i literally can't even

the post-election news just gets worse and worse.

so in my haze of sadness and grief and anger, i decided to join in the countless others who started wearing a simple safety pin on their shirts.  the way i interpreted it, the pin was meant as a quiet symbol of support towards those who are feeling anxious, afraid, insecure.  it means that the wearer is someone who can be approached for help if someone is experiencing harassment (racial, sexual, etc.).  the number of hate crimes has increased quite a bit in the days since the election, which is horrible.  and although i live in a very blue state, one look at a voting map posted by the l.a. times tells me that my particular area is pretty much all red.

but then i started hearing about how followers of the other side started wearing pins themselves - either to mock or to trick people into thinking they're safe, and then they proceed with whatever hateful activity they're looking to carry out.  not to mention, i was reading lots of responses from all sorts of people who feel that the safety pin is just another form of "slacktivism" - just a token of outward support with no actual meaning behind it.  some of my friends made some excellent points, and so i decided to stop wearing the pin.

and now, we're starting to hear about the people who are being tapped to join the president-elect in the white house.  it's pretty alarming, no matter how you look at it.  he's chosen a white nationalist as his chief strategist and senior counselor?  so, like pretty much his right hand man is a guy who happily green-lighted articles with headlines such as "the solution to online harassment is simple: women should log off" and "hoist it high and proud: the confederate flag proclaims a glorious heritage" and "birth control makes women unattractive and crazy."  i mean, what's next - david duke?

can anyone really wonder now why people who aren't white are so afraid?  really??

UGH.