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I Tried to Disengage From Politics After the Election, But I Failed
Even when it is the least politically advantageous and the most professionally detrimental
After the election, I was disappointed, but not surprised in Trump’s re-election. I was disappointed in Biden for not dropping out sooner, but I didn’t watch the news from midnight to 1 a.m. the evening of the election with any sense of shock or surprise like in 2016. I could not look away and still had a sense of dismay.
I give into a predominant liberal sentiment “I’m just not going to pay attention to the news as much anymore.” It came from a sense of helplessness, per se, that our side was defeated and there was nothing necessarily we could do to stop it. It came possibly from a place of privilege as well, given I am not the most directly impacted by rollbacks in protections in reproductive rights or other issues, and that I was doing alright personally in my personal material circumstances as a teacher and law student.
But like many liberals, as much as I try to disengage, I just keep getting drawn back in by the gravity of the moment. Whether it’s Donald Trump’s blanket pardons for all January 6th rioters, including those convicted of violent crimes, or his intent to gut birthright citizenship (which is the reason why I am a…
