Amen, Kimberly. This is a wonderful post, and I expressed many of the same sentiments to my mother with whom I just spoke via telephone. It's all crooked; we can't do anything about it; let's concentrate on those things that we *can* affect.

I don't want to try to "convert" pro-clotshotters to anti-clotshotters or anything like that: I just want to recognize "real" people when I encounter them, and try to form associations with them.

I am in disbelief that Pritzker got reelected, but that IL political machine is not to be taken lightly. I'm next door to you in Iowa: our governor has more balls than Pritzker, and she's a biological woman. If you want to move here, I for one would welcome you.