Black Monday...

Yes, I know I promised to present a winner of the Bello Modo beads today, but seeing how the election turned out it doesn't feel like a happy day today. Not decided anything yet, though.

I normally don't talk about politics in my bead blogs, but what is happening now is so serious that I can't ignore it just because this is a blog detached from the political world.

As all voters interested in politics I've been disappointed by the results in the elections before, but yesterday when I heard the news on the telly I was furious. There are no words for how I feel about the fact that Sweden like so many other countries will now share the shame of having a racist party in parliament. If these four years have been hard on those who are too ill to work or unemployed, I feel it's escalating and now hatred of immigrants and islamophobia is not just something voiced by the village idiots, but by politicians in our parliament, in the heart of our democracy. I still keep the hope up that the other, more respectable, politicians won't be lured into their rhetorics and thus cement the presence of xenophobia in our country. I hope the political parties will stand united against this clique of malcontent and populism.

I still believe in the positive forces in our country and I urge everyone to do what they can to show solidarity with those that are deemed of lesser value by some of the politicians who will now have the power to change Sweden. Show those politicians what we still believe that all humans have the same fundamental rights to a safe life; that people should receive an extended hand when in need of help instead of being pushed down; that our society has lost compassion and we want to change that; that we don't want this hard and cold climate that is being formed with its contempt for those with the "wrong" religion, clothes and/or skin colour, or those that can't earn a living as they can't find employment or are plagued by illness, physical or mental, that keep them from working. I will never accept a society built on blatant egoism.

I know that internationally some people despise countries like Sweden, use the name of our country as an argument against social reforms in their societies, but I've also met many people from other countries that have admired or liked our society. Frustrated social workers who've wished they had the same resources as us to help those in need in their area, people who can only dream of a country where they can afford all the medicine and operations they need, people who don't dare speak up against their employer for fear of losing their job and thus their only means to social security. And these are just people from rich democracies -- for some people in the poorer world Sweden is still more like a fairy tale, with social safety nets and freedom they can only dream about. I wonder how they feel about us today?

95 % of all the voters do not sympathize will SD, don't forget that! I know many feel angry, sad, frustrated, scarred, or fearful right now, but don't dispair today -- all is not lost as long as we stand up for a more humane world! As long as we show the politicians that we care about everyone, regardless of sex, ethnicity, age, religion, sexuality, health and means of income.