It’s voting day here in my town. It’s not any of the glamorous elections, like “governor” or even “senator” (and surely not as consequential as “president”). But it’s extremely important nonetheless.
I know there are a number of people, especially in my generation, that seem to have this thing about voting being meaningless because “the system” or “one vote doesn’t matter”. This sort of thinking is the only conspiracy there ever was around voting. The belief that “one” doesn’t matter makes many fail to participate. And when many aren’t participating, the ones left are the ones with the true power. Don’t surrender your power!
I read a very powerful article by a professor emeritus of Berkeley, Robert Reich, early this morning, simply titled: “We!“. He has written a lot on what the US has lost to the recklessness of the present administration. But this article was not about that. It was about his hope for the future.
I didn’t think he even had hope for the future, but the article is quite believable and is written in his style and voice, so I’m pretty sure he wasn’t hacked! It gave me hope. And more than that, it reminded me of how important voting is. You know, in “low stakes” elections like the one going on now, sometimes I used to not care or show up. But it all matters. It always matters. And that is a very important lesson to take away.
There’s a city council race. That will directly impact the lives of my family, friends, and everyone in our local community. There are state questions that will impact how the state is run and governed for years and decades to come. And my voice can matter, but only if I use it. So you better believe I’m going to use it to the fullest extent possible.
Woof!