much I participate in it and have, to my regret, passed it on too much to my own daughters. Let’s not acquiesce to squelching our powerful–not ranty–voices.

Thank you, Lorrie! It felt very rant-like when I was typing. Glad it came out ok!

Thanks for writing this, Janine–it’s one of the most perceptive and hopeful analyses I’ve seen. Glad to live here (despite the lack of water and, you know, the earthquake thing!).

In this election California imposed gun restrictions, outlawed plastic bags, voted to keep a tax on the rich in order to fund public education. (Because we also know what happens when something like Prop 13 defunds education). We know the reality of climate change–what happens when it doesn’t rain for 5 years. We know what happens when you have a generous (relatively!) family leave act and the difference a higher minimum wage makes.

We know what happens when a conservative hold strangles a healthy budget. We know what happens when a frugal governor can turn red to black through taxes.

I think we are shocked because we know how inclusion works for the greater good. But this state has its share of racist behavior, from locking up indigenous people to locking up Japanese Americans to treating Mexicans and Chinese as sub-humans. We built our state lines with a wall in mind (our boundaries with the Sierras and the desert are no accident). We tried giving the rich a break with Prop 13. We let the tyranny of the minority keep us in the red.

But the California that I am a part of today respects its citizens. Be they LGBTQ, immigrant, rich, poor, of a religious persuasion or not. (Aside from that death penalty thing).

Not perfect by any means. But we know how hard it is–even with cooperation–to create a thriving state. To see rhetoric on the election of the future of our country match the rhetoric of sports fans is sickening.

Brexit struck fear into my heart about our election. So did the rejection of the Colombia peace deal (though blessedly that is back on the table, new and improved). And, in the realm of total magical thinking, I also felt nervous when the Chicago Cubs won the world series–it reminded me of when the Red Sox won in 2004, but Kerry lost the election. My favored teams won, my favored candidates lost.

It gets worse as the shock wears off and the reality sinks in. Some truly dreadful appointments are under way, with some devastating reversals of progress in the works.