By the time this is published, we will be one week out from the most consequential election of many of our lifetimes. Tensions are running high. Anxiety is peaking for many of us, myself included.
We are faced with a binary choice. Darkness and destruction or light and re-creating our Democratic Republic or per Ben Franklin, “a Republic, if you can keep it.” I doubt that the Founding Fathers had in mind someone such as Donald Trump who would hack away, bit by bit and now at a frantic pace, our Constitution and the guardrails that keep it in place.
It isn’t simply one man whose hand is on the axe. It is his supporters, both in office and in our communities that hold the weapon of destruction. I can’t begin to comprehend what would motivate such a lack of concern for the wellbeing of our country and by extension, the world. There are many reasons people claim to either be undecided, or to support this man who is deteriorating before our eyes. I have a strong message for those who have not yet cast their vote or who plan to contribute to the downfall of this nation.
I am grateful for those who had been diehard Republicans who have searched their individual and collective conscience and put country over party and either have already done so or plan to vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. I am grateful for those who had been in his inner circle who are issuing a wakeup call and reminding us how horrifically ill-equipped he is to ever be back in the White House and the danger he presents.
To those who are of immigrant stock, I urge you to vote for candidates up and down the ballot who honor your heritage and don’t demean it or make up absurd stories about you, your ancestors or descendants.
To those who are Jewish, vote for candidates up and down the ballot who don’t peddle in anti-Semitism, inciting violence such that every synagogue and every event that celebrates Judaism needs to have a security guard or police officer to keep people safe.
To those who are People of Color, or have partners or children who are, I urge you to vote for candidates up and down the ballot who are anti-racist.
To those who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community, or know people who are, I urge you to vote for candidates up and down the ballot who respect your/their right to be true to who you/they are.
To those who are able to get pregnant or who have people in your life who are able to get pregnant, I urge you to vote for candidates up and down the ballot who will protect your/their reproductive health and freedom.
To those who are in the military or have family members who are, I urge you to vote for candidates up and down the ballot who honor your service and don’t call you ‘suckers and losers’.
To those who are teachers, I urge you to vote for candidates up and down the ballot who respect your profession and don’t tell you what you can and can’t teach.
To those who are in the medical profession, vote for candidates up and down the ballot who don’t restrict your ability to provide necessary health care to your patients without threat of imprisonment.
To those who are abuse and /or sexual assault survivors, vote for candidates up and down the ballot who believe you, stand up for you and don’t retraumatize you with their threats.
To those who have been bullied, vote for candidates up and down the ballot who uplift and don’t beat down.
To those who consider themselves religious or who are clergy, vote for the candidates up and down ballot who embody the teachings of love, compassion and inclusion rather than defying them or blaspheming them.
To those of you who are parents, grandparents, aunties or uncles, vote for candidates up and down ballot who care about the future for these precious children. That means, addressing the climate crisis and sensible gun laws. It also means considering whether voting for a president who lies, cheats, steals, demeans, threatens, who doesn’t take responsibility for his actions and blames others, one who self-aggrandizes, sets a good example for these young people.
To those who have had COVID or have lost loved ones from it, vote for candidates up and down the ballot who know it wasn’t a hoax, and that it lingers on.
To anyone who was horrified by the events of January 6th, vote for candidates up and down the ballot who affirm that President Biden won the 2020 election and decry the violence that ensued on that day.
To anyone who voted for particular candidates in previous elections because you thought they would be better for the country, your wallet, your religious beliefs or because your family voted for that party, or someone in your life convinced you to do it, join those who have decided to put country over party and vote for candidates up and down the ballot who truly want to obliterate the dystopian landscape that the presidential candidate is projecting will be before us if he gets back in office.
Remember that your vote is your voice. When you are in the voting booth, no one knows who you voted for, unless you tell them.
We can take this all the way home and see a victory, not only for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, but for our nation sorely in need of healing.
Please share this with anyone you think needs to see it.
Stevie Wonder would like to know, Can We Fix Our Nation’s Broken Heart?
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This Post is republished on Medium.
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Photo credit: iStock
Just vote.