I don’t know about you, but I can say that I don’t ever want to relive November 8th, 2016, or the days (weeks, months) following it. I felt gut-punched by the outcome of the election and by my own naivete that such a thing could happen. One surprise like that is enough for a lifetime.
People have analyzed that election over and over, trying to figure out what exactly happened. Even Trump supporters did not expect Trump to win, and maybe they didn’t want him to. In any case, we have blamed the Democrats’ choice of Hillary, the campaign strategies, and the country’s racism and sexism. In some excruciating honest moments, we have even admitted that our citizens can be mean-spirited, self-centered, manipulating, and manipulated; that our elections are controlled by big money, bigger lies, and outside influence. All of these are right to a degree.
But a fair amount of blame comes back to haunt me and a lot of people like me. We took too much for granted, and we failed to make sure our friends and neighbors knew the issues and made it to the polls. With mid-term elections only a few months away, we need to be doing our job, which is less about canvassing and handing out flyers and more about talking. We need to have civil conversations that raise people’s awareness; conversations along the street, on the bike trail, in the grocery store, and at the mailbox. We can use a few minutes at work, at church, or at the coffee shop to make sure our fellow citizens are at least informed.
All issues are worthy of study. Everyone needs to know which candidates/party support public education, who believes in equal justice, who thinks that government programs should benefit all. We have to decide just how long the planet can survive our current selfishness. We should be sure that our personal philosophies about government, leadership, ethics, and morality align with the actions, beliefs, and votes of the people we support. We must be honest with ourselves to prevent “cashing in” at the expense and safety of others. We need to take time to really contemplate the direction we want this country to take under our watch.
To that end, I am proposing that every concerned citizen spends a few minutes daily reading, listening to, and sorting out the issues. Then, go out there bravely and discuss. Of course, I definitely have opinions that I wish you would agree with and propose, but as long as we are listening to others and analyzing our thoughts we will be better people, and our country will reap the benefits. Talking, thinking, and caring might be our last chance to save our democracy.
Thoughts on Everything 