Roberto Brunelli

My brother Christopher sent this to his children Yesterday was a bad day for our country, for our democracy, for our economy, for our party, for our family, and for ourselves. I’ve lived through 15 presidential elections, and this is not different because it is amplified or more extreme, but because it is fundamentally different. We are facing an incoming president and administration that have developed multiple, detailed plans for a fascist takeover of every department of the federal government. Our system of government has always been protected because we have different branches of government, each providing checks and balances of the others. But it now looks like they may end up with control of all branches — the executive branch, judicial branch, and legislative branch. Our family and our friends may be targets of abuse by the incoming leadership because of the stands we have taken to help immigrants, protect the environment, extend human rights, and on basic issues like diversity, equity, and inclusion. I am worried about those closest to us, but I am more worried about the elderly on Social Security who may have their benefits reduced. I’m worried about the sick, disabled or chronically ill who may see our healthcare system gutted. I’m worried about immigrants who might be rounded up and exported to home countries where their enemies wait to punish them upon their return. I’m worried about women whose choices about their own bodies and own healthcare will be increasingly limited. I'm worried about the LGBTQ community whose every right must be considered under threat now. I am more worried about the potential to dismantle the greatest science and education system the world has ever seen. I am worried about so much that it is overwhelming to try to identify it all. I feel beat down. But I’ve felt beat down before. And despite all of this, I’m confident we will survive. I know the best way to recover when you are diminished is to gather your remaining resources and use them to help someone else. In doing so, you rebuild your own strength and better prepare yourself not only to defend against future attacks, but more importantly, to once again go on the offensive. We have two years until midterms, when we can make a comeback. Let’s use this time to protect the most vulnerable among us. Let’s volunteer for service organizations, for churches, for community groups. Let’s use our gifts to serve others until we can strengthen our capabilities. Then we can fight for ourselves, our families, our democracy, and our country. And we will fight hard.