Eerie quiet descended upon our hood after sunset on Nov. 5. As I walked the dogs toward Cappy’s Trails, even the coyotes seemed stilled. Feeling very alone without my husband, I texted multiple neighbors, hoping to engage in supportive conversation. No one responded.

Admittedly, I was less than hopeful before the first election results were announced. Images of Kamala, smiling broadly during her delightful appearance on SNL and at numerous rallies in which she championed positivity, hope, inclusivity, and personal autonomy while surrounding herself with Hollywood and Grammy A-list glitterati, could not efface the feeling that such displays did not speak to people who, despite holding down two jobs, could not make ends meet. They did not speak to the legal immigrants and proud descendants of slaves who wished to disassociate themselves from the “other”—those whom Donald Trump described as the filthy animals and pet-eating hordes who were stealing American jobs and robbing patriots of affordable housing.

Kamala failed to transcend the deep divide that existed well before Trump came on the scene. Nor did she speak to we who demand an end to Netanyahu’s senseless slaughter, ruthless expansion, and unabated escalation toward nuclear war in Gaza and the Middle East.

You can tell me all you want about Biden initiatives that were intentionally stalled by Trump and crew to deepen the divide and aid Republican candidates. But after you reference an infinite number of figures and facts that demonstrate that the economy was better under Biden than under Trump, and cite intractable resistance to a Black woman as President, you still can’t erase the toll that inflation has taken on people’s bottom lines. Ultimately, Democrats failed to adequately address the deepening dissatisfaction and pain felt by far too many Americans of all colors, beliefs, and orientations.

As all Leader readers know, Jefferson County has hardly escaped the virulence of the American divide. Nine days ago, the joy of returning home following travel was disrupted by an email warning of another book ban attempt on the part of the Quilcene School Board. Next arrived a lengthy letter from the Port Townsend Food Co-op’s outside legal counsel, Cheryl L. Markham, responding to allegations on the part of Attorney Denis Stearns that appeared in the Leader.

This week it’s Quilcene; next week, the Co-op. At the start of the November 6 Quilcene School Board meeting, board member Vivienne Kuehl declared, “The Leader got it wrong.” Turns out that item VIII on the agenda was not an attempt to reintroduce the proposal to ban two titles, “Pink, Blue, and You” and “Sam is my Sister,” from the school library. Rather, its goal was to ensure that every school board member read the books and discussed them in full before any possible reconsideration of Board member Jim Hodgson’s proposal to ban them.

After Kuehl acknowledged that the choice of wording had not adequately clarified item VIII’s intent, a large contingent of in-person and online meeting attendees, ages 16 and up, addressed a potential ban. The testimony was universally eloquent. While one Quilcene resident spoke to the need to remove “pornographic content” from the library, several speakers who had read the books in question declared that they contained nothing pornographic.

Shortly thereafter, Quilcene School District Attorney Curtis Leonard thoroughly addressed the legality and consequences of book bans, rigid gender norms and regulations concerning participation in “biological females’ sports,” and questions from board members. Leonard repeatedly counseled the Board to read and adhere to its own regulations regarding its role. Not only did he cite those regulations and clarify their content, but he also clarified the impact of potential state sanctions and fines on the school district. While nothing he said, and nothing Board members may read can ultimately prevent the further introduction of proposals that will foment division and directly harm the Quilcene school district’s LGBTQ+ students, every board member has been thoroughly informed of their legally mandated role and the wisest course to follow.

As we remain vigilant, a lovely suggestion, courtesy of Jefferson County Library mobile services supervisor Celeste Bennett, to those who support the free flow of information. Seattle Public Library has joined the Books Unbanned Initiative that enables everyone aged 13-26 to gain access to library collections in five U.S. cities. The more districts that ban vital books, the more Books Unbanned library cards will facilitate free access to those books. What a great gift for the holidays. Please see https://www.spl.org/programs-and-services/teens/books-unbanned.

Jason Victor Serinus is a critic of culture, music, and audio. A longtime advocate for rights, equality, and freedom, he is also a professional whistler. Column tips: jvsaisi24@gmail.com