2017 Hillary Clinton is here and she's not backing down.
SEE ALSO:Hillary Clinton just called out the 'conspiracy, lies, false information' of Twitter and FacebookThis month has seen the public reemergence of the former Democratic presidential candidate, and she's been more than ready to speak her mind. She's covered everything from fake news to political activism to President Trump (without having to name him).
And with a new memoir set to hit shelves this fall, this is only the beginning of Clinton's tour of truth. Her upcoming book will cover her take on 2016's election, and she's more than happy to give sneak peeks. At the publishing world's annual Book Expo America at the Jacob Javits Convention Center (the same place as Clinton's would-be victory party on election night), the former Secretary of State told the packed room all about her upcoming memoir.
“This book is for me a really personal, deep experience, and I also have to say an emotional catharsis.”
The framing device for her book is a collection of quotes that Clinton finds inspirational and that relate to moments in her life and from last year's campaign. However, much of the memoir also concerns moving forward. As she explained, "I think it’s really important that we come to grips with what we need to do in the future as a country."
"I am going to do everything I can to support the resistance."
Though looking back on her campaign and coming to terms with her loss was painful, Clinton assured the audience that “I’m fine as a person." However, "I’m worried as an American.”
She's worried, yes. But she's also hopeful. "But I really think hope needs to be linked to a strategy for dealing with what we are facing.”
But don't worry. Clinton promises that she'll be there along the way to help. "I’m not going anywhere. I’m going to be as active as I can because that’s who I am.”
“I am going to do everything I can to support the resistance.”
To aid in that support,Mashablepulled some of her best advice for resisting from her Book Expo event.
Much of Clinton's book, and her life, is about resilience.
“I believe that resilience is one of the great attributes and gifts that you can be given, through family, through friends, through faith, through whatever gives you that sense of purpose and courage that it takes to keep going.”
While some activism happens on a large scale, some of it is “very personal acts" like simple kindness.
"[Kindness] is a much overlooked attribute in these days. Showing kindness, showing support for one another.... All of a sudden it appears that there are attitudes and feelings that are bursting through the veneer of civilization…There is a level of vitriol, defensiveness, hatred that I don’t think we should tolerate.”
Clinton used life in New York City as an example of living with diverse ideas and peoples.
"One of the reasons I love living in New York is that it’s elbow to elbow with people from everywhere and you’ve gotta figure out how you accommodate that, how you work with that. And it really does call out a level of behavior that should be expected of everyone.”
So be kind and understanding to those around you. It's as simple as that.
Clinton reiterated an call to action she'd given recently to the new graduates of her alma mater Wellesley College: "Please, find your role."
"[It could be] something as simple as wherever you end up, go register to vote. Get involved. To the point where your voice will actually be added to those with whom you agree. Or even if you don’t agree on everything, people of reasonwanting to get together. I think we’re living in a time where there’s a deliberate assault on truth and reason.”
In a time when truth is being attacked, we must all band together to make truth louder than lies.
“[America is] the greatest man-made invention in the history of the world and we can’t give up on that, we can’t get discouraged, and we have to think of ways that we’re going to keep going.”
"We cannot have enough discussion." While this includes discussing things like healthcare or the environment or what NATO really does, it also means more difficult discussions around immigration, racism, and sexism.
Clinton has taking this idea to heart. “In my book I take on the issue of sexism and misogyny, and talk about it. Because we need to pull it out and put it in the bright light. It may be uncomfortable for some people to read how I experienced it, what I believe about it, but I think that’s a conversation we need to have.”
As has been written about countless times, we're living in very politically divided times, where echo chambers and partisanship reign. The solution, at least the beginning of one, is simply to listen. Clinton elaborated:
"Listen to each other, learn from each other, and do it with a sense of openness and effort to see what is motivating someone else. And that doesn’t mean you all of a sudden have to forget your values and your beliefs. I really think that some people are espousing horrible points of views, and they are not going to be people that I have much in common with. But the vast majority of people, they have legitimate questions and concerns, on all sides of the political divide. And I think we need to have more opportunities to have those conversations, and to set up community programs to make that happen."
Clinton, a self-professed “congenital organizer," recently launched her new group Onward Together "to help a lot of these young startups that I’m so impressed with."
"It’s been thrilling to me. It’s exactly what should be done. So I’m going to do everything I can to help grow it and support it." Not just in bigger candidates, like in the 2018 Congressional elections, but "from the ground up."
"Library boards, school boards, city councils, county commissions. They are critical in this time when we are going to have to find ways to work together and make progress together and to fend off whatever damage may be coming from Washington."
TopicsActivismBooksSocial GoodHillary ClintonPolitics