THIS IS NOT NORMAL

Good morning to you all. On Sunday, I typically publish a pithy recap of all of the week’s major events so that subscribers can catch up on things without getting completely sucked into the vortex that is social media. But today feels different, and I have decided to talk about some things that have been bothering me more and more lately.

I have become a little numb to the political world. This may cause many of you to laugh, because who would not be numb at this point, right? Who would still have any genuine optimism after 2016, that if we work hard enough to make our country what it should be, one day a woman can actually get elected to President of the United States? Who would still chose their faith over their logic to believe that the working man can fight back against ongoing corporate rule that does not seem to end? My answer to that has always been a proud declaration of, “ME!” with my hand held high, in an intentionally imposed Elle Woods manner, that highlights my brave optimism.

Lately, I don’t feel so chipper, and the burnout from the many hours of following Trump’s court cases has set in — and I have so much guilt for saying that. After Hillary Clinton lost the electoral college vote in 2016, there was a time of severe depression for many who had expected the opposite result. I realized then that we all had to keep going, but how we decided to keep going and the positive spirit that we could muster was essential to the way in which we moved forward. There is no point in dedicating our lives to something that makes us truly miserable.

So, at a time when I should have been my lowest, I was re-energized with a plan to move forward and work even harder to achieve my personal goals and our collective, political goals. This felt like the best way to honor what Hillary Clinton had achieved and to fight back against the insane notion of Donald Trump actually being president. This type of focus has worked well for me and saw me through even worse times like the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh, and the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and the overturning of Roe v. Wade, and on and on.

There has been a shift in the way we are able to disseminate a message on social media, and a lot of this is thanks to Elon Musk’s attempt to rule the world, starting with Twitter. I used to love Twitter. I was good at it, but I actually loved the kind of interactions that could be had by people who were open to learning and excited to work together. It was a place where the social playing field could be leveled (as much as possible) and where we could talk to people with whom we could never imagine having access. But by intentionally changing the complete rhythm of Twitter and cutting off people from any real inspiration, Musk has created a platform that is more like a familiar but uncomfortable room instead of a place that once felt like home.

Something about the events of this past week has snapped me out of this lackluster haze, where I felt like I was hobbling around like a wounded political soldier. I begrudgingly watched some of the testimony in the Fani Willis hearing as Trump wielded more legal funds in an attempt to embarrass another Black woman who was brave enough to challenge him. I did not watch as much of this hearing as I normally would because I was so offended for Ms. Willis.

The next day, one of the greatest political activists of our time was murdered in a Russian prison on the orders of a coward who hides his false bravado behind the fear that the illusion of fascist power provides. Another sad moment in all of this was my own projection of fatigue in truly questioning if the Russian people had the energy or determination to be galvanized in this moment.

Later that same day, the Engoron ruling ordered Donald Trump and his company to pay millions of dollars that were obtained through fraudulent business practice, but also suspended the man who used the “Art of the Deal” slogan as his moniker from doing business in New York for three years. The city that he claims to have helped build has essentially told Donald Trump, “you’re fired.”

While those Trump headlines were wonderful, and the various talking points about how much Trump would owe were fun for a minute, I found reading Judge Engoron’s 92-page ruling to be the most interesting and best way to be inspired about where we are headed. He summarized his interpretation of the testimony from each witness and applied that evidence to the law, as a proper trier of fact should.

It was refreshing to see such an intelligent and accomplished person point out how Trump, his family and his colleagues, and each of the players helped to commit fraud. Friday’s ruling was a judicial breath of fresh air that reminded us all that the court system can work, and that discerning, qualified arbiters still exist and are willing to declare that the emperor truly has no clothes.

Then I saw the clip embedded in the tweet below and I was reminded that nothing about this experience is normal no matter how hard the media or pundits attempt to craft a narrative that will sell. Colbert made the essential point that this next presidential election is not a horse race and the media’s attempt to peddle it as one for ratings is just as dangerous as our apathy.

If I have felt numb about politics for a while, then that means that many more people have felt more numb for much longer. This last year has been a kind of tortured limbo as we have waited for another platform to emerge that could really compete with this newfangled “X.” The exhaustion that comes from a “hurry up and wait” strategy is also very real.

It is in the spirit of launching a “refresh” on my outlook that I have decided to re-commit to the pursuit of putting out factual, quality information that the public needs to know. Now more than ever we face an up hill battle, one that will not provide the luxury of our outrage fueling our action. It is yet another need to shift gears and find a new path forward in this next election cycle — one that is even more important than the last. To this end, I will no longer wait for Twitter to burn. It won’t, and like it or not, it is still one of the best vehicles we have to mobilize.

The last few years have had a big economic impact on my newsletter. It has been tough and actually scary at times to think about how I can keep things going. But, I have realized that the kind of work I try to do is not an option, it’s a necessity for me and so I will keep going while being mindful of how I want to experience this next year. There is no point in committing to something half-way, and how a goal is completed is just as important as completing it. All of the events of this week contributed to the wake up call that I needed.

This is also a last attempt to appeal to the mainstream media, in an open-letter fashion of sorts, to ask that they do their jobs properly over the next year. I don’t know how much it will help, but you never know who you might reach. I’m going to work on refueling myself and my platform by putting out good work that the public needs to read. I would also ask that you commit now not to allow anyone or any brand to sell you information that in any way denotes this next presidential election as “normal.”

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Amee Vanderpool writes the SHERO Newsletter, is an attorney, published author, contributor to newspapers and magazines, and an analyst for BBC radio. She can be reached at avanderpool@gmail.com or follow her on Twitter @girlsreallyrule.

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