In anticipation of a Clinton win on Tuesday, some folks are loading their guns

in Georgia, according to a New York Times story from this weekend. That’s Georgia,

in the United States, as in “Georgia On My Mind.”

“Of Course You Should Be Panicking About the Election: Go Ahead. Wet That

Bed,” says Slate. “Psychologists and Massage Therapists Are Reporting ‘Trump

Anxiety’ Among Clients,” says the Washington Post.

On social media, friends are unfriending and followers unfollowing. People

are vowing to spend Election Night in a bunker – or, at the least, a blanket fort at

home.

When did we become so easily frightened?

Before this election season, we thought 2012 set the standard for bad

campaign behavior. We were naïve. By comparison, those Romney/Obama ads look

like a garden party. This year has been unprecedented for accusations,

investigations (quasi and otherwise), tweets, and counter-tweets.

It’s all been delicious and great fun, if you like steel cage matches, but while

we were watching the show, what did we in the Nutmeg State miss during this

election season? While we were launching tweet-bombs, poverty continued.

According to TrendCT, Connecticut has the most segregated poverty (and wealth) in

the country. While the number of people who are homeless in Connecticut is

dropping, we still have children trying to do homework in state homeless shelters.

Jobs remain hard to come by. We have some of the most expensive housing markets

in the country. Consequently, we continue to lose college graduates to places where

the cost of living is more reasonable. Meanwhile, planners are told to prepare for a

silver tsunami, where by 2025, 35 percent of the state’s population will be 55 and

older, according to the Connecticut Economic Resource Center, a nonprofit research

and marketing organization.

But very little of this has been on any one’s radar because we’ve all been bit

players in the political circus.

I’m sorry we didn’t act nicer. I’m sorry we forgot our manners, but let’s not

lose sleep over Tuesday’s outcome. Yes, this was a barbed, ugly campaign, but we

know how to behave. We’ve certainly done it before.

There is a line in the documentary, “Control Room,” in which U.S.-educated

Sudanese journalist Hassan Ibrahim earnestly tells a companion that he has

absolute faith in the American people, and absolute faith in the Constitution.

Me, too. Deep breath. We’ll be fine. I promise.