The day after the election—like a lot of you—I was running off of fitful sleep and a deep-seated cynicism about the state of this country. Punk rock taught me early on to be distrustful of American political theatre, even when it dresses itself up in progressive platitudes and feel-good aesthetics. But I did think basic pragmatism and decency would prevail. And I take voting seriously, as does this magazine (and to those many, many people who shared our voter education guide and threw us a few bucks—or even criticized it—it means a lot to me, the voter guide team, and the AG editorial staff). Sadly, it became all-too-clear the morning after that this country remains choked by the cancer of systemic racism—white supremacy to be exact. As it’s been pointed out many times before, too many people would rather cement a swimming pool than share it with someone who’s not white—a downward spiral in which we all lose. This shit was exhausting almost a decade ago when Trump descended his escalator and started beating on immigrants and other marginalized communities. I’ve tried to boil my political leanings down to a few simple points, and one is that if a demagogue is pointing their finger at immigrants or any other class of people with no real money or power, they are most certainly picking your pocket and leaving real issues—like our aging infrastructure, poisoned environment, and fucked up health care system—to rot. And ultimately what I’m most despondent about is that this last election tells me that it’s not so much that the voters of this country have differing values or beliefs, but that many—the majority, slim though they may be—seem to have no values or beliefs at all.
But despondency is a luxury we don’t have right now. Exhausted and hopeless is how the powers-that-be would prefer us at this moment—or even worse, turning on each other—and we simply cannot give them that. You’ve seen Mariame Kaba’s phrase “hope is a discipline” in the pages of ANTIGRAVITY recently, and if I could just elaborate on that point a bit, I’d like to emphasize the discipline part. There is another election coming up on December 7. I expect turnout to be dismal… which, again, is what our adversaries are counting on. It’s easy to be so disaffected that you just want to tune out. I know I do. But I hope you’ll make it a point to go to the polls, to have your voice counted, and to make that a regular practice in your life.
And if you can’t be bothered, then perhaps have the discipline to do something. Respect the people working for you, open doors for others, return shopping carts, pick up trash at your local park, give $5 to the homeless person who needs it for whatever they need it for. There is almost certainly going to be a spike in drug use—hard times and draconian laws only worsen the problem—so fight for a safer drug supply. Keep people alive. Maybe have more conversations and send fewer texts. Make and strengthen connections—and pick your battles. There will be many, and resources will be stretched thin. Diligence, compassion, grace—especially amongst our friends, family, and comrades all fighting for a better world—are going to be vital to our struggle.
Discipline, to me, is a million little steps completed one at a time, and most importantly: doing something you want to do even if you don’t feel like doing it. Because even when it’s not clear or satisfying why you are doing it, you believe there’s a payoff down the road. Discipline, after all, is a gift you give yourself slowly over time. And as always, I say these things as much—if not more so—for me as anyone else.
Going forward, it’s going to be harder than usual for anyone with a conscience to get out of their own head. It’s a tough balance to strike if you want to stay involved and informed. I know I’m trying to be online a little less (as much as my position allows, anyway) and I am bolstered by the simple prescription of getting outside, especially now that South Louisiana weather is giving us its annual post-hurricane season reprieve. The other day I was at the playground with my son, and it was comforting to see him and all the other children—of various nationalities, ethnicities, and backgrounds—getting along, having a good time, and enjoying the day. It was a gentle reminder that there are generations just getting started, that we need to fight for them as much as (if not more than) we do for our own contemporaries.
At the playground that day, one child’s t-shirt caught my eye especially. Like a lot of kids’ clothing, it had some trite saying splashed across it, but this one felt actually inspiring in its simplicity. I will leave its message for you here, dear reader: “Kind Heart / Brave Soul.” And that’s what it’s going to take going into 2025, folks. Simple as that. —Dan Fox
illustration by Laura Frizzell
December 2024 cover and back cover illustrations by Hyena Hell
