I still get a pit in my stomach remembering November 9th, 2016, the day which held the dark feelings of despair and hopelessness I had never experienced before. It's been an incredibly stressful four years of an aftermath in trying to follow the news and witnessing the amount of human suffering that the outcome of that election has cost our county (and world) while staying positive and maintaining hope that it won't always and doesn't have to be this way (I'm trying to do less Facebook "doom-scrolling" by setting a curfew and app limits!). It was hard to accept that there was a "reason" for that outcome, and that it was the will of a benevolent higher power whom I still believe in. I've seen glimmers of hope in recent months-- youth activism, protests positively changing public opinion (reminiscent of the civil rights era), and even poll numbers (even though, after 2016, I will never be able to trust them).
As I'm sure is obvious from my previous blog rants, I have become a bit of a progressive political activist since that devastating election and have been motivated to do anything in my power to attempt to have a better outcome come this November 3rd. While I certainly had opinions, I didn't "engage much" in political organizing or talk among my social circle prior to 2016 and have had some reluctance to be outspoken because of my profession and because of the nature of the community in which I live (as well as because I may have a few family members/friends that land on the "other side of the aisle"). Nevertheless, I am not able stay silent with the state of current events and doubt I ever can retreat in the future (here's an interesting article from the NY Times which describes some medical professionals' efforts to get out the vote [there is no reason that doctors, who see firsthand negative health outcomes from health inequities, social injustice, and lack of insurance, should be expected or required to stay neutral]).
I find it very hard to understand/believe that there are people out there that don't see this 2020 election as perhaps the most consequential in our lifetime (who are not already motivated to cast a ballot and who actually are "persuadable"). Nevertheless, others have organized and spearheaded efforts to attempt to increase voter turnout among such groups, and I have come on board to join the effort. If you have extra time at home this summer/fall and also are looking for a "quarantine mission" or a project to feel you're being productive and have a purpose to your current (and last four years' worth of) pain, there are many ways to get involved. THERE ARE ONLY ONE HUNDRED DAYS REMAINING UNTIL THE ELECTION. My greatest fear in 2020 and what keeps me up at night is either a lack of turnout (either pandemic-related or due to Republican-led voter suppression efforts including delaying USPS mail delivery), or a current White House occupant who, even if defeated handily by both a popular and electoral majority, may refuse to actually leave office so attached he is to concentrated power at all costs (especially if results aren't tallied until a week or so after election day due to many mail-in ballots needing to be counted). I'm try to quash my anxiety with being proactive (and praying a lot).
I'm sure that almost all of the readers of this blog are like-minded in political persuasion and are already engaged, but please, if you care about your neighbors, your country, and your world, here is my entreaty:
1. Commit to vote. Different states have different election laws, but a recent article by the Washington Post reported that 76% of Americans could vote by mail in 2020, which is essential with public health a concern this 2020 (I think 34 states allow vote-by-mail without any specific reason and about 7 others allow it with documentation). Check out VoteSaveAmerica if you're unsure if your state qualifies, and be sure to mail your ballot EARLY due to volume stresses on the Post Office (and attempts by the president to sabotage the USPS) to ensure that your vote counts. Reach out to your friends and family in other states to encourage them to check their vote-by-mail status and do everything in their power to vote (ideally remotely, and decrease the demand for and risks associated with in-person polling stations and lines)! While increasing access to voting is inherently nonpartisan, improved turnout will increase the chances that the will of the majority actually results in the election of our representative, while it has been denied in so many recent elections, including in 2016 (and crazy 2000).
2. Volunteer your time. Volunteer on campaigns of local, state, and national candidates if you can do so as progressive change is needed at all levels! Visit the Crooked Media site https://votesaveamerica.com/, where you can "Adopt a State" and reach out to potential persuadable voters in swing states such as WI, MI, PA, FL, AZ, and NC with activities including phone or text banking (which I'd never done before-- I was hampered a bit by a poor internet connection but attended all the trainings and Zoom prep). Also check out: Every Last Vote, which can direct you to vote-by-mail efforts, or to sign up to be a poll worker, protecting our older (and health at-risk) volunteers this year with COVID-19 not going away anytime soon. If you are nervous about "virtual door-knocking" via phone and prefer writing (like I do, even though I told myself if I didn't do everything, even if uncomfortable, to help defeat the sitting president this election, I would regret it forever), you can also sign up to "adopt voters" and write letters at: https://votefwd.org. Remember that the election 2016 was decided by fewer than 80,000 votes in three key states and because many people chose to "sit it out" or voted third-party. Please do everything in your power to help GOTV (Get Out the Vote), especially in the home stretch.
3. Donate money if you are in a financial position to do so (and, as we learned through Citizens United, money can talk!). Although I may have given money to Obama's campaigns (but I actually don't remember and I didn't have much money), I have never supported politicians and political fundraising in any meaningful way before the last few years. If you are limited by time (your own jobs) or energy, you, too, can contribute to any number of important efforts, including (rightful GA Governor) Stacey Abrams' Fair Fight 2020 to protect the right to vote, which is more important this year than ever, as well as to Joe Biden's campaign himself, or to a number of Senate candidates that have a chance to change the balance of the overwhelmingly white, antidemocratic institution and rip the gavel away from ruthless, amoral Mitch McConnell ("Ditch Mitch!").
4. Pray.
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." -Philippians 4:6.
Despite knowing that our limitless God ultimately works for the benefit
of us and "has everything under control," it's hard not to feel
anxious when the burden is so heavy and the stakes so high. As much as
faith is weaponized by conservatives, Jesus in his thoughts, words, and actions
was undoubtedly a progressive in the way he loved and spoke for the marginalized and powerless. Please pray
to your preferred higher power for Ruth Bader Ginsburg as she, a
87-year-old feminist icon and hero on the Supreme Court, has disclosed that she has been hospitalized and is receiving chemotherapy for recurrent cancer. It is critical that she
stay alive and on the court until a Democratic president gets elected because
no one has faith that the evil Senate Majority Leader referenced above will
hold open a Supreme Court seat to let the "voters" decide in one hundred
days who is suitable to replace her (as he did for nearly a year in 2016 to
block an Obama nominee, shifting the Court's balance of power for
generations). Pray for the family of and thank God for John Lewis, who we
lost last week (may he rest in peace), who continued for decades the
God-serving work of Martin Luther King, Jr., and changed our country
forever. While we may not be able to eliminate evil and sin in this
world, we may be able to outvote a considerable amount of it this year.
RBG "I dissent" earrings that my sister-in-law, Lisa sent me.
The stakes are so high this year for democracy. The future of our country depends on you. Don't leave any vote on the field. If you love your neighbors and love humanity and all that is right and good, do everything in your power to turn weeping into joy this 2020. Every vote counts!
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