When I took the New York subway home at 1 a.m. this morning, the platform, unusually full at that time of night, was hushed. There were a few people in tears, myself included. That’s not unusual after presidential elections—they’re heated affairs, and voters who feel fierce loyalty to their candidates naturally feel down after they lose. But this was different. Some of the people around me were fearing for their lives, in one way or another. Some, like me, might lose their right to a legal abortion. Some might get kicked off of their health insurance. And some might get kicked out of the country.
But now, in the daylight, there is no time to mourn. The most vulnerable people in our country can’t afford to. Donald Trump’s victory might be the last gasp of white supremacy, or it might be a renewal of the rot that has always plagued America. If we fight like hell, we can ensure that it’s the former. Do your part: Organize your neighbors. Protest Republican incursions in your community. Denounce bigotry at every opportunity. If you can swing it, donate to organizations that are helping people who don’t have the means to help themselves. Take care of yourself, and look out for each other. And please, two years from now, vote like hell.