Loss and fear
So many ideals have died, so many lights have gone out. These are the words of my Canadian cousin in a condolence note over the presidential elections.
No Justin Trudeau for us.
But just as scary as the individual who will “lead” us, is that as a country and people, we have lost our collective way. We don’t know how to talk to the other half, to understand how they are thinking. And frankly, I don’t feel like trying today.
Tomorrow, and the day after that, perhaps we can think about putting the pieces together in a way that rebuilds the values that as a country we appear to have lost.
Right now, however, I can’t help fearing that for the next few years we face a second Civil War — at least of ideas and, perhaps, worse.
Today is for confusion, nostalgia, and deep mourning. Tomorrow — and the years that follow — is for confronting and healing the new world we have awoken to.
But not today.
Jeannie DeQuine,
Miami
This story was originally published November 9, 2016 at 9:28 PM with the headline "Loss and fear."