There is a sentiment that you should not corner an animal. Desperate and panicked, they will fight with more fury than one could think. At that moment, the animal’s only thought is: “You or them”. It isn’t noble or gracious but rather protective and ruthless. It is not an act of benevolence but an act of survival.

As I sit here at the dawn of a new yet not-so-new regime, I see what is around me. I see those, victorious, glowing, and prideful of their pick being chosen. At least on the internet, they taunt, gloat, and move with a newfound sense of impunity. Those few that I have seen in person are a little more subdued. A slight sense of smugness and self-righteousness does manage to show but in-person encounters preserve some sense of decorum. What I do seem to see the most are those in loss. Bruised and demoralized, wondering “How did this happen?” and “What will happen next?” For those in this state, this piece is for you.

In all honesty, we fought a good fight. I have to state this because there is, too often, this sentiment of immediate reflection that reverts the blame onto those who care the most. While there are a million ways we could have done things differently, reflecting on those possibilities doesn’t acknowledge the sheer stupidity and inadequacy of the opposition. Good effort was shown and a good fight was put up. We just lost. We lost to a force and sentiment that transcends this election. It predates me and most people on this earth. It is sentiments that, unfortunately, are woven into the fabric of this misguided nation. The opposition, in his usual fashion, exploited that. One campaign ran on good faith and the other ran on predation. 

I say predation because I don’t think the people as a whole will benefit from this man being in power. Hundreds of thousands died under his administration before, and even more have wounds from his administration. Predators will always harm their prey. That is the nature of a predator. Predators may not always seem like predators, but eventually, they will show their exploitative nature. Right now, some of us may feel like prey. Ambushed, bewildered, and in a state of panic. It is natural to descend towards despair. To be smothered in the death grips of a python, surrounded by a pack of wolves, to be staring into the eyes of a bear. You now know the impermanence of the breath you breathe. The predator has all the advantages and your life is no longer in your control. Is this the fate of prey when faced with predation? No.

At the beginning of this piece, I mentioned when prey are faced with life or death, they fight. The ferocity of this fight can’t be replicated in less dire situations. Predators will exploit but they hate a fight. The goal of exploitation is to yield desired results with limited resistance. Predators will try to fight back but run away if too much harm comes their way. A great example of this is the honey badger. Honey badgers are predator-proof in many ways. They are the size of a house cat but fight off lions and larger predators. They have sharp claws and a powerful bite that hurts even the most apex of predators. So many predators learn to leave them alone. They don’t make it easy and live to see the next day. Fighting back is not just a strategy but is essential to survival.

What fuels this ability to fight back? An emotion, the most primal and innate emotion. Anger. I know you feel it. I know that when you see that map of blue and red, frustration and annoyance rise in your blood. I know this because it is very much in me as well. I believe we not only should but must embrace that anger. That anger is the engine of self-preservation. It is an ancestral wisdom that tells us there is something wrong and we must act. Understanding and harnessing that anger is imperative to overcome any circumstance. In biblical tales, such as Exodus, God’s wrath precedes liberation. In short, anger gets shit done. 

We must not despair. We must not wallow and ruminate over what should and could have been. We can’t cry while the predator takes as it pleases. We must fight but more importantly, we have to be angry. We have to let that anger and restless feeling move us to act. Anger precedes action. Anger precedes change. Anger precedes liberation. Despair is passive, but anger gets shit done. Be angry.