One of the things I liked best about kos’s remarkable rant diary today (Beware opening it! It’s over 1700 comments and climbing!) is that it lent site validation to rant and anger and frustration. He even invited people to use it as a vent outlet, no consequences!
For myself, I would say that anger is not fractionally as common for me as it was when I was much younger. Circumstances in my early life meant I often felt I was going in a different direction on the escalator from everyone else. If ‘they’ were going up, I was going down. If they were going down, I was going up. I experienced deep anger about the difficulties of life, about its very natural and pervasive challenges.
Now … along in years, anger hasn't played a very large role for me in some years now. I find I am able to let things go now that I couldn’t before, that I didn’t know how to, before. I am more patient with people in almost all circumstances. More patient with myself. The will to understand, to feel and give compassion, to give and accept the benefit of the doubt … all make it easier to discharge anger and frustration, indeed, to substantially avoid both!
Yet I’d be less than honest if I were to say that this election cycle has spared me great and real anger.
More below.
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kos recounted a checklist of anger items, beginning with Hillary. While I would not hold her blameless in the Democratic problems with this election, I am not angry with her. I think in so many ways she was a terrific candidate, the most qualified candidate we’ve ever offered. I don’t think she can be blamed for the hideous standards applied to her, and to no other political candidate (or public figure!) in the history of our country. She should have been elected the first female President in our history. And while she bounced back fine from the defeat in 2008, the same won’t be true of this defeat. This was her shot, and it’s gone for good.
I’m angry that timing will probably rob us of any possibility of the presidential candidate I would most love to see in 2020 - Elizabeth Warren.
I am very angry at the lost opportunity (opportunities?!) of the Supreme Court. If there is one thing that could bring the changes we most need to a screeching halt, that’s it.
I am angry that so many of our people are putting such huge energy into backbiting, second-guessing, scape-goating, when we should be united as never before against this greatest threat of our lifetimes. I’ve long thought Trump’s campaign was more about Make America Pissy Again, but one mistake I don’t think I have made is to allow him to make ME more pissy, particularly with my friends and allies.
I am angry that ‘our side’ seems far more concerned about the Electoral College than it is about the vast sums of money in our electoral politics. I am angry that our side seems far more concerned with winning the presidency than it is with what I think are much bigger problems: gerrymandering, voter suppression, local and regional infrastructure … Indeed, with not even HAVING a strategy to turn those things around. Without the unfair advantages Republicans have created for themselves in the states, they’d have never had a chance to win those swing states.
I am angry that our side - election in and election out - fails to strategically challenge Republican cheating. That party wraps itself in the flag of the free market, yet their cheating makes clear just how needed government is to place checks on cheating of every kind. If their political ideas were remotely competitive, why would they need to institutionalize such cheats??? Someone tell me of a Democratic politician shining a light on that critical contradiction. I don’t know of one.
I am angry that my anger and resentment and frustration with the election is contaminating my feelings toward others in real life. I can feel that I am less patient now than I was four weeks ago. I can feel that my frustration quotient is far higher, that my tolerance is less. It makes it harder for me to BE the change I wish to see, because I don’t want to be the changes I am feeling within.
But! I am more appreciative of THIS community than I can recall being in a very long time. I am more appreciative of the opportunity it offers, for support, for friendship, for coordinated action. You guys help me with every aspect of life. I know it tends to undermine the rant quality of a good rant, but it’s true, and it felt right to say it.
By all means share any vent or rant that you feel! We can take it! (I hope!)
On to tonight’s comments!
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Note: Especially during this passionate primary season, please remember that comment inclusion in Top Comments does not constitute support or endorsement by diarist, formatter, Top Comments writers or DailyKos. Questions, complaints or comments? Contact brillig.
From Otteray Scribe:
In Colorado is the Shiznit's rant diary today, "Get Over It," with this comment, AaronInSanDiego offers a shocking play on words.
The last paragraph in particular, but the whole comment (from J Graham) really, capsulizes a struggle I tried inchoately to speak to in my own comment (to which this is a reply). It's perfectly stated and IMO needs more eyes. And it may be found here.
Highlighted by evolvingplanet:
Is this comment from comeonsense on difficulties poc faced in this election cycle, and even now. Well stated! In TomP’s diary on Reverend Barber.
Is this comment by Cocob on peaceful ways to exert our political will during non-election times. Please don’t miss IonGirl’s fine reply (which was also the highlighting comment).
Top Mojo ala mik!
For Tuesday, November 29, 2016, first comments and tip jars excluded. Thank you mik for the mojo magic! For those of you interested in How Top Mojo Works, please see his diary on the subject.
2016-11-30, courtesy of jotter!