When Love and Hate Collide (This Is Not About Def Leppard)

Still a lot of work to do, tho.

I'm not happy* Doug Jones appears to have won the Alabama Senate seat. I'm relieved. Half the people in Alabama (half!) still voted for a person accused of child molestation and assault, a person who rubs his palms together like a dastardly cartoon villain at the thought of other people being taunted, jailed, or worse because of the people they love or the religion they follow (or don't). A person who flouted the letter of the law more than once in the name of those beliefs. A person who yearns for a time when families were "closer"—that time happened to be during our salad days of slavery, but hey, NBD!—and who'd be A-OK nixing a few pesky Constitutional amendments because it would "eliminate many problems." A person endorsed by the president** of the United States. Yep. The president of the United States actually went for this guy. And so tonight we found ourselves in the pathetic state of huddling around our TVs and laptops, John Cleese-stepping over the fucking low bar we've set over the past year, cheering wildly for a barely-any-baggage guy just squeaking by to beat an alleged pedophile/definite homophobe and asshole in a do-or-die Senate race. Honestly, it was a valid reaction, considering the much-needed morale boost it offered, but it also spoke to the insidious effects of normalization we've all succumbed to. I can't be the only one thinking "Comfortably Numb" is going to end up being some candidate's somewhat ironic (but not really) 2018 entrance song. I'm pretty sure Alabama is playing the microcosm role to 'Murica's macrocosm right now—think Tomi Lahren cosplaying with an American flag and a Confederate flag. Meaning this all remains a very big problem for everyone inside of 'Bama and outside of 'Bama. If you don't think it's a big problem, that means you could be part of what's driving the problem. Just sayin'. What turned the tide tonight: people of color, especially women, despite the many reported instances of attempted voter suppression and intimidation. Meanwhile, white people (even the "educated"!) done fucked up. So thank POC. But don't stop there: Start listening to them, supporting them, and electing them. That's the only way things will start to get better, for everyone. The End. * OK, I'm a little happy. ** Whatever. Tweets and treats at @jenngidman.