Underwhelmed, undervalued, underneath, underside, undercurrent, underbelly…

Sure, we could throw together a post about the joy of standing underneath the stars (not the way I’d say it but stream of consciousness restraints call for creativity) but hear me out. We kind of have to talk about what’s happening and to do that I have to use a phrase I despise.

It’s only been three days and we’re seeing that underbelly of America we’d hoped to improve.

I hate the phrase. Underbelly of America makes me think of slimy, dark places. The kind of space you don’t stick your hand to grab a tennis ball that rolled away because you just don’t know what will climb up your arm in the process. It makes me think dank and smelly and gross.

There. Now you’re probably grossed out too.

If your nose is crinkled up and your lips are pursed like you accidentally drank vinegar then your face looks a little like mine. The 2016 campaign and election were dark days. People started saying wildly violent and racist things OUT LOUD which is how my white ass clocked exactly how bad off this country is. Before the first Trump presidency I had the privilege of thinking about all the -isms as larger theoretical — no, not theoretical, it’s all real but I guess I mean on a larger scale — problems. That 2020 election, insurrection, and not-quite-peaceful transfer of power kept the hate train rolling. The 2024 season said hold my beer and rolled in hot.

So in the three days since Trump was announced as the incoming president we’ve had racist texts sent to Black people across the country telling them to report to a plantation to “pick cotton” (see BBC article), Capitol police warned of heightened threat to government officials (see ABC news), there are increased incidents of violence shared on social media, and there’s been a 700% increase in calls/texts/chats to a leading LGBTQ+ suicide prevention organization (see PBS news).

Y’all, we are not okay. America feels a little like that frog in biology class that got flipped on its back and pinned to the board so you can cut it open in the name of science.

While I have to reckon with the fact that 53% of women who look like me put a man with 34 felony counts and who was found liable for sexual battery into the White House, people who voted for Trump need to reckon with the behavior his supporters are exhibiting. Welcome to the grownup version of biology class.

Linda hosts Stream of Consciousness Saturday. This week’s prompt is “starts with ‘under.’” Find a word that starts with “under” and use it in your post. Enjoy!