ManicDDaily

I am worried about the upcoming election.  Women’s rights are on the line.  Frankly, in many states, women have already lost the line. 

But it could get worse (and will if the GOP takes over congress.) 

Voting rights are on the line.  Frankly, in many states, voters have already lost the ability to vote easily and to have their votes counted.

But it could get worse (and will if the GOP takes over congress.) 

Yes, we are already despoiling the planet.

But it could get worse (and will if the GOP takes over congress.)

Yes, Putin has already acted on delusions of grandeur, and his soldiers have raped, tortured, and are currently bombing civilians.  But his actions, and those of other dictators, could get much much worse.  

And the GOP noticeably does not care about crimes against humanity, not if it raises the price of gas.  Sadly, it seems as if many GOP politicians do not care much about crimes against humanity even they didn’t raise gas prices.  (They seem to have  a not-very-secret affection for dictators.)

What I have been doing—which has become almost mystical for me—is making small donations nearly every day (sometimes randomly repeated through the weeks) to Democratic candidates around the country. Each is a very small donation.  Yet, I try always to carry through the thought, to bother.

If I think of someone in a pivotal race—Val Demmings against Marco Rubio; John Fetterman against Dr. Oz; Tim Ryan against J.D. Vance; Mark Kelly against Blake Masters—Beto O’Rourke, Stacy Abrams, Catharine Cortez Masto, Mandela Barnes, Evan McMullin—-the Democratic candidates here are all interesting and worthwhile–I try to make that little donation. I feel like even my small donations will generate a random positivity in their direction, while if I have the thought, but don’t follow through, I might contribute to the negative. (It might somehow contribute to the idea of other people not bothering–not even bothering to vote.)  

I guess I am trying to work the “butterfly effect.”  It’s the idea in chaos theory that one small change, one small action (the movement of the wings of a butterfly), can generate a big result.  

My thought—that even my small efforts (the little donations, the carefully worded, if hopeless, emails to family members in red states)–could populate a tide.

Anyway—I put it out there.  To think about politics right now is sickening, disheartening, but important. Do what you can.  

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ps–Raphael Warnock is another to support!

Drawing above is mine–was supposed to start as a moth, but I drew a butterfly of sorts–again in Peter Hristoff’s wonderful “Inventory Drawing” class at SVA.

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