The 2024 election has come and gone and we’re all grappling with the implications. I’ve spent many hours over the last couple weeks talking with friends about the results and I’ve heard a surreal feeling of puzzlement from across the spectrum. What’s next? Some friends are facing the next few years with dread and apprehension, but even the ones who see advantages in Trump don’t seem sure what to expect either. Changes, yes, but what changes? To what? For who? What DOES come next?
For our country and the world, I’m not so sure. The MAGA movement has been very clear about taking a wrecking ball to “the system” but less clear on what should replace it. Wrecking the system is the easy part; the hard part is building a working alternative that respects our people and values. I don’t like the targets of the new wrecking ball or solutions offered to rebuild. I have little hope in the near term for a new American Golden Age or Global Renaissance. But about half the country disagrees with me and some are at least cautiously optimistic.
I’ll keep advocating for our values but try to soften the confrontational edges. Our Lobby Library will keep the titles you love but we’ll weed out many of the political screeds. In our Newsletter we’ll still try to educate folks about big issues like this months’ story about the shutdown of the Atlantic Conveyor, or our Book Spotlight on Hannah Arendt… political implications will be yours to draw. Most fundamentally, we’ll work to put our marketing efforts to making a real difference in building the real community we need.
What comes next? American citizens shouldn’t aspire to slink through our days with heads bowed in meek submission hoping for safety. We should walk proudly with our heads high, standing up for the values that build the community and future we want. Now, unfortunately, in an America I barely recognize, the price of that basic freedom may have risen. One of Ghandi’s famous quotes is “Be the change you want to see in the world”. I plan to continue to ‘be the change’ as loudly as I can, but balanced against the safety and mixed values of our Tom Dwyer team.
Make a great day,
