Grant Hauber: Chamber of Secrets is Open

So, Trump supporters, what gives? You think we are whining? You think we are being 'sore losers'? What you are witnessing is the backlash against the ugliest use of divisiveness in the history of this country, short of the civil war. We are railing against racism, xenophobia, sexism, and the other horrors stoked by your candidate.

You think that is bollocks? Just look what has been unleashed in the first 24 hours after the election: swastikas, anti-semitic messages, a white guy telling an Asian woman, "we won, now leave my country", "white power" chants, assaults on Muslims, taunts against anyone not white, the KKK organizing a celebration rally. FFS, tell me there is not something wrong with that! Tell me the perpetrators of those acts were not emboldened by Trump. Also please tell me whether or not you support this? Or are you going to turn a blind eye on this, like when you voted?

Sorry, you cannot just select the "drain the swamp" meme, or cut taxes theme, you get the whole frickin' package when you vote for someone like Trump. And those of us protesting, posting these messages, and, yes, crying or even hiding out of fear are NOT FRICKING WHINING. We are scared to death for our country, for our communities, for our neighbors, for our friends, for our families - particularly those who fall into categories who seem to not be in favor in the Trump camp.

We do not want to see 50 years of civil rights progress thrown out in space of a few days. We are comforting our children of all ages who, for lack of a better description, saw "evil" win. You can talk all of these horrible things, lie, and still win. They are shattered. So people are trying to let you guys know we will not stand for this. This is beyond the electoral process. There is 50% (perhaps more) of the country that is not with you on this. So you don't get carte blanche.

The best way to get the things you want out of this election is to speak up and stand with your fellow citizens in denouncing the hate. Show you are with your countrymen. Show you believe in the laws and policies that gave people the right to vote, to marry, to work, to get paid for it, to not have to walk down the street in fear.

We need to see it, right now, from everyone who believes in these rights, before shit gets out of control.

Debra Hager: Fighting for What is Right

If anything good came out of this, its that I feel angry now. Whereas before if I was speaking with someone who would throw in subtle (or not so subtle) barbs and negatives about president Obama or our country, I would bite my tongue because I wanted to be polite and keep things cordial. I will not do this anymore. If I disagree with someone's snide comments, or racist jokes, or whatever, I am going to call them out on it. I am going to speak up. I am going to take a stand.  I have less time on this earth left than I did yesterday and the day before and I am not going down without fighting for what is right, and true, and good.

As Hillary said in her concession speech yesterday "Never stop believing that fighting for what is right is worth it.   It is."

Tuesday night, I watched a woman who devoted her ENTIRE life to working for the less fortunate and making the world better, go down because of hatred, ignorance, racism,  dogmatically positioned thinking, and a man who has never done a thing in his life to help anyone else out except himself.

Hatred, racism, ignorance is not the country I know, or was brought up in, or that the rest of the world views us as. I will fight for what I know is right. Always.

Robert Reich: Why We Need a New Democratic Party

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Ron Pitts: My Struggle

My struggle is this: A long time ago, this election became no longer a political choice but a moral one. Everyone who voted for Trump is not racist, but everyone who voted for Trump had to decide that racism, bigotry and misogyny was not a dealbreaker. So how do I allow friends to stand up and tell their peers that misogyny, racism, and xenophobia are ok? They are not.

Everything about my life tells me to listen, accept, and invite other people to engage and exchange ideas. Also, everything about my own moral compass tells me to stand up against hatred, and bigotry and say it’s unacceptable. I know where my responsibility lies. What do I say? When, if ever, do I say it? I figured it out over this cycle.

When peoples words shift to misogyny, and the defense of such it becomes even more personal to me. I have daughters, And truthfully they don't feel safe in this country right now, as I they now understand that vast swathes of it have no interest in protecting their body or their dignity. A 9 year old looked at me in the eye about a month ago and tells me he’s thrilled with Trump (in front of the girls). I know that means that means that their existence matters less to him than whatever it is he thinks Trump represents. I can love him just as I love everyone, and I know he doesn’t wish them personal harm, but my heart is broken knowing their life doesn’t matter to him.

I'm fond (for the wrong reasons) of a post and old friend did, in it he says he is proud that he didn't unfriend anyone during this election, but then has posted stuff defending Trump mocking the disabled, that's something they will have to live with not me.

IF we believe we are a Christian Nation, we certainly aren't there if we cloak our hatred for other groups, in Bible verses. The Evangelicals support for Trump will be an indictment against its validity as a Christian Nation for years to come. And is a piss poor example.

Anyway, now you know where I stand.

Brigid Parsons: Time to Stop Being Complacent

Yes, there is a small percentage of people who are raging racists, sexist, bigots and just plain stupid. Donald Trump has given them a very big voice. But I HAVE to believe that most of the people that voted for him are just feeling completely powerless/voiceless because of the way Congress has been inept for the past way-too-many years. 'Elitists' cannot put them all in a 'basket of deplorables', the 'others', because we all do have to work together, dissolve barriers instead of building them. It would be too easy, and accomplish nothing, to just point and say 'ew'. My greatest fear is not his policies, most crazy ones will probably be reigned in a bit to just distasteful. Mostly, it's that he has given that small percentage permission to spew vile hatred, intimidate, promote violence toward society's most vulnerable. I will be looking for a way to expend efforts to help.

Love, compassion and truth must win out, time to stop being complacent.