For the past two years, I’ve watched, with many others, the normalization of hate, fear, gun violence, dishonesty, racism, sexism; attacks on citizens voicing their conscience, attacks on the free press, on good journalists who make it their job to be sure truth is known.

I’ve watched this country step away from our stewardship of the world – our fellow humanity, and the environment that sustains us – rolling back environmental protections, demonizing refugees and admiring leaders who do not value the human rights and equality our country names as its values.

As a middle-class woman with a pre-existing medical condition, working in higher education, the arts and the church and preparing to go back to graduate school, I am concerned about the impacts of this administration’s rhetoric and legislation on my life, yes.

I am even more concerned about the impacts of this administration on the lives of my friends and family and for fellow humans I may never meet who are people of color, people of differing faiths, LGBTQ, refugees, scientists, activists, journalists, parents, children in our public schools, the poor, the elderly.

I posted the words below in October, and I post them again, without the “please.” Vote for our democracy, for our Constitution, for the common good, for our integrity as a people in the worldwide family of human beings:

Vote.
For human rights, for women’s rights; for education and health care, for this fragile earth. Vote for our diversity of faith, nationality, sexuality and color; vote for the marginalized and the powerless; vote for immigrants, teachers, artists, miners and scientists. Vote for a free and independent press that will disagree sometimes with our leadership, and for a balanced and nonpartisan judiciary. Vote for politicians who understand that to be elected to office is to put people ahead of power, not the other way around; vote for politicians who listen to their constituents, who respect those who give voice to protest, whether they carry signs, take a knee or support the other party. Vote to mend our relationships in the world, and our relationships in our communities at home. Vote for a country that welcomes and respects and seeks to understand and empathize with our neighbors, because they are not just the people next door.
Vote.