The 2016 presidential election was one of the ugliest I have ever seen. I will blame both candidates and the media for that. I will also blame the people of this country because we have slowly allowed our candidates to lower the campaigns into junior high fights of he said/she said.
I have read so many Facebook posts this morning. I don't really do other social media so that's why the only one referenced is Facebook. To seriously date myself and quote Wide World of Sports, my news feed is filled with "the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat". It is the "best of times and the worst of times" and I have some thoughts now that the election is over.
First, to the people who are saying that the electoral college elected Trump, but the popular vote elected Hillary. That may be true and it would be, I believe, the fifth time in the history of our country if that is true. I would like to point out that it is precisely why the electoral college was put into place by our fore fathers. Right now, it is what it is. If people strongly feel this is wrong and needs to change, then that needs to happen some place other than social media.
We have all gotten so busy, we have jobs, families (whether traditional or a family of choice that loves and supports us in our journey through life), and a myriad of other interests and responsibilities. We also are able to vent our feelings and opinions about any thing to the world any time we want thanks to technology and social media. But maybe that's one reason things have gotten so out of hand.
My Grandma was a college graduate just about 100 years ago. She was a smart woman and a stubborn woman. She was a high school English teacher and spent several summers working out west. (Can you imagine the whispers about that?) Grandma was passionate about her politics. She read and listened and watched whatever she could. She did have the advantage of a more neutral, objective media who seemed more interested in reporting facts but she worked at it, too. She knew how her representatives were voting on issues. She paid attention to what was going on in Washington D.C., Madison, and her local government. And she made her opinions known. She wrote letters, made phone calls. She told her representatives her opinions and could back up those reasons with solid research and knowledge. I am very positive that she was a thorn in many sides but she had the satisfaction of knowing that her voice was heard. My Mom followed in her footsteps and as long as she was able to read and listen and understand, she stayed up to date with her government. She wrote letters and made phone calls. Everyone knew her opinions.
How many of us can say that we are that invested in our political process? I admit that compared to these two role models I grew up with, I am not nearly as invested in my government. And now that I am thinking about it and admitting that to any one who is reading this blog, I am embarrassed by that. Oh you can be sure I have plenty of reasons:
- Government is far more complicated than it used to be. The huge conglomeration that are our bills are difficult to read and understand and scrutinize enough to know exactly what is being voted on.
- I'm just busy. All of us are busy whether it's volunteering, jobs, families, communities. We have responsibilities.
- I'm just one person, my voice isn't important.
- It's hard to keep track of everything.
- It's frustrating and depressing and I just don't want to think about it.
Obviously, we are a country filled with passionate feelings about our national government right now. My thought is let's get off of social media and actually get back into our government. Whether you are terrified right this second because you can't believe that you will have to say President Trump in a couple of months. Or you are celebrating that fact that you will not have to say Madame President. Let's actually get involved and let our voices be heard daily or weekly or monthly and not just on social media and honestly let's not wait four more years until the next presidential election.
Let's go to our homeowners association meeting and help to make the decisions that effect our neighborhoods. Let's go to our village, town, or city council meetings and find out what the budget is, what they are voting on and why. Let's find out who our commissioners are and what issues we should be concerned about for our individual counties. Then continue on to our state offices. We can easily find the public records of the issues our state legislature is dealing with. Write or call your representative. Let them know who you are. That you are willing to help them and will be holding them accountable for the job they are doing. And then continue that to the national level.
Maybe some of you will be more involved with a political party or group to insure that on a national level, your opinions are being heard and work to change policy at a national level. Not all of us will be able to or want to do that but each of us could find out who are senators and representative are and write, call, email. They have local offices, make an appointment and stop in to see them. Study before your meeting so you are versed on the issues that are important to you and have an intelligent conversation. Here too, let them know you are willing to help them but will also be holding them accountable.
Just so you don't think I have lost my sanity, I realize that none of us can do all of the things I have listed. But all of us can do at least one thing. And if this entire country got involved, took our discussions off social media and into school board meetings, council chambers, and to legislatures, think about the change that we would force to happen. Right now it feels impossible for any one of us to make a difference but if millions of us got involved we could demand change.
Let's force our politicians to be transparent and let all of us know what is really going on. Let's not settle for campaigns that could be scripted at a junior high lunch table. Let's make it known that we are watching and reading and know what is going on. And if we like it, let's tell them and support them. If we don't like it, then we'll let them know that and demand a change. Some of us will get the changes we want and some won't but we will have the satisfaction of knowing we are not just being led around like sheep that have been blindfolded.
Congratulations on surviving this election cycle. Now let's all promise to be more involved and really try to do something to make this country all that it can be. I am ending this and going to send a message to my new county commissioner and then research addresses. What are you going to do?
