Another clear, bright, dry, record heat day. We are in the cycle in which parched soils hold no moisture, but retain heat. This is a potent brew. Today was windy, greatly enhancing the already high fire risk. Tonight, clouds have come in and the wind has dropped; we expect no rain.
Today has brought a host of opinion pieces about why the Democrats lost the election. Some blame Kamala, others point to the democrats’ refusal to make the complex simple. Still others suggest the Dems had no real forward seeing platform. The number of reasons put forward seems endless.
I was e-mailing with a Native friend earlier today. As we spoke about the election we realized that both of our fathers had told us about the greed and hatred at the heart of our country, warning us that a great darkness might return. We noted that we have watched the decades long rise of the Windigo, the insatiable cannibal giant with a heart of ice. Now, once again, its terrifying form stands before us.
I find myself wondering how it is that so many commentators refuse to acknowledge our country’s history of slavery, genocide, hatred of women and kids, and environmental plunder, What if the problem is not Kamala (who was in my view exemplary), or the Dems incompetence? What if the problem is simply the rise to prominence of the hatred and greed that lie at the center of this country’s history?
Earlier, a really good, bright, acquaintance stood in our kitchen and told us that his lineage stretches unbroken to the Mayflower. He proudly stated that his family had settled this country, coast to coast, even if they had to push some people behind trees out of the way to do so. The painful thing was that he had no clue he was justifying land theft and genocide.
It seems to me that denial, and the need to keep up that denial, shaped this campaign. Now they shape the post election discourse, and threaten to take us to even more dangerous places.
Please share your thoughts and join the conversation!