An Open Letter to my Bad Bitches and Nasty Women

To All the Bad Bitches and Nasty Women in my life and Nationwide,

It's been a long fucking week, huh? I don't think any of us thought the outcome of this election was actually a possibility. I mean obviously it was but who actually had the room in their brain to think that it could really, actually, happen? It has been a trying time filled with despondency and tears, questions about what happened and what exactly the way forward is. I hope there is not, but suspect that there is, an undercurrent to that despondency that says "What is even the point if I must continue to face this sort of sexism and misogyny? What shot do I have if a plurality of America voted for a categorically unqualified, uninformed, idiotic white male buffoon over one of the most uniquely qualified candidates in the history of the Republic and many did so just because the latter candidate is a woman? A woman who has been working to better this nation and our world for over 30 years?"

I have no real answers for you and understand the feeling completely. I have been despairing the past week as well. How could we possibly be here? I just want to be clear that I am in no way, shape or form trying to do some "mansplaining" and was, in fact, somewhat worried that is how this may come off. I had it vetted a bit so I hope no one reads it that way as I mean well. In my various readings and in the mental gymnastics I have expended trying to process all of this, however, I have found and come up with a couple of facts (maybe "fact" is more appropriate here, I'm kind of winging it) that I hope you will find as somewhat helpful/hopeful as I did...

• 46.9% of those who were eligible to vote did not vote (the final numbers are still a bit fluid and still developing from when I saw these numbers last Friday, but these will be close enough I think). Of those who did vote, 25.6% voted for Hillary Clinton and 25.5% voted for a racist and misogynistic orange. Of that roughly 1/4 of the country that voted for walking hot bag of wind painted Home Depot orange, (as pointed out by HRC in her "deplorable gaffe" that was taken out of context) half probably voted based on economic/social concerns and thus are only complicit in the racism and misogyny rather than active participants. This leaves us with about 13% of the country who voted in this election and who are just truly terrible.
• One must suspect, due to the voting demographics (and yes I realize this is rather morbid but, also, on the other hand fuck them) many of this 13% is going to die off in the next 4 years.
• Along with this development, the next four years will bring another generation of nasty women who do not want to be told what to do with their bodies, what sort of contraception is acceptable and do not feel like being judged by their looks rather than their intelligence and accomplishments. These young women will, hopefully, be particularly motivated to kindly show the president-elect where the door is while less kindly mentioning where he can stick his vile views.
• The changing demographics will be beneficial but, as was seen this year, they are not enough. I cannot stress enough that nearly 47% of eligible voters could not be bothered to vote. Without getting into how despicable I think this is because I may give myself a fucking aneurysm, that means that we all (I say "we" as I feel like a nasty woman in spirit) must do better at motivating these people and turning them out. This stuff matters. You do not get to sit it out and not worry about the consequences. People will now suffer. The unfortunate fact of the matter are that the voters most reliable to turn out are the old, white and scared. That means that many of that 90 Million people or so (as not all ~330 Million in the country are eligible to vote) were likely to have been voting for not the orange guy. Everyone needs to try to motivate this section of the electorate going forward.
• Hillary Rodham Clinton went through A LOT of shit to get here. Like Andy Dufresne escaping Shawshank State Penitentiary amounts of shit. To borrow from HRC who was borrowing from Hova, Susan B. Anthony prodded at the glass ceiling so that Geraldine Ferraro could punch it. Ferraro punched the glass ceiling so Hillary could spider web it with a sledgehammer. Hillary swung that sledgehammer so that all of you (and all of us who believe in you) could stomp on that mother fucker until every last fucking one of us is dancing on broken glass with tears of joy running down our faces.

Wednesday morning was supposed to be when those tears of joy started welling up and it didn't go down like that. It fucking sucks. I, personally, was gutted. I felt the flutters of nervousness coming around 9:30 PM Tuesday night and the writing was on the wall early Wednesday morning. I went to bed sick. I, literally, puked on Wednesday morning and then I sobbed while sitting on my shower floor. I know my post-election experience was a lot of yours, although I am sure yours was 10x, as well. But I guess what I am ultimately saying, is that despondency and despair must give way to anger and action. HRC may not be the President-elect right now, but Elizabeth Warren may be in 4 years (speaking of, this is great... http://nymag.com/thecut/2016/11/elizabeth-warren-we-stand-up-and-we-fight-back.html). One of you may even be in the upcoming decades. Even if Hillary was elected, the fight wouldn't have been over. Just look at our current "post-racial world" in the days (DAYS!) after Obama's successor was elected. All this tangerine colored fucking clown shoes means is that all of us need to fight harder to get where we need to be. 

I know I am preaching to a very capable, committed, intelligent and resourceful choir, but this is as much about me needing to organize and express my thoughts as it is about reaching out to y'all. I stood with and still stand with her. And I will always stand with all of you. Wednesday's stumble is nothing but a stutter step on the sprint to eventual victory.

Much love and respect, always.

Image Credit: Scoopnest.com (Don't know what that is but BMurr always makes me feel better)