Jennifer,
I think the best foot forward is to encourage young people to vote — studies show that younger generations are far more progressive and vote Blue by an overwhelming majority.
However, simply casting a vote is not enough. We must push our respective parties to produce candidates worthy of backing. We must hold them accountable — our elected officials work for us and if they do not do as we wish we simply vote them out.
Protesting, contacting your senator and congressperson constantly, signing petitions, joining grassroot movements, talking to your friends — these are all ways in which our voices can be heard. A single person cannot do much but as a collective I really do believe change can happen. “Many hands make light work”.
As for feeling powerless — I totally understand that. I recommend reading Rebecca Solnit’s Hope in the Dark. I think you would find it helpful. To quote congressman John Lewis, “never give up, never give in”, because once we do, we’ve lost. It can be tiring but our work is crucial.
