ASYLUM KEYS

Y'know, the election is over and a winner was chosen.  Didn't turn out the way I'd have preferred, but I'm glad it's over.  Mr. Trump will be the president and he'll be my president.  

Initially, I was reassured when the president elect appeared to soften extremist and unreasonable/unworkable views on some key campaign issues.  That's the typical flow of Our Politics-  neither party ever has the will or power to follow through on all their campaign claims.  In other words, much of the campaign chatter is just Good Ol' Fashion Bullshit, regardless of party affiliation.  Always has been.  Not expectin' any kinda sea change any time soon.  

So I set to work revisitin' areas where I actually agreed with some of Mr. Trump's campaign rhetoric.  There are a few things- like congressional term limits, reducin' the unchecked flow of money into our political system....  I really wanted him to be successful, 'cause as goes the Presidency, so goes the Country.

But the choices he's made for cabinet and staff positions this week have only served to validate and reinforce many of the more grave concerns I've had all along.  The disturbin' shit.  Racism, Anti-Semitism, Intolerance, disdain for Human Rights, the championin' of the Wealthy over the Remainder...  (And the crazy, outright lyin'.  Really hoped that would at least subside a little bit.)

Then I read a post from a friend yesterday- she was describin' an experience she had just had this week while out with a coworker at the end of the day.  In a public place.  I'll give no other details here, but I will say that it was one of the most disgustin', ugly, racist/misogynistic, even frightenin' things that I have ever heard in my life.  (And I ain't young and I've heard some damn terrible shit.)  Just readin' her brief account disturbed the Hell outta me and I'm havin' a damn hard time shakin' it.

Sadly, it's more than a little obvious that the thinly veiled hate speech that has been such a huge part of what we've been subjected to over the past year or so is squarely to blame for the Emboldenin' of the Darker Side of far too many people in our country.  An anything-but-subtle invitation has been extended.  An invitation grantin' Permission and Acceptance to the Hate and Vilification of anyone of your choosin', for any reason or excuse, regardless of whether Anchored in Fact or simply a Product of Imagination or Fear.

I was hopin' things would wind up goin' okay, but now I just can't, not for the life of me, see it bein' anything short of a nightmare.

Damn worried, y'all.

Fish~