Unless this means creating a national health care plan that takes care of all sick people, unless it means true equality for all LGBTQ people, unless it means neighborhoods free of police brutality, unless it means restoration of voting rights, what does it mean?
Unless this means independent commissions to investigate the crimes of the prior administration, so the truth can be told about the harm done and reparation made to those damaged, what does it mean?
"Empathy and respect" seems to mean "stop saying angry but true things about what it indicates about us that we've been actively destroying people for profit and bigotry for the last 4 years, and the decades prior, and now, and into the future."
That is very very very good. I am beyond relieved. Hundreds of thousands of people will likely now live who would have died. We will have basic competence and a certain minimum level of human decency and minimum level respect for human life in the executive branch again.
For the next four years at least, we won't be held hostage to the whims of a corrupt and ignorant white supremacist fascist.
Those who voted for Biden must accept this challenge over the next 4 years:
Realize even if Trump disappears, the active eager intent that summoned him to bring exclusion, harm, pain, cruelty, and death to already vulnerable people is still very active, intentional, and eager.
I really hope Joe Biden realizes A) it's the people who did vote for him that gave him the election, not the people who very obviously are never ever going to vote for him, and B) both sets of people will see their lives improved by the things the former want and the latter hate.
The problem with this theory is it put these things in the wrong order. Every single problem that drives bigoted insecurity has a solution that the bigot atavistically fears because they'd rather have death than share that solution with the people they hate.
But even if true ...
... even if true, my point is we're not going to achieve these solutions by working with people who want the problems.
We have to do it without seeking their support or their permission. They want the death. They'll fight for it.
As there are numerous groups that Trump and his supporters have subjected to menace, harm, exclusion, and death, and unrepentantly intend to continue to do so to the extent they can: yes. Yes there are many groups that could use our empathy.
Remember our national reality is best understood on an axis of abuse and enablement. Enablement of abuse has become so traditional, it’s uncritically presented as virtue.