Hey John,
First, from the bottom of my heart, I want to thank you for your support in this election. I am truly grateful. I know I asked a lot over these past few weeks and months, and I’m so proud of what this grassroots movement was able to do. But I won’t sugarcoat it: it was a very difficult election night.
Like many of you, I have felt the full range of emotions:
Shock. Hurt. Anger. Fear. Pain.
And I’ve done my share of introspection.
It’s hard to work through the consequences of this election, from Project 2025 to Trump threatening retribution and even prosecution against people who stood against him.
It’s hard now, and there are tough times ahead.
Things are not okay.
We should feel grief, but never despair.
We should be angry, but not bitter.
Sad, but not cynical.
This is a defeat, but we are not defeated.
I promise you, there is something in all of us that is unconquerable.
Take instruction and inspiration from those who came before us, our ancestors in our nation’s long history.
What they had to take on. The setbacks they faced.
And how, despite tragedy, wretched oppression, unimaginable loss, and grief, they kept working to overcome and move our nation forward.
Our ancestors’ legacy to us is a masters’ class in invincible spirit. In never giving up. In unconquerable love.
I don’t know for sure what’s going to happen. We have to be ready though, to stand up and do the work.
I know we may lose some of the fights ahead, but if we fight, we will win some too.
In this time, we should make extra effort to care for one another. To find, create, and deepen community.
We are here for a purpose. Now more than ever, other people, this country, and even this world, need us to do a lot of good.
As much as we can.
Donald Trump will be the president, and Republicans will control the Senate.
But we are not powerless.
We can still love one another.
We can still help people.
We can still protect people.
We can still put our arms around folks, and to someone today, we can be a ray of light in a dark, tough time.
We can, we will, do good.
Because no righteous word, no noble act, no kind deed, is ever in vain.
We are our ancestors’ dreams and the only hope for a better tomorrow.
Let us be hope, not look for it.
And let’s start now.
With love and gratitude,
Cory
