Sick, numb, terrified, depressed. These were the words that flooded my phone throughout the night. How is it possible that a convicted criminal, openly racist, ableist, megalomaniac who has been publicly accused by 27 women of sexual misconduct, could be voted in to lead the most powerful nation in the world—not once, but now twice?
Does the US despise women so much that it would choose this outcome over the alternative? The coming days will bring a litany of post-mortems from seasoned political analysts far better placed to dissect this than I am. But today, I’m here as one of many trying to make sense of this unsettling reality.
I’ve found myself, like so many, torn between my values. On one hand, there’s the hope that comes with seeing Kamala Harris, a progressive woman of colour, daughter of an Indian single mother, historically rise in politics. On the other, there is the suffocating pain from the violence in Gaza, enabled by US arms. How do you reconcile supporting leaders who champion progress at home but support policies that are fuelling genocide? It’s not as simple as supporting ‘the lesser of two evils’ as people kept telling me. It’s a conflict that many face, leaving us feeling disillusioned, frustrated, and searching for solid ground.
This morning, my friends’ messages continue to pour in, a collection of confusion and grief. And then there’s my worldly and deeply empathetic 8-year-old, whose flurry of questions feel impossible to explain. How do I explain to him that this world often struggles to uphold basic truth, compassion, and justice oh and yeh racism is live and kicking.
And what does this mean for Australia, where we are grappling with our own struggles? We are one year on from a disastrous failed Voice referendum, had a near miss on a ‘Trumpian’ extreme abortion bill in South Australia, watched sexual violence mocked on video by male university students, and seen the Northern Territory lower the criminal age of responsibility to just 10 years old.
I’ve spent a lot of time in South Australia recently, and it was chilling to hear young women repeating the false arguments in support of banning late-term abortions. It’s another stark reminder of just how powerful misinformation and disinformation can be, even managing to sway otherwise rational minds. It’s truly terrifying how these false narratives spread and take hold.
It’s tempting to feel like the world is slipping backward, that progress is crumbling beneath our feet.
But today, I think we deserve the license to feel that despair. To sit in it, to let it wash over us, and to acknowledge the very real and valid feelings we have in the face of what seems insurmountable.
It’s part of being human to grieve when the world feels so starkly divided from the values we hold dear.
Even in this numbness, there are sparks of hope. The talks we’re having now, even in the toughest moments, really do matter. Our kids are wiser than we give them credit for. Plant those seeds that, with time, will grow into real change.
There’s strength in our voices, in setting the record straight and sharing the truth, and in our relentless push for a better world, even when it feels like everything is against us.