Is it too late?
I am terrified at the prospect of Donald Trump returning to the White House. I am so frustrated that our judicial system has not been able to hold him accountable and actually bring him to trial so he can be judged and found guilty of the crimes we know he committed. Having him on record asking an election official to find votes for him; seeing photographs of highly classified documents unsecured and improperly taken to a private residence; and all the actions and inactions related to the January 6 insurrection — surely an impartial judicial process would lead to multiple convictions. But still, there he is, enabled by Republican legislators and activists who either don’t understand or don’t care about the idea of handing power to a man who has repeatedly demonstrated that he is only out for himself, that he doesn’t respect the rule of law, and that he has no regard to the public good.
I could go on, but that’s not the point of this blog post. The point of this blog post is to explore what can be done, now, before it is too late.
For the record: I know Joe Biden is an imperfect candidate on the other side. I am horrified by what is happening in Gaza and the apparent inability or unwillingness of the administration to use the leverage we have to bring an end to the violence. I also know that Donald Trump would be even more pro-Netanyahu and anti-Palestine. I also see an amazing record of Biden administration accomplishments, despite the dysfunction in Congress, of using the power of the federal government for the benefit of communities around the country, making us safer, healthier, and more productive. The economy is strong, and moving in the right direction.
Call me naive, but I still believe that people hold power. All the elected officials we disdain were put there as a result of elections – the folks who voted and those who stayed home are responsible for the Mike Johnsons and the Jim Jordans and the Matt Gaetz’s of the world. If someone else had gotten more votes, that someone else would now be in those offices. There are obstacles to overcome, starting with how we fund our elections, but those obstacles can be removed with the right people in power.
It is not a new idea. But it matters now more than ever. WE THE PEOPLE hold the power. We can run for office, we can educate ourselves about who is running for office at every level – school boards, local government, all the way up the chain. We can get involved in political party bureaucracy and try to influence the choices of who runs and who gets funding and other types of support.
There may not be many Republicans who read this blog, but I wish there were more courageous Republicans who would work to take back the reins of their party. It would be good for the country to have a diversity of viewpoints within the fundamental framework of our constitutional democracy. How can we engage and empower all eligible voters to have their views and values represented and their rights protected? We need to offer more choices across the political spectrum. I’m not anti-Republican as I used to understand the Republican Party. I disagreed with many of their positions, but as President Biden said in the State of the Union address, “you can’t love your country only when you win.” I’m proud to have been a civil servant in both Democratic and Republican administrations in my years in Washington.
In my four years on the Encinitas City Council, I won some and lost some, and that’s how it should be. Not every idea is a winner, and honest debate, open-minded listening, and mutual trust can often lead to a better outcome. But I fear the current political establishment lacks all three of those needs – there is dishonesty and intentional disregard of facts; there is more posturing than listening; and there is a deep lack of trust.
What to do? It takes leadership and time to move us into more productive waters. We first need to do everything possible to make voting safe and secure; to support and protect election officials who are essential in performing this sacred duty. Then we need to encourage and support good candidates from both parties who demonstrate integrity and a commitment to serve for the common good, not for personal power.
Help register people to vote. Offer to work at voting centers. Join a civic organization and learn about the role of different offices and work to elect people you trust. Donate money to candidates and organizations that are working to promote your views and values. Among other things, I have written over 3000 postcards to voters across the country in elections at all levels of government to encourage them to vote. It is vital to VOTE in every election you are eligible for. You vote is your voice. It matters. For the sake of my granddaughter, I have to believe it’s not too late!