As a fraught, divisive, and violent election came to an end, it was too close to call whether it would be Vice President Kamala Harris or former President Donald Trump until the dark, predawn hours yesterday.
And now in the bleak light of morning, it is clear Trump has successfully and even decisively staged a distressing comeback, after a criminal conviction and a call for an insurrection to overthrow the last presidential election. We are all left pondering how he emerged the winner, and how his dark vision for the nation has left us a deeply fractured America. So where do we go from here?
There is perhaps some solace to find here on the Island, a sense that while we are part of a divided America, we are a community united on the local level. This is not to suggest that the Island is a place to hide from all the world’s troubles. We have to stay engaged and alert, and keep advocating for what we believe in, while also remaining curious and listening to other ideas, and we can do that by relying on the unique spirit of the Island and drawing strength from the unity we share.
Islanders voted nearly 4-1 for Harris and her message that America is a place where immigrants should be given a legal path to citizenship, where a woman’s right to choose should be restored, where the wealthiest in our country should pay their fare share of taxes, where climate change should be recognized for the peril it presents, and solutions to the crisis should be supported through policies that favor renewable energy. We rejected Trump’s seething animosity, his ability to shamelessly lie, his denial of climate science, his contempt for our Constitution, his crass view of a world where winning and making money is all that matters, no matter who gets hurt or left behind in the process. The character of a leader matters, and the Island was strongly united in rejecting Trump’s character. We rightly know that America deserves better than him.
But all of us who believed in Harris, and believed in the unlikely journey that brought her as a Black, multicultural woman to the highest levels of American government, will also have to find a way to reflect on the fact that the other half of America has a very different view. We have to take time to ponder their very different set of priorities, their deep concerns around the economy, their worry about a culture war that has alienated them. We have to do our best to search among those on the other side of this election for the ideas that are valid and that deserve a chance. We all have to find a way to understand how we can accomplish shared goals. It’s time to talk across the divide, and look for ways we can come together.
Here on our Island, there is a great spirit of unity and community that can help guide us along the way, and we can lean on one another as we go forward.
If you ever needed proof of the incredible spirit of this Island, it was right there on display this past weekend, at the 30th anniversary of the Barn Raising Ball, under the beautiful post-and-beam structure of the Ag Hall. The building stands as proof of what can be done when people come together with unity and purpose. Under the stars on Saturday night, it seemed a large percentage of the Island was gathering to laugh and mingle in the cool autumn air, to whoop it up on the dance floor to the sounds of Johnny Hoy and the Bluefish, and to enjoy the signature potluck desserts served on banquet tables.
It was a celebration across the generations of all that is good about this Island and its spirit, and we are all perhaps more aware than ever just how grateful we are to live here, and to be part of this unique, vibrant, diverse, and unbelievably talented Island community.
We still have to fight for our democracy, and we still have to be sure we challenge America to truly live up to its greatest ideals. It is just comforting to know we can all pull together and share the spirit of that beautiful 19th century tradition that came to be called “a barn raising.” That is when a community comes together and everyone pitches in with whatever they have — carpentry skills, engineering expertise, nails, boards, tools, meals — to raise a barn.
Let’s keep that spirit alive, and think about how we as a community can help raise the rafters on the ideals of American democracy, even in the face of flawed leadership.
Let’s roll up our sleeves. There is much work to do.
