Dear Guardian,
As I confront the reality of the difficult four years that lie
ahead it’s hard not to feel shocked, saddened, and even depressed by the
election’s outcome.
A Donald Trump presidency does not bode well for the things that
we all hold dear, whether the diversity of our wildlife and lands or the
diversity of our peoples and cultures.
As always, WildEarth Guardians will continue to be vigilant in the
defense of the common heritage that is our nation’s rich wildlife, diverse
public lands, and our clean air and shared climate. But today I need—and I
think we all need—the time to grieve what might have been and what may be lost.
I grieve for our democracy and the civility and diversity that
were once cornerstones of the American political experience.
I grieve for those disenfranchised by Trump’s rhetoric and
actions—women, the poor, those of diverse faiths, those with different sexual orientations and
nearly every one whose skin is a shade or more darker than my own for the
hostility and alienation that most certainly lies ahead.
I grieve for our climate, our public lands, and endangered species,
which will all face graver threats and a more uncertain future as corporations
seize the opportunity of a Trump presidency to pillage the commons.
Grieve with me. It will make us stronger for the challenges that
lie ahead.
While the electoral map that led to Trumps’ victory is discouraging,
the electoral map of the future was enormously heartening. People ages 18-25
overwhelmingly voted for a different vision than the one espoused by Donald
Trump.
I know the youth voted for the future that so many of us yearn for.
A future where there is a greater sense of shared abundance and responsibility
to one another, our nation and our planet. Its’ a future defined by
possibility, ingenuity, and cooperation, not fear, isolation, and hatred.
This fills me with enormous hope. Without a doubt, the ushering in
of Trump is belied by our future generations speaking loudly and clearly that
they intend to bring forward a better world.
Our job today and beyond is to love and nurture that vision—both
within our communities and within local forms of governance, at the city,
county, and state level. And we can’t
nurture that vision with fear and ignorance. We can only nurture that vision
with love, reverence, and compassion.
We live in a time of tremendous political uncertainty and economic
scarcity. And both have paved the path to a Trump Presidency. As we face the
challenges that certainly lie ahead we must recognize that the fear spawned by
both is a deeply powerful force in people’s lives.
In the days ahead I will lay out Guardians vision for democratizing
our power system, sustaining living rivers, defending the commonwealth that is
our public lands, protecting endangered species, ending the war on wildlife—and
most importantly, for nurturing the broader social movement of Guardians that
is so vital for lasting change.
For now I grieve.
Tomorrow we act.
For the Wild,
John Horning
Executive Director
WildEarth Guardians
jhorning@wildearthguardians.org
