#US American politics

[cheezewhis]

God it's really hard to be an American right now because half of this website is telling you to fight and survive and the other half is telling you that you're a self centered piece of shit idiot who is solely responsible for every bad thing America has ever done and it's your own dumbass fault for falling for your country's horrible propaganda that you were fucking raised in. Also if you complain about how hostile people are to you that's because you're a selfish piece of garbage who deserves death. But also you have to survive and fight. But also you suck.

[branwyn-says]

Dear K'diwa readers

The K'diwa epilogue will be up by the weekend probably.

A handful of people reread K'diwa last week for comfort and left comments about it, and so to comfort all of us including me, I'm writing that last piece of it I always meant to write. The background of K'diwa, as many of you intuited, is steeped in my own trauma and more importantly my recovery journey. The message of K'diwa is that deep healing and comfort are possible even if you've survived devastation. The trick is to stay alive long enough.

I haven't slept in several days. The election put me into the worst PTSD regression I've ever experienced. I'm American. The people who just hijacked my country raised me. I escaped a predestined life of jean skirts and submission when I was a teenager. Coping with the fact that these people have managed to regain a form of authority over me has been impossible to take in without falling apart somewhat. As a survivor of rape and sexual abuse, the air stings with an ambient threat these days. And as a woman with a girlfriend I want to marry, there is a lot of immediate uncertainty in my life and community. But PTSD works like it works. I know its tricks pretty well by now. Once the adrenaline and the cortisol cycle out, what's left will be me, and the hugeness of my resolve. For the last year I have been training as a community organizer. Community is our safety now. I wanted to make it known that if you are an American in the mid-Atlantic (DMV) region and if you have an interest in attending a trauma writing workshop that I teach in Baltimore, message me privately and I will give you details.

I am not despairing and I hope you aren't either. We're going to look after each other. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness does not overcome it.

[chatdomestique]

Don’t Vote Blind!

Use this link so you can take your time to research each candidate and each law that you’ll be voting on.

Once you’ve finished, they’ll email your answers to you so you don’t have to worry about forgetting anything.

Also be sure to check that you’re (still) registered to vote

[yetanothertransgirl]

ah, looks like that rabbit finally got him

[labelleizzy]

Hey, USians: Make a plan to vote.

The GOP and MAGAts are.

Talk to your friends and plan for rides to the polls for whoever needs it

Make sure you are registered to vote, and check AGAIN two months before the election (early September) because some states are already purging voting rolls

Check to see if the state you are registered to vote in (like mine) has mail in ballots. They are so convenient!

Only give your filled out ballot to a pollworker 🗳️, your mail person 📬, or someone you know and trust to turn it in for you. My state requires both the voter and the person delivering the ballot for them to sign the envelope, yours might be different

Have coffee ☕ lunch or dinner with someone who's interested in issues or people down ballot (the non presidential races, local elections, and state initiatives). My mom's a politics junkie and I always learn so much from her

If you have energy and time, maybe apply to be a pollworker. I've enjoyed and been frustrated working five different elections, and yet Do Recommend . It feels good to contribute like that, and see people who are excited to vote. I met first time voters and people who have voted for over 60 years.

Fight the despair, and put your fury to use: building your social networks and your mutual aid circles. Feed the hungry, look after children, help people register to vote?

I'll be back with more ideas later. I gotta keep working on this UNPRECEDENTED and horrible timeline and since I don't have a Time Stone to fix it or change it, I have to figure out how to help make things better NOW with CONCRETE ACTIONS AND PLANS. Things I can actually DO.

[nickala]

Man, it kinda feels like I got out just in time...

I really REALLY hope that is not actually the case hahaha.

[kittythelitter]

Just a reminder if you're American and registered to vote (as a Democrat or independent) that you should write to the DNC and ask them to hold democratic primaries in your and every state and to platform candidates other than Joe Biden because data suggests that it will be very difficult for him to remain president in the 2024 election.

[vicshush]

[ID 1: A Bluesky Social post, dated October 29, 2024, by user "southpaw" (@nycsouthpaw.bsky.social) that reads "Two ballot box arsons are under investigation in Washington State this morning, one in Portland and one in Vancouver. katu.com/amp/news/loc..." with a truncated link to an ABC news affiliate article with the following blurb: "Burning ballots pulled from inside smoking Vancouver ballot box; hundreds of ballots lost".

ID 2: Another Bluesky Social post, also dated October 29, 2024, by user "Ellen B" (@ellenb.bsky.social) that reads "Voters who dropped off ballots at that location after 11 a.m. Saturday need to contact the Election Auditor's Office IMMEDIATELY for a new ballot.

A link to the Clark County Elections page, with contact information for the Auditor's Office, can be found HERE.”

Link: clark.wa.gov/elections"

/end ID]

they're burning ballots in the US now btw. in case you wanted to know where things are at.

Edit: to clarify, locations mentioned are Vancouver, Washington and Portland, Oregon. This news story does not involve Canada.

Important info: Context: Dropbox location was Fisher's Landing Transit Center near Southeast 162nd Avenue Hundreds of ballots lost, voters should contact the Clark Auditor ASAP Clark Auditor contact info: clark.wa.gov/auditor Can confirm your ballot was received on: vote.wa.gov

[branwyn-says]

my (42, f, bi) best friend (42, m, bi) heard me say that I didn't feel safe anywhere since the election and he bought me this: https://www.coldsteel.com/srk-sk-5/

if you were looking for the standard to measure the men in your life against

[bump-inthe-night]

If it makes any of you feel better, Donald Trump will have an uphill battle to change the constitution. He will need:

-2/3 of Senators (67)

-2/3 of the House of Representatives (290)

-3/4 of the states (38)

In 2026, 33 senate seats will be up for grabs, and we’ll be able to vote for people who are against Trump and his ideals.

Breathe and remain hopeful because it’s not over. We can still fight and make Trump’s last four years hell.

[runephoenix6769]

To all Americans out there:

[johnny-depp-is-loved]

Please, spread this for those who might need it right now

U.S. suicide hotline: call or text 988 (available 24 hours)

U.S. trans lifeline: (877) 565-8860 (when you call, you’ll speak to a trans/nonbinary peer operator. full anonymity and confidentiality)

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357) – provides 24/7 confidential support and referrals for individuals and families facing mental health and substance use disorders, including panic attacks and anxiety.

LGBT National Help Center: (888) 843-4564

Trevor Project: Call (866) 488-7386, text START to 678-678, or chat online.

Take care of yourself and each other. Please stay safe ♡

[vrepit-salt]

[caleohateclub]

new reason to stay alive: outlive the trump presidency. In fact, outlive Trump. He isn’t immortal. We can live to see the day he's guaranteed to never be in office ever again and we can make sure he knows that he'll never have enough power to kill you

stay strong, friends, this isn't your fault

[vicshush]

[ID: An image of the United States of America, produced by Insider Inc. (per the stamp in the bottom right corner), showing/titled "States where you can get time off to vote". The color-coded categories are "paid", "not paid", "none", "not specified", "vote-by-mail state".

Alabama is "not paid, 1 hour" ; Wisconsin, Illinois, Massachusetts, and Georgia are "not paid, 2 hours"; Kentucky is "not paid, 4 hours" ; Arkansas is "not paid, no limit".

Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Louisiana, Michigan, Indiana, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine are all "none".

Ohio and Mississippi are "not specied".

Washington and Oregon are "vote-by-mail states".

The rest of the states are paid -- ranging between 1 hour (Wyoming "1 hour", Nevada "1-3 hours"), 2 hours (California, Utah, New Mexico, Colorado, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, New York, Maryland), 3 hours (Arizona, Iowa, Missouri, Tennessee, West Virginia), and no limit (Alaska, Texas, Minnesota), with Hawaii and DC (?) color coded "paid", but not elaborated upon.

An asterisk next to Ohio is elaborated upon at the bottom of the image: "In Ohio paid for salaries employees, unpaid for hourly, commissioned, or piecework employees."

Massachusetts ("not paid, 2 hours") also has an asterisk elaboration at the bottom of the image: "In Massachusetts unpaid two hours after polls open."

/end ID]

I was today years old when i found out that i was allowed time off to vote. Something no boss has ever told me.

[batboyblog]

President Biden's plan for the first 100 days of his next term:

—Restore Roe v. Wade

—Sign John Lewis Voting Rights Act

—Expand Social Security and Medicare

—End all medical debt

—Raise the minimum wage

—Pass the PRO Act for workers

—Ban assault weapons

—Lead the world on clean energy

—Permanent child tax credit

—$35 insulin cap for all

—Build more housing

—Invest in child care and elder care

you want that? FIGHT! for it, check if you're registered to vote and then find a way to volunteer, everyone can make a difference everyone!