I Understand The Assignment

Do you?

If you are on Threads, you have probably seen the thousands of posts that end with “I understand the assignment.” If you are not on Threads, allow me to explain. There are people from all over the country — and the world — who are of all ages, all colors, all religions, all social classes, and all persuasions who are stating their support for Kamala Harris by saying “I understand the assignment.” Many of them were former Trump supporters, by the way, who have seen the light.

What is the assignment?

1. Support Kamala Harris in her efforts to protect all of us, including democracy, especially our women and girls, our daughters and granddaughters. This is absolutely serious. Our lives depend on it.

2. Stand with black women, who have often led the way and rarely had the trust and support of white women throughout history. (Don’t argue with me on this. It’s true.)

3. Stay focused on the bigger picture: winning. Don’t get distracted by the ridiculously fake and mean and stupid memes that denigrate her and all women. Don’t nitpick what you like and don’t like. No one is perfect and she’s the best we’ve got right now. In fact, she’s awesome. It’s time to mobilize and work together to save this country from the MAGA extremists, the demented billionaires who fund MAGA (Peter Theil, who is himself gay and married with children), and faux Christians who are just continuing the long line of using “Jesus” for their own selfish purposes.

4. Stay focused on the truth as much as possible and don’t believe the lies. Already, the misinformation propaganda machines are out in force. Last weekend multiple accounts on TikTok swore that Biden was dead. On Facebook, all the usual Trumpers are spreading obviously photoshopped images of Harris with Epstein — as if they have never seen or cared about the dozens of photos of Epstein with Trump. They are calling Harris a “ho” who slept her way to the top. (Gloria Steinem famously said if women could sleep their way to the top there would be a lot more women at the top. Truth.) All the major news sources appear to be deeply compromised and funded by Murdoch and his imitators. We need to go to the original sources on everything and trust our gut, not our fear.

5. Stay positive. The groundswell I am seeing is inspiring. People are now calling Threads Joy scrolling instead of Doom scrolling. Harris’s laughter is a welcome shift from the meanness and name-calling of MAGA’s. We want to bring joy back to life! Fear and anger are exhausting and not good for anyone’s health — including our country. Thieves of joy are the absolute worst, in my opinion. Don’t be one, even if you think you are being funny.

This Sunday morning I took a walk into the woods and sat on my usual rock, where I often get my sense of grounding and peace. I was feeling a bit of despair over my inability to convince others to see the bigger picture, even though I knew it was not my job to do so. Old habits die hard. I half-ass asked for a sign of hope. On my way back home I saw what looked like a piece of trash and walked by it. My conscience and personal moral sense got the better of me, the little voice telling me to turn back and pick it up. I almost always pick up trash when I see it, and feel deeply connected to other trash picker-uppers. I turned back, annoyed that someone would leave trash in the woods. But when I found it, I saw it was a Blue Jay feather! A sign of hope! A blue wave!

As I was taking pictures (I edited out my fingernails since they are filthy from digging for potatoes in my garden) I decided to test what I had heard happens when you hold a feather up to the sun. It turns white! No matter what color we are on the ground, in the everyday world, when we are held up to the light, we are all the same glowing color.

I am a white woman from Pennsylvania with three daughters and two granddaughters. I once had a beloved cat. I’ve been a poll worker for the past 4 years. I have friends and neighbors who are not like me. I understand the assignment.

Do you?