LJ Idol Week #14: I Don't Have Hope For You

[chasing_silver]

I don't have hope for you.

I do have the idea that the world will irreparably change. I have the inkling that people who have fought hard, will fight harder. I wonder what will happen when people beyond this country are affected by policy that really shouldn't exist. I wonder what will happen when other leaders decide to follow suit.

I don't have hope for you.

I do have the idea that people will need to die for this madness. I know that there will be sick women in parking lots, cradling lost children, watching their flesh turn grey as they bleed out. I know that things will happen in the shadows. People will attempt to flee. People will hide who they truly are in the attempt to survive. We may see lack of health care. We will definitely see our friends and neighbours deported for being the wrong colour, the wrong religion, the wrong place, the wrong time.

I don't have hope for you.

I do have wonder for the man who has been able to galvanize more than half of an entire citizenry. How does he sew the hatred he does? In another world; in a safer world, the psychology is fascinating. How can he figure out just what to say to make them scream in glee? How does his brain work to be as charismatic to them as he is? While we may see a criminal, an abhorrent individual, he has been able to somehow encourage more than half the country to vote. While that may be for hatred and divisiveness, it speaks to what leaders need to do to get people to make change. He has experienced almost no obstacles in getting his message out there. I have to wonder if it's him, or if it's the passion of his followers.

I don't have hope for you.

I do have the idea that if he can galvanize them, why can't we galvanize us? Work towards the light is harder, true. It's easier to hate your neighbour than to put a blanket around a dirty, starving individual you have been told is dangerous. But the time has come to play dirty politics. The time has come to believe what is being dogwhistled over the nation. We need to start coming out in droves, too.

I don't have hope for you.

I have revolution for you.

We can use his charisma towards goodness, light, and maybe after awhile, that bruised and bleeding form of hope will rise out of the ditch, and spread its wings, and fly again.

Let's make that wheel turn. We have work to do.

This has been an entry for therealljidol. The prompt this week was from Thelonious Monk. He said, "A genius is the one most like himself". I played with many ideas for this prompt, but in the end, focused on what we have seen happen now twice within our political world all over this planet. We can't stand by and wring our hands and wonder why this happens over and over. He might have genius to galvanize his followers, but he isn't the only one.

We've got this.

Thanks for reading and voting!

Comments

[1empress]

I'm convinced at this point that it's just willful ignorance and defiance. And 'They won't come for *us*!' As a resident of the UK, I feel absolutely gutted for the US, and scared about the influence it'll now have.

[rayaso]

This breaks my heart. I fear for our future. It is going to take decades to undo the harm this evil person will do to our country.

[ragnarok_08]

Let's make that wheel turn. We have work to do.

You're right about that.

[shirebound]

I do have the idea that if he can galvanize them, why can't we galvanize us? Work towards the light is harder, true. It's easier to hate your neighbour than to put a blanket around a dirty, starving individual you have been told is dangerous.

Yes indeed. Well done.

[greghousesgf]

I bet I get deported for being an atheist.

[erulissedances]

"people will need to die for this madness"

I have to disagree with the statement above. Yes, people will probably and possibly die for this madness, but they aren't required to do so. They more than likely will die, but the way you phrased it makes those deaths seem like a necessity for the madness to exist.

Still, you and I have come to know each other over the years and you know well that I am appalled at what just happened within our election. The ramifications of this particular person will echo for many long years ahead (and NOT in a good way).

- Erulisse (one L)

[siglinde999]

I liked this (if not the reason for writing). One thing that struck me was the questioning of how he was able to galvanize. Beyond the self-interest and lack of historical knowledge (thanks worsening education system), I would add deliberate media/social media manipulation by malign forces. This is being well-documented in Canada in our ongoing examination of foreign interference in elections, and was raised repeatedly (but too late and not loudly enough) by your intelligence agencies. My hopes are with you that things don’t get anywhere near as bad as they might.

[adoptedwriter]

“I have to wonder if it's him, or if it's the passion of his followers” This!

[halfshellvenus]

I don't know how I'm going to make it through 4 more years of this clown. And he's proved surprisingly hard to combat. Liberals tend to focus on appealing to our "better angels," and conservatives on whipping up fear and anger.

It may be that the only way to fight fire is with more fire, but I'm also pretty sure that people who believe in love and hope don't want to become like their opponents. That leaves them stuck.

But we should never ignore the importance of focusing on the economy-- and not just the numbers, but the economy as it is perceived by regular individuals. All of the data-crunching and important indicators are meaningless to people whose expenses keep going up while their salaries do not.

[littlebitofearth]

So well said. I feel your apprehension, derision, but also determination.

This election was appalling. In 2016 at the Primary, I said "There's no way Americans will ever take this clown seriously" and I have never been more wrong about anything.

You talk about psychology. Back then I thought he was a ridiculous egoist. Now, I recognize the brilliance behind his manipulation. Between his simple, twisted words and the support of constant misinformation in media and social media, half of America basically lives in a separate reality from the rest of us.

What happens next? I don't know. But we do have work to be done.

Great piece.

[mollywheezy]

Well said.

[erulissedances]

Unfortunately, we have to sleep in the bed that has been made for us, bedbugs and all. *sigh*

- Erulisse (one L)