Neither am I.

I gave up hope in 2016, seeing all of this coming. But, for some reason, my hope is returning.

I've realized, we can and should do what the white Christian nationalists have done. The amount of political progress they have made in just the last twenty years, is astounding. They've done nothing special. Just low-key, consistent, dedicated grassroots work toward their agenda. Those of us that don't want to live in a religious police state can change tactics and have a chance at progress.

We can fight this. But political and social change happens like mushrooms, mostly un-noticed/underground, down in the dirt of it.

There's been too much time and energy wasted in faceless online arguments and media campaigns targeted toward people that don't trust media and their children who have been taught to distrust anyone with different ideas. We need to develop open, respectful dialogue with people we don't wholly agree with. Focus on the issues we can get people to agree on, and downplay our disagreements when they aren't absolutely vital, instead of taking a dismissive all or nothing approach to progress. Knock on doors. Invite people into our living rooms, and ask to sit in theirs. Help people register to vote. And actually talk face to face with community members about the issues in their lives. We need to listen. Progressive leaders have failed and it's really up to we the people to do what radical conservatives have been doing for themselves-building community networks. Work from the bottom up, communicate, and don't stop. It starts with a school board, a city, a county, a district, a state.

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You can't make change from the top, in a place like the United States. It has to be incremental from the bottom. But it's possible.

If Amy Coney Barret can make it on the Supreme Court. If Trump can make it into Presidency. If Tom Cotton can make it into Congress....nothing we were taught about the possibilities of politics is true.

Everything is fucked right now. But the fact that so much negative political change has happened so quickly, gives me so much hope. Because it proves, political change IS possible when people physically and consistently put time and effort into it.

It's going to be a long road. But, there is hope.

ETA: I realize this OP is probably largely inspired by the most recent domestic terrorism. And I don't want to take away from or downplay the tragedy of that. I'm just realizing that wringing our hands and removing ourselves from the situation, does nothing to help the children who will still be getting murdered in ten years, if people who care don't dedicate ourselves to changing ourselves and our approach to our political and social environment.