Post-Election Thoughts

I didn't sleep well last night, after learning that Trump was going to be elected president. I'm so disheartened and depressed that America has fallen so far away from its mark, and that power is invested in someone as dangerous and unpredictable as Trump.

A few weeks ago I came across this interview in the David Soutier, a retired Supreme Justice Court judge. His perspective and historical-approach to looking at American politics resonated with me (starting about 1:37 at the clip below).



I worry about the same things that Soutier worries about. Knowledge is such an important thing to me, and I worry about how ignorance is going to affect America. And, given that this morning I just finished teaching a class on political propaganda in Roman portraiture (using Augustus of Prima Porta as an example), Soutier's discussion of Augustus and the fall of the Roman Republic is especially poignant to me.

My hope is in the young people of America (see voting results for my age demographic). I hope that we can be civically engaged in order to combat fascism, tyranny, intimidation, xenophobia, racism, and misogyny. I like that Hillary Clinton said in her concession speech that we need to place faith in the constitution and in the basic human rights that are outlined therein. I think these next four years will really show if the constitution and the unique setup of the American government (with its various branches and institutions) will actually do their job: to prevent authoritarianism and protect the rights of the people.