Rising to the moment
An open letter to my friends and family encouraging you to vote
Friends and Family:
Over the years, you have told me that you just don’t follow the news, especially politics. You find it upsetting and divisive. You feel better in your day-to-day life without it. If there’s anything really important, someone will tell you about it.
I definitely can relate. You see, I cannot handle spending much time on Facebook, Twitter or TikTok. After a few minutes, I feel jumpy, restless and fretful like I drank about 4 extra shots of espresso with my mocha oat-milk latte. You know me, I’m a decaf coffee kind of gal. So, I generally wait for you to send me that funny dog video, your kid or grandkid getting a base hit at the little league game, and our friends’ engagement, anniversary or divorce announcements. I count on you to let me know about those big moments in our shared personal and cultural history. I appreciate the service you’ve done for me all these years. So, now it’s my turn to return the favor.
I’m letting you know that we are at a big moment in the America’s political history, actually in global history. I’ve been listening to folks who study this sort of stuff, such as Yale Professor Timothy Snyder. They’re ringing the alarm bells to preserve democracy like firefighter chasing an arsonist in a corn maze. The President received a briefing from historians on how big this moment is. He gave a speech about the threat to democracy, exhorting Americans:
We need everyone to do their part. So speak up. Speak out. Get engaged. Vote, vote, vote.
Even if you could dismiss President Biden or me as a left wing liberal, retired generals are warning about the fragility of our democracy.
I’d like to think we would all rise to the occasion and that just by me telling you we’re in a big moment you would vote. However, I know some of you — even if you fully believed me and the historians, the President and the retired generals — you still might have some reservations about voting.
So, I now present what I have heard from you over the years and explain why you should cast your ballot in this November’s election. (My hope is that once the trend started, you will cast a vote in every election going forward. But, let’s take baby steps first).
Argument 1: Politics is Stressful. My Life is Much Calmer and Better if I Don’t Think About It.
Politics is stressful because it has meaning. Rather than ignoring it because it is stressful, I recommend titrating your exposure to it. Following politics daily can be the equivalent of watching a soap opera. Some may find the hour to hour and day to day machinations of making political sausage enthralling. For others, it is tedious, frustrating and pointless. You don’t need to watch every breathless moment, but you should check in every now again to follow the arc of the story line.
If you haven’t noticed, the arc has not been too good across the nation or even the globe. It’s seems that at moments like this the worst of humanity decides to make a snatch and grab for all they can get. But, we don’t need to be unmoving bystanders or complicit participants. We only need to act while there is time for effective action.
Not dealing with or thinking about politics might be a decent strategical bet so long as we have a functioning two party system with appropriate institutions and norms that serve as checks and balances. In such a system, the parties horse trade with each other in order to meet their policy objectives. We currently are on the brink of not having that system — on purpose. That means, that while you might have had the luxury previously to avoid politics, you may find that political life encroaches upon you in ways you never imagined.
Our system of government is generally based on the rule of law. It is flawed because the law does not always act in colorblind ways. The murder of George Floyd by police officers made that visible. There are innumerable examples of harsher treatment of the poor and BIPOC individuals, with leniency and forgiveness for wealthier and whiter individuals. These flaws in the system ought to be fixed. Yet, the alternative to rule of law is worse.
We have a vocal and violent contingent who are doing their best to undermine democratic norms to force a government by brute force. For instance, at least 28 legislators donated to the Oath Keepers, whose leadership makes money off of undermining the rule of law and inciting violence.
Argument 2: All politicians are the same. They do not do anything for me. The system is corrupt. They are beholden to special interests.
There are two sides to the political poker chip — what politics can do for you and what it can do to you. Since 2016, we have had norm busting on the “do to you” side of the coin.
On the “to you” side of the ledger, we’ve seen from MAGA/conservative extremists (in no particular order):
i) public policy that causes unnecessary death; ii) the public use of Nazi salutes, emblems and memorabilia, iii) bullying and attacks on election workers and politicians to subvert the political process, iv) a jump in anti-Semitic threats, v) increasing hate incidents against Asian Americans, vi) increased hostility to LGBTQ+ youth; vii) a symbol of slavery carried into the White House by insurrectionists; viii) attempts at ethnic and cultural erasure of African Americans; ix) the loss of the right to privacy from excessive governmental intrusion for reproductive decisions and x) potentially losses of privacy rights related to same-sex marriage, same-sex intimacy, and interracial marriage.
When people give you at least ten good reasons to believe them, you should believe them at least ten times over.
On the “for you” side of the coin, we’ve seen President Biden champion democracy at home and abroad; legislation aimed at inflation like reducing prescription drug costs, legislation to bring semiconductor jobs back to the USA; assistance payments during the pandemic, proposals for student loan debt forgiveness, climate change legislation, and gun reform legislation that toughened background checks.
When I look at the “for you” list, it is hardly enough to tackle the challenges we face. I naturally would be inclined to be on the offense in trying to make this world a better and equitable place for all. It’s no fun to cast a ballot for a defensive position to avoid harm. Unfortunately, we only get to play one poker chip at a time. I think it’s better to use it, than toss it away or lose it.
Argument 3: My vote doesn’t make a difference. Or, I’ll vote if you can guarantee that it will make a difference.
All of the dollars spent on political contributions means that your vote makes a difference. Political campaigns spent a whopping $14 Billion on the 2020 election cycle. Some campaigns just want to make you shrug, throw your hands up in the air and not show up. Other campaigns want to ensure that you feel like your way of life is at stake and your hair is on fire so that you race out to vote. If your vote didn’t matter, no one would spend the time and effort to either seek or suppress your vote.
Voting is so powerful that Russian soldiers forced Ukrainians to vote at gun point. Russia attempted to give a veneer of legitimacy to their sham annexation of the territory of another country. The Russians knew that if humans didn’t show up to cast a ballot at all, the election would have been viewed as more a sham than if they voted under duress.
Your vote matters today more than ever — especially in state and local elections. It does make a difference. There are countless close elections where the margin for the winner is less than 1% and notable cases where the vote count was tied or differed by a single vote. There are also times when a candidate could really use a huge margin of victory to establish a mandate for the platform that they ran on. We definitely could use a mandate in favor of democracy.
Argument 4: I do not know enough about the candidates to vote well.
This particular argument has always flummoxed me. I hear it from friends and family who have figured out how to do their own car engine repairs using only YouTube, can get to level 45 on Assassins Creed, understand all the characters on Game of Thrones or can organize a party for 100 people on 24 hours notice without breaking a sweat. If you can do these things, I know you can figure out which candidates to vote for.
The League of Women Voters offers a 7-step guide on how to get to know the candidates.
Here are some things that have helped me (in no particular order):
- Elimination: Some candidates can be eliminated based on who endorses them or their qualifications or their statement (or lack thereof) in the voter pamphlet or on their website. That will winnow the amount of further research.
- Phone a Friend: We all have that friend who closely follows even the race for county dog catcher and has read every word in every obscure referendum. They probably haven’t heard from you in a while and would love to chat with you.
- Research: Check out bipartisan group websites like the League of Women Voters’ 411 page.
- Share the load: This is my personal favorite. Get together with friends to chat through where you have questions. Chances are someone will know something. Apply your favorite beverages liberally.
Argument 5: What I know about the candidates I don’t like
Unfortunately, the political process can be a crucible. By the time Election Day rolls around all of the candidates look as bloodied and battered as Rocky at the end of Rocky I. The process is supposed to illuminate and highlight the issues. Instead, it repels. I would argue that you don’t have to love the candidate or think they would be fun for beer or a great partner for pickleball. The question should be, “Which candidate best represents my values and needs along with that of the country as a whole?”
Argument 6: I don’t have time.
This is a tough one. There are folks who work 2 or 3 jobs, take care of their elders, support their spouses/partners and look after their kids. I don’t know how they find time to do anything. Yet, they still vote.
Ask yourself if you don’t vote and then lose a right or a benefit that is meaningful to you, won’t it take more of your time and more of your energy to get it back?
If I didn’t adequately cover your argument here, I hope you’ll read this: http://www.literacynet.org/easyvoter/resources/pdfs/commonexcuses.pdf. But, rather than spending more time reading on why you should vote, why not just vote?
Karen Spencer
October, 2022
