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Washington, DC, United States
I don't write here nearly as much as I should, but when I do, I'll try to make it count for something.

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Post Electionistis

I haven't posted to my blog in... well, a pretty long time. And honestly, who knows how long it will be until I post again? But I felt really compelled today after reading post after post after post on Facebook about the "fantastic" news that Barack Obama will be spending another four years in office.

Here's the thing: I've been pretty vocal about my dissatisfaction with the President for the last two years. I don't really feel like showing a laundry list of reasons, but let's just say that his grasp on the appropriate way to approach human rights and economics have left me troubled. That being said, yes, I voted for him four years ago and yes, I voted for him again this time around and I don't regret either decision. This year, I struggled with the idea that maybe I don't need to vote at all - over the last couple of years, I have grown to be disillusioned about the state of our government and the people who are running the show. I am at the point where I don't actually believe that there is much of a difference between the candidates because the system in which they are working in is the problem. At the same time, however, over the last couple of months I've realized that while the system has deficiencies, it is still the system that we have and until people are ready to create something new we need to figure out a way to make the system work for us.

Also, Mitt Romney's extreme conservatism really scares me as a black woman who feels that the topic of equal rights in this country is of the utmost importance. Sorry, Mitt - you need to shut up about what I do with my body and let my homosexual friends have the same rights that the rest of us do. The end.

Obama is not perfect but at the very least he has his pulse on the American people - for better or for worse. He understands that people, that this whole society, is ready for progress and people are not interested in backtracking. For the most part, I think that Americans are incredibly good at burying their heads in the sand and pretending that things are going better than they are. But really, who wants to believe that they don't have quite as many freedoms as they think? We've all been guilty of it. I know I have. I don't think I'm this well of enlightenment that knows what's best for everybody. Do we break down the system completely and create something totally new? Do we strive towards improving the system we already have? Do we accept that we can only do so much and just trust that the people we elect into office will have our best interest at heart? I honestly don't know. But what I do know is that people don't want to move back in time. Regardless of if you're an Obama supporter or not, the fact that he was voted into office twice shows me that people really really want change for the better - even if they don't really know how to get it. I think we are clinging to the idea that Obama to create that for us, but there's more to it than that.

I had my doubts about voting, but I'm glad I did and I'm glad so many others did as well. It proved that people WANT to do something. People want to make things better. I just hope it doesn't end with the election season.

I implore you all: while I do not have all the answers, I know this much - real honest change happens from the bottom up. Changing things doesn't mean voting for some rich people to dig us out of our troubles. Friends, get out there in your communities. Get involved in grassroots. Attend city council meetings and familiarize yourself with smaller government systems. Do volunteer work - help others that really need it. Be there for each other - really be present in your community. We can't wait for President Obama or Congress or anyone else to do all the work for us. Make your voice heard. Take real action.

I know these taglines are heard everywhere, but these aren't just words. Let's not stop working towards a better day. Voting is nothing but a stepping stone, if anything. Don't get comfortable - there is so much that needs to get done, guys.

So celebrate that Obama won but keep caring as much as you cared yesterday. And for those of you who voted for Mitt Romney or a third party or didn't vote at all - that goes for you too. You're not happy? Then do something about it. Your candidate losing the election does not spell doom. There's so much more you can do; really change is a collaborative experience. Let Congress do the bickering while we work towards improving things in our communities. We honestly have more power than we think, and it's about time we realized that and used it.

And those are my two cents but I'm happy to hear what the rest of you think!

3 comments:

  1. I agree with just about everything you said here and it was extremely well articulated. I've been inspired, disenfranchised and reinvigorated in our electoral and governing process more times than I care to admit. One of the popular beliefs that frustrates me more than anything else is the notion that you're not doing your civic duty or "you can't complain" if you don't vote. I believe that in many cases the best choice between two bad ones is to make no choice at all. As long as you're making an informed conscious decision not to vote and not just being lazy your voice and opinion still deserve to be heard. Besides is a vote for Nader really that different than not voting at all?

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    1. There definitely used to be a time when I believed voting was imperative and I believed that not voting was doing a disservice to the men and women who fought so hard to make sure I had that right... I don't believe that as much anymore. But I do believe that if you're not going to vote, then you better be out there doing SOMETHING if you're going to criticize the system / government.

      I do think this country is moving in the right direction, for sure.

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