I don't care to write about politics and the many divided opinions that surround it, but I think we can all agree that today's uncharted political climate is two things. Scary as hell and rife with historical transformation. How the people of the United States approach it is really the lynchpin. Candidates are supposed to represent the people, and whether the current race for president is an accurate representation of America is up for some serious consideration.
It doesn't represent me. I suspect it doesn't represent you, either. I mean if you really dig into it, are YOU represented? I know that no candidate is a perfect reflection of individuality, so it comes down to macro issues. At my age, my personal concern is my savings and ability to retire as soon as possible Two months into this layoff and I can tell you this. I don't miss an office, a Zoom call or a spreadsheet. I am willfully lazy on some days. But that isn't my luxury if the economy doesn't hold. I don't think any political leaders can take credit or blame for that ultimately. Businesses, banks, and investors are too powerful and too prone to putting politics in their pocketbooks. So I become very uniquely independent and isolated when it comes to this kind of atmosphere.
However, because of this historical blip in time, I want to remind you that you are powerful. Unrepresented blocks of humanity can sway an election if each of us agrees to ban together for the good of people. Honestly, I like the idea of black woman driving victory over the longstanding white male establishment. Why? Not because I don't like white men, but because we're in a heap of a mess as a country, and one person didn't do this. Two centuries of politics did this. I didn't ask for it, and neither did you. So stand up for yourself.
If you're young and feeling ignored, stand up. If you are a woman and feeling controlled, stand up. If you're a trucker and feeling impoverished, stand up. If you're a parent and feeling unsafe in your neighborhood, stand up. And whoever wins, keep standing up to them. Keep holding them to their promises. If on day one, the winner isn't hard at work supporting your core needs for quality of life and a positive future, then stand up.
Don't buy the memes. Don't buy the social media. Don't get mad at opposing views. Use your good manners and your intelligence to stand up with dignity and respect and a solid request for something better. Something safer. Something equal. And more than anything, something humane and kind and accepting. If you're unhappy with the world around you, stand up. Look around. Find your people and use your power as a citizen and a voter and a responsible community activist to make change. If your politicians aren't doing it, keep that in mind in the next elections cycle; even if it's your candidate who can't keep a promise, you can change that. If politics hold to their true self, then it won't be the people in office who make the change. You're going to have to gather your community and do it yourself.
Stand up and do something. Please shut up and get out of that echo chamber. Stand up.