The Great Work Begins
election reflections from a theatre nerd
I struggled to capture the feeling the 2020 election left in my spirit. Torn between well-deserved celebration, and still weighed down by crushing horror-- I reached for my well-worn copy of Tony Kushner’s Angels in America and turned to the last page.
"This disease will be the end of many of us, but not nearly all, and the dead will be commemorated and will struggle on with the living, and we are not going away. We won't die secret deaths anymore. The world only spins forward. We will be citizens. The time has come.
Bye now.
You are fabulous creatures, each and every one.
And I bless you: More Life.
The Great Work Begins."
-Tony Kushner, Angels In America
Keyword: BEGINS. Angels in America(/Perestroika) is a ~8 hour play that ends with the word “begins”. THIS is how I feel. So, by all means, celebrate! But that celebration cannot lull us into a sense of stagnant complacency... rather we must let that joy propel us forward to more work, more life!
The bar has been raised from the basement to the floor, but we should not confuse that ascent with what an ascent from the floor to the ceiling would look like. It feels GOOD to know that more Americans wanted Trump out of office than in, but this is the floor not the ceiling. It feels GOOD to know that after 244 years of our nation’s existence, a woman of color has risen to the ranks of executive power, but this is the floor not the ceiling. It feels GOOD to have a President who acknowledges the reality of systemic racism in this country rather than dog-whistling to white nationalists, but this is the floor not the ceiling. It feels GOOD that the guy who said “hey maybe let’s count all the votes” won instead of the guy who said “stop the count- I’m losing”, but this is the floor not the ceiling. It feels GOOD to have a President who includes the disabled community in his remarks with respect rather than outright mockery, but this is the floor not the ceiling. It feels GOOD to have a President who listens to infectious disease experts and will undoubtedly save the lives of countless Americans by actually taking COVID seriously, but this is the floor not the ceiling. It feels GOOD to see other world leaders feel like they don’t have to babysit us on the world stage anymore, but this is the floor not the ceiling. Whatever issue you’d like to insert into the formula, the election of Joe Biden is the floor. It’s a floor I’m happy to be standing on. But let’s keep moving upwards.
Enormous injustice exists. That was true before 45 and it will be true with 46. We may now have a better chance of remedying it, but only if we remain critically engaged. The great work BEGINS.
About the Creator
Alyssa Calloway
she/her/hers
former ATLien, currently in Boston
i've always got a lot to say
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Iran Says Over 100 Officers Killed as Protesters Defy Government Crackdown
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Security forces, including the elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and police units, have deployed live ammunition, tear gas, and mass arrests to suppress dissent. A nationwide internet and communications blackout has been in effect for days, limiting independent verification of events but failing to halt the flow of information entirely. � Reuters +1 Conflicting Casualty Reports Iranian state media has highlighted fatalities among security personnel. Official reports suggest that dozens of police and security officers have been killed in clashes with protesters, describing them as casualties of violent “rioters” or coordinated attacks against state institutions. Some of these reported deaths occurred during confrontations in provinces such as Isfahan. � Al Jazeera However, independent sources paint a much broader picture of suffering. Human rights groups and activist networks estimate that the death toll — including civilian protesters — has risen significantly. According to some reports, at least 116 people have been killed overall, with thousands more arrested and hundreds wounded during the unrest. � AP News Discrepancies between state figures and those from international rights organizations make it difficult to verify the precise scale of violence. What is clear, however, is that the human cost is high — and growing. The combination of communications blackouts and state media control has made reliable reporting exceptionally challenging. � Le Monde.fr What Protesters Are Demanding The demonstrations initially centered on economic grievances, such as rising living costs and unemployment. Yet, a considerable number of protesters have shifted their focus toward political reform and even regime change. Many are calling for fundamental shifts in governance, greater freedoms, and accountability from leadership that they perceive as unresponsive and repressive. � Reddit In cities across Iran, crowds have formed in public squares, bazaars, and streets — often chanting slogans against state authorities and demanding improved living conditions. The breadth of participation demonstrates widespread frustration, cutting across age groups and social classes. � Reddit Government Response Iran’s leadership has framed the unrest as a security threat, insisting that what they term “rioters” are engaged in violent acts. Officials have issued stern warnings to foreign nations, particularly the United States and Israel, claiming external influences are at play. Some hard-line figures have even threatened retaliatory action in the event of foreign intervention. � People Daily Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior officials have portrayed the demonstrations as opportunistic uprisings fueled by foreign enemies intent on destabilizing Iran. Such rhetoric underscores a deepening divide between authorities and ordinary Iranians. � Financial Times The Role of Communication Blackouts One of the most significant facets of the current crisis is Iran’s near-total internet shutdown. Analysts argue this serves two purposes: obscuring the true extent of violence, and limiting the ability of protesters to organize. Groups like NetBlocks have confirmed widespread disruptions to connectivity, making independent reporting and documentation of abuses more difficult. � Reuters Despite these restrictions, videos and testimonials continue to leak online — often through VPNs, satellite connections, or foreign platforms — revealing scenes of intense street clashes, mass detentions, and military presence in urban centers. � Le Monde.fr Global Reaction International responses to the crisis have been mixed. Western nations, including the United States and members of the European Union, have condemned the violence and called for restraint. Former President Donald Trump publicly stated that the U.S. is “ready to help” Iranian protesters, a remark that was both welcomed by opposition activists and condemned by Tehran as interference. � Reuters Human rights organizations have also called for independent investigations into alleged abuses and urged Iran to lift its communication restrictions, emphasizing the need for transparency and accountability. � Le Monde.fr What Lies Ahead? With tensions continuing to escalate, Iran faces one of its most significant internal challenges in years. If protests persist and the government maintains its hard-line stance, the violence could deepen, risking a broader humanitarian crisis. Whether the state will soften its approach or double down on repression remains uncertain. As the world watches, the voices of both protesters and security personnel — their suffering, fears, and aspirations — illustrate the human toll of political unrest and the complex dynamics of power in one of the Middle East’s most influential nations.
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