№4 Defeated
The post-election paralysis has set in.
This one will be short. I finally got some sleep last night. Nonetheless, I’ll probably sound incoherent and nihilistic. I ask for your understanding. The outcome of the U.S. election is weighing heavily on me. I knew it would be a close election but did not expect this disgusting outcome. I’m sure most of you are going through similar feelings of shock and despair.
On Wednesday, the forecast called for nice weather, and I had planned to visit a few remote areas of my state to take photographs, but I felt paralyzed. Instead, I sat on the couch thinking. A thousand thoughts have been going through my head about how utterly wrong I was about my fellow Americans. It’ll take me a long time to process this new reality that we are facing.
How this new reality will affect this project is another question. My immediate thoughts are pessimistic. The incoming administration is known for being outright hostile toward the Postal Service. If I let my imagination run wild, we’ll be faced with a complete privatization of the service as many on the right have been calling for for decades. Now, it won’t take much as Louis DeJoy, appointed under the previous administration, is still in office, and all branches of our government are in far-right Republican control. You’ll probably need an Amazon Prime Intellipost or FedEx Postal Max subscription soon to see your mail delivered.
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New Jersey Congressman Bill Pascrell Jr. (1937-2024) penned an op-ed in Washington Monthly in 2019 about how Congress sabotages our Post Office. I think it’s worth a re-read in light of America’s electoral choices this week.
I’d love to hear from you.
Feel free to get in touch by writing a note in the comments, including feedback, questions, ideas, tips, encouragement, etc. You can send me electronic mail. You can also send me actual letters.
Tim Trautmann
PO Box 11212
Portland, OR 97211-0212
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