The pantsuit has become the Democratic
candidate's unofficial symbol. David Maris/Univision
It was Tuesday evening when I first became aware of the
buzz surrounding Maine native Libby Chamberlain's announcement
that she intends to publish a book based on the collaborative contributions of
the nearly 4-million member strong secret Facebook group, Pantsuit Nation,
founded by Chamberlain during the 2016 election campaign.
This morning I Googled
Pantsuit Nation, clicked on the news tab, and was stunned to find
how widespread backlash over the book announcement had spread overnight.
The listing of articles with inflammatory titles
proclaimed: "Pantsuit Nation members revolt after operator cashes in with
book deal" - "The [secret] Pantsuit Nation Facebook Group Is Being
Turned Into a Book" - (As published) "DELETE YOUR ACCOUNT Pantsuit
Nation Is the Worst: Why a Book of Uplifting Facebook Posts Won't Heal America"
- "Pantsuit Nation Is A Sham" - "Revolt in Pantsuit Nation!"
I don't need to copy and paste quotes from articles that
you can, and should, read for yourselves to be able to state that, clearly the
divide that engulfed our nation throughout the election campaign — infecting
even those who rallied together in support of one another — rages on.
Personally, I sincerely hope that Chamberlain will take
the time to read these post-book-announcement articles too, and not just those
supporting her endeavor.
If Chamberlain can push past the admitted
pain and disappointment evoked by the onslaught of negative commentary, noting
relevant points from the articles and taking sufficient time to evaluate the
merits — both pro and con — perhaps we can hold onto the hope that the
end product will ultimately serve the greater good.
