Last
night a friend told me her son, eligible to vote for the first time, wasn’t
enthusiastic about Joe Biden, so he thought he’d just sit this one out. I was
appalled. There is so much I want to say to him and can’t, so I’m saying it
here: Voting is a privilege and an obligation if you live in America and enjoy
the dwindling benefits of that residency. Even more of an obligation if you’d
like to return America to the standards and values we were raised with and have
held on to all our lives.
We
vote not just for the president, but for an entire new government—from cabinet
ministers on down a long list of presidential appointees, including right now attorney
general.. And we vote, in 2020, for a totally difference concept of government,
one that starts with the “little people.” If you don’t vote, you also miss the
opportunity to voice your choice on a long-list of down-ballot state and local
officials.
Somewhere
I saw a meme that pointed out that voting is not like marriage. You don’t have
to fall in love with a candidate—you simply have to make a reasonable choice
about who would bring about a better way of life for all Americans. To make that
conscientious choice requires some research, study of the platforms,
familiarizing yourself with the issues and the positions of various candidates.
It should not be a decision based on who appeals to you—that’s falling in love,
not politics.
In the
upcoming election, the economic issue raises its head. People believe that the
economy will do better under trump, though history consistently demonstrates
that the economy does better under Democratic administrations than Republican. Right
now, the economy is doing great for the one percent, but failing the middle
class and the poor miserably—especially people of color.
People
claim that we have to open up after quarantine, that the economy is what
matters most. I would suggest that human life
matters more. A sick and dying people cannot rebuild a shattered economy
like ours. Opening up too soon will eventually leave the economy in worse
shape—more deaths, more illness, more fear that will keep people at home, more
overuse of health facilties, more cost to the government from unemployment and
health care. Germany stands out as a country where workers survived pandemic
unemployment almost unscathed, a contrast to America where 40 million are
unemployed. (Sorry, you’ll have to research that one, but you will find our
government could have used bailout for average workers, hourly employees out of
work, instead of bailing out the wealthy and corporations who were not
desperate, just greedy.)
A huge
part of the problem in our country is the percent of the population that is
noncompliant, from ridiculous “virus parties” to the guy next door who won’t
wear a mask. Setting the tone for that is the man who calls himself president
and refuses to wear a mask, wants mass gatherings of people at rallies and
political conventions without disregard to the health concerns. Florida, whose
governor is an ally of trump, recently experienced the highest ever one-day spike
of new virus cases, after opening up.
It’s
almost a circular argument that brings you around to the beginning—vote Blue.
No, getting rid of trump will not make everything roses and sunshine
immediately. It will take time to rebuild our country, but it is a task we must
begin. And it starts with voting out trump and his enablers, including much of
the Senate.
A long
lecture the young man in question won’t listen to, but I needed to say it.
Thanks for listening.
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