We Can't Stop Here

[rynling]

I recently gave a talk at a big state school in western Pennsylvania. It was only supposed to be a three-hour drive there from DC, but I missed my exit on the turnpike and ended up going a bit farther into the hills than I intended. Along the road were billboards attacking Hillary Clinton in truly disturbing ways that don't bear repeating, and I saw not one but several Clinton scarecrows (effigies?) impaled with stakes and pitchforks. I did not stop to take pictures.

This is one of the main reasons all the infighting on Tumblr bothers me so much; it feels like people are bickering over who needs to do the dishes while the house burns down around them.

By the way, if you're wondering what it feels like to see a female public figure symbolically threatened right in front of your eyes while lost with no cell phone signal, it isn't pleasant. I kept it together until I got to my hotel, and then I had a full-on panic attack. I had to have someone at the front desk call the person who was supposed to meet me and explain that I was indisposed, no joke. I mean, I understand that I'm a delicate flower and more sensitive to such things than most, and I understand that Clinton is not a beautiful shining star like Obama, but the undiluted hate that's been directed against her during this election season is genuinely frightening to me.

Comments

[selenicdistance]

That whole ordeal sounds like it was frightening, and understandably upsetting.

[rynling]

Thanks, man. Western Pennsylvania is most definitely an ordeal; it was some The Hills Have Eyes realness. If it were just one billboard, I could roll my eyes and be all like AMURRICA, but it just kept happening??

[lassarina]

Man. I feel you. A few years ago we drove up through Wisconsin on our way to Minneapolis for a friend's wedding, and I drove past billboards that said things like "hunt the liberals" with donkeys that had bulls-eyes on them, and I just felt profoundly uncomfortable breathing in that space.

I'm so sorry you had to deal with that.

[rynling]

"Hunt the liberals," oh man. That is how horror movies start.

Sometimes I feel like the extra rent I pay as a citydweller goes toward not having to see things like that on a daily basis. My family in rural Georgia is always asking me whether I feel safe living in a city, and I'm like, "..."

[lassarina]

PRETTY MUCH. My husband is pretty conservative (Libertarian) but generally not That Kind of conservative or else we would not be married.

hhhhhh yeah. I am so grateful to live in Cook County, where the conservatives are like. Mitt Romney conservatives, which is to say privileged as fuck but generally well-meaning even if they're wrong.

[rynling]

but generally not That Kind of conservative or else we would not be married

I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU MEAN.

Have you been listening to the recent podcast episodes of This American Life? The one from last weekend ("Will I Know Anyone at This Party?") is about "That Kind of Conservative" and does a really good job of providing a concrete explanation of where they're getting their (mis)information. It filled me with shame and despair, but it was a really good episode.

If you've already listened to it, THAT'S SO FUCKED UP RIGHT.

[lassarina]

I haven't, but maybe I will look them up. (Also, sorry for taking so long to reply; I sort of fell off the Internet for a week.)

[rynling]

I hear you. Between Nanowrimo, the other thing, and life as usual, this November has been insane. I am eagerly awaiting holding a copy of your debut novel in my hands, and it's incredible to me that you can do all that work and still have time and energy for DW.

[lassarina]

♥ Have I mentioned lately that I am so grateful for the consistent encouragement and enthusiasm you have for me and my writing? Because it's amazing and I really am grateful for it. It helps so much. Thank you.

DW is my unwinding zone. I process things by posting about them, and I just feel at home here.