When I posted my earlier ‘toon and opinion/essay, a faithful reader (and personal friend of Pinky’s) referenced a ‘toon, written/drawn after the 2016 election. Another of the panda faithful (as well as a personal friend of Pinky’s) asked if I would re-post it,
Remember the song “The Eve of Destruction”? That’s what today feels like.
Stay safe, panda friends…
The day is here. We have pulled democracy back from the brink of disaster. I keep thinking about how I felt on11/9/2016. I was stunned with disbelief. How could this have happened? And yet, from the moment Trump came down his golden escalator, I had an unquiet rumble sounding in my head and my heart.
But we should take a moment to savor the sudden release many of us are feeling. It’s the feeling you get when you see the car coming into your lane with just enough time to avoid a collision. It’s the feeling you get when you are the last car on the ferry, for the last boat of the night. It’s the feeling you get when a growling dog rushes the fence, and you realize that the fence will hold him, even as you feel the rush of wind and adrenaline.
We have narrowly escaped a future that writers of dystopian fiction foretell, and a past that historians write about 1930’s Germany and Europe. Meanwhile we still have a growing pandemic to deal with. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are not magicians. They can not wave a magical wand (sorry Pinky) and poof it away. They believe in science. They will lead with compassion and knowledge. They will listen to the scientists and encourage people to act in their own interest. Maybe without the threat of Trumps rage and instability hanging over them, even red state governors will start acting in the best interest of their constituents.
So be of good cheer! We have vanquished the evil overlord, who would wish to be king. There is still hope for leveling the Senate playing field by winning the two runoff elections in January (Deadline to register to vote is December 7th, in Georgia, so if you live there, please vote!)
This was then:
Remember the song “The Eve of Destruction”? That’s what today feels like.
This is how we fought the forces of darkness:
Whats a protest without pandas?
Hey, save some cuppycakes for me!
What a lovely day for the 3 pandas to relax at home!
The world swoons….
Guess who’s coming for cuppycakes!!!!
“We are NEVER going to get our security deposit back!!!”
Ruh Roh….
Look who’s here!
And now, for the earthshaking subject of HUGE great importance…COOKIE BALANCING!
And now…going for the gold!!!
Did I mention I broke the world record in cookie balancing?
There are rules here!
The roar of the crowd, the smell of a freshly baked cookie…
Actual balancing cookie!
be the Bear!
Bob T Panda
Oh…um there is something else happening today, isn’t there? Just kidding. Yes, it is Election Day in the US, or you could more accurately say it is the end of the voting period, which for some states, started more than a month ago. So far, in the early voting, the rate of voting is significantly higher than even the total number of votes cast in the 2016 presidential election.
Really, I have no idea.
I’ve pretty much said everything that can be said about You Know Who, so saying it one more time isn’t going to make a whole lot of difference. I am grateful for the voices of reason and hope, like Heather Cox Richardson, a historian who has been writing a daily newsletter about this election and the events surrounding it. I highly recommend reading her posts. I think they are probably collected in one place on her SubStack page, and you can book mark it and read it a few posts at a time if you need a little boost.
Just because voting ends today, the counting (and legal wrangling) could take much longer. Better to have some hopeful things to read instead of endless doom scrolling. (Okay, okay, I’m sure I’ll do some doom scrolling too)
First, thank you to all who have stuck with me through all this. An artists job is to make art about what touches us most deeply. Sometimes it is light, funny things; sometimes things get a little dark. I have learned to follow what my inner panda tells me to follow, to be true to what that inner panda is telling me is important. If you had to drop out for a while, I get it. Despite my wish to reread Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, there is no way in hell my nerves can take that right now. Same for 1984 or Animal Farm. Sorry, George.
I hope that after this is all over (and Joe Biden wins pleasepleasepleaseplease) that there is the will and power to get some important things done:
Voting is a right as well as an imperative. It should be easy to register and to vote for EVERYONE.
If the pandemic showed us anything, health care needs to be universal, affordable, and available for everyone, and not tied to employment.
While the Lincoln Project ads were devastating, clever, and brutal, everything they talked about are true things that tRUmp (and his minions) is doing. I know they won’t always be on our side. There needs to be room for conservatives, but not for them to lie or disadvantage voters who aren’t THEIR voters, as the current Republican Party has done. Promote what you believe are righteous policies and if they are what the majority of people want, well, then that is what will happen.
Gerrymandering needs to be put to rest. Voters should should choose their representatives. Representatives shouldn’t get to choose their voters. Corporate interests should not have the outsize influence that they have.
I sometimes wonder if maybe they way that I think is wrong. But I think the very fact that I can question my own beliefs, just might mean that I have an open mind. I see no such questioning from the people who support the terrible policies of Donald Trump. That elected officials can excuse and enable his terrible polices, tells me they are just as bad as he is. I hope they are voted out despite all the roadblocks they have thrown in front of their opposition.
Mittens Removal Day!
And for something funnier than I am today, check out Randy Rainbow’s latest video!
Panda on!
Bob T Panda
I’m sure by now, everyone knows: Ruth Bader Ginsberg has left us. I believe she tried so very hard to stay until (hopefully. Goddess willing) Joe Biden is inaugurated as our next President. I swore loudly,, then cried, then swore some more, when I read of her passing.
People often say: “But what good does my one vote do? I am only one person.” Well, Ruth Bader Ginsberg was one person and a tiny one at that. I mean, my left leg probably weighs more than she did. And yet, she accomplished so much in her 87 years, work that had long lasting, revolutionary outcomes. Don’t believe me: Read Heather Cox Richardson’s tribute to her. (Have handkerchiefs handy!)
Upon hearing of Ginsburg’s death, former U.S. Attorney and law professor Joyce Vance tweeted, “We should honor the life of RBG, American hero, by refusing to give in, refusing to back down, fighting for the civil rights of all people & demanding our leaders honor the rule of law. This is our fight now.”
So I hereby refuse to give up, give in, or back down. I may only be an artist, shouting into the cyber void, but if I can use my talent to further the cause of justice by speaking out here, as a panda, then, by gosh I will.
At least through this election, I will not hold back my opinion on politics, justice, or anything else I feel strongly about. I’m not saying there will be no heartwarming panda stories, but I feel I need to be able to speak freely. If this is going to upset you, this may be a good time to take a break from reading The Panda Chronicles. I can’t fault anyone for that. There are a whole bunch of things I can’t read or watch or listen to right now.
I only ask a couple of things.
1. VOTE! If you’re not registered, please register as soon as you can
2. Understand that as an artist, I will not water down what I do for anyone, even if I like you.
3. VOTE
4. Support democratic candidates however you are able to.
and finally…
5. VOTE as if all our lives depend on it. Because they do.
Meet Ruth Panda Ginsbear
She’s small
She’s cute.
Don’t mess with her.
I’m sure they are all innocent, just like Mittens!
Paws off those bears! WE R endangered!
Don’t listen to Pinky! Vote for BOB!
In case you were wondering, that is a burrito sitting on the desk in front of Bubba
It’s nothing that a little cocoa can’t fix!
You can’t get more socially distant than sending everyone to their room!
You can always count on Frank and Mikey for the best advice about bears!
Is FEMA stealing marshymallows too?
Here comes Meihem!
Thank you for those who have already ordered! I decided to make a $10 donation to Vote Save America to help get the vote out, for each RPG that is ordered through the 15th of October. (including those already ordered)
The Notorious RPG Felty pandas made by me! (Even the GLASSES!!!)
Be the Bear!
Bob T Panda
The field for the Democratic primaries is narrowing. I know who I want to win and I guess we’ll just have to see who is still standing after Tuesday’s super dooper primary day. I know what Pinky would tell you:
I know nothing! Nothing, I tell you!
For those who have asked, I’m alive and well and so far the coronavirus has not hit Whidbey’s shores, at least not to my knowledge. It does seem to be fairly widespread in western WA, however, so it is just a matter of time. I’m doing all the sensible things, washing my paws (with soap and water! Don’t just lick them!), staying out of crowded places (as if there are any here) and trying to get enough rest, and eat plenty of frosting. Um…that was one of the important things, isn’t it?
I also stocked up on felting supplies and canned soup! I could stay home for weeks if I had to. I hope the virus is staying away from you too.
Panda on
Bob T panda
It is most unfair of the Republicans to offer arguments so absurd, that it becomes hard to make fun of them.
This makes perfect sense to me!
Try to panda on!
Bob T Panda
Today is the day! At approximately 10 AM today I’ll be launching the felty panda (Hold me closer tiny Panda) over on Kickstarter today! While you’re waiting, should I remind you why we all need emotional support pandas?
I can totally see you know who doing this.
See ya soon!
Or should I say” wake me when all this is over?”
Be da Bear!
Bob T Panda
Well, except for me, unless that means I’m not anybody! One of my favorite podcasts is Pod Save America, which bills itself as “a political podcast for people who aren’t ready to give up or go insane”. Another is The Daily Beans, (News with Swearing) by the women who brought us Mueller She Wrote. Between these podcasts, and listening to the podcast version of Rachel Maddow, I am able to stay informed and outraged, even without a television!
BTW, it is a mere two days before I unleash my felty panda Kickstarter on the world! You can get a preview here, and sign up for launch time notification! Huzzah!
Panda on everyone
Bob T panda
Oh my! A new Year is upon us. I think I saw somewhere that this year is the Chinese Year of the Rat. I need to double check this, because there could be a lot of rats deserting the sinking ship of the You Know Who (p)residency!
But meanwhile, let’s join Bob and Mehitabel as we welcome in the new year!
Pinky really needs to quit doing that.
Buckle up, buttercup!
Bob T Panda
Oh my goodness! It’s Day 31!!!! It’s New year’s Eve in my time zone. for some of you, it’s already next year! What ever time zone you are in, take a deep breath, sleep in, if you can, and think about how you are going to combat authoritarianism this year!
I’m going to do it by speaking out here, and in the real world, and keep drawing my ‘toons that speak my truth!
WE need to do better in 2020! What can possibly go wrong?
Panda on!
Bob T Panda