I’ve been positively sick and despondent about the election results ever since I woke up on Wednesday morning to find my phone full of incredulous WTF messages from my German friends.   I almost rage-quit my blog out of the intense feeling that I would never have anything to say again-  my faith in our country was that shaken.

But then I saw a bunch of news about the things that are going on, and I feel like I need to say a thing.

To all the #notmypresident protesters. To all the disgruntled Bernie-Bros.   He is our President now. For all of us, not just the Red States.   Half of our country may have voted against him, but the peaceful transfer of the Presidency is part of what makes us America.  Let it go, and choose your battles carefully for the next four years.   This fight is already over.  It’s time to move on to the next challenge.

To all those talking about leaving the country.  Don’t. If you don’t like what this is going to become, stick around and fight. And vote in Democrats at the midterm. And vote in a Democrat four years from now.  And subscribe to your local newspaper, even if you don’t plan on reading it-  we need those reporters to keep tabs on what a Trump White House is up to.

I saw a picture of the electoral map as voted by people in the 18-25 age bracket, and it gives me hope.  This is our future:

To all the rampaging bigots who are taking this election as carte blanche to be hateful, a hearty hi ho fuck you.  There are already reports of nasty behavior and intimidation to blacks, muslims, trans folk, and pretty much everyone who isn’t white.  To the alleged perpetrators, get over yourselves.  A Trump presidency doesn’t negate your obligation to be a decent human being.  Stop it.  Just play nice with everyone else.

Ann Coulter said this thing:

…and she missed the point.  She missed the point by a LOT.

There aren’t that many people in this country who have four natural-born grandparents.    I’m a second generation American myself-  only two of my four grandparents were born in the US.  I think that’s true of a great many people, because the country really isn’t that old.  240 years is not a long time when you’re talking about multiple generations.  But I digress… my point in bringing up Ann Coulter is that she missed the point because we’re the United States of America, even if right now it feels like we’re anything but.

My country’s better angels are all about inclusion and adaptation.

My $.02: I am not a Trump supporter. I despise everything he said during his campaign.  I find him to be a misogynist, a bigot and a bully.

However,  he’s our President now, and we have to deal with that. We made it through eight years of Dubya (who seems positively mild by comparison), and we’ll make it through this.  Maybe he’ll turn out to be an OK President- not evil so much as just mildly ineffective.  Maybe he’s the guy that will finally actually unite us all.  I kinda doubt that last one, but I live in hope.

Fellow Blue-State people, we have to accept that this is a done deal and move on.  For my part, I will continue to advocate and fight for minorities, GLBTQ people, and people of all faiths.  Even the ones I think are boogety-woogety nonsense.  (Hint: That’s all of ’em.  I don’t have to share your beliefs to fight for them.)

Besides, now that Sarah Palin is reportedly being considered for a Cabinet position, the late night talk show comedians are going to have a field day.  I mean, what’s next, Michele Bachmann as Secretary of State?

Editor’s Note:  I’m attempting to blog every day in November with CheerPeppers.  I don’t expect to succeed because life be crazy, but any blogging in excess of my previous post-free month is a win, right?