Every person and effort make a difference. Don’t feel hopeless. Find a way to help.
Aviator Amelia Earhart said, “The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure, the process is its own reward.”
It starts with not suppressing your own vote. Regardless of what you read, hear or fear, the American right to vote and have it count are major pillars of our democratic republic. And have been since we won a revolution to have that right.
Do something, anything.
If you influence even one person, take the initiative and sense of accomplishment from making a contribution. Notes Britannica.com in addressing how the 1991 Soviet Coup had failed: “The ‘gang of eight’ had not grasped that democratization had made public opinion important and that the population would no longer meekly obey orders from above. Russia-direct.org adds: “Since the coup failed, it means the initiators simply overestimated their power and influence and underestimated the response from their opponents.”
Don’t underestimate your power to influence and change the world.
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Voter suppression can be as much a state of mind as an actual attempt by “boogeymen” to thwart your vote. If you believe you’re going to be unsuccessful, the bad guys already have won.
Don’t take it lying down. Do everything possible to make your vote count. Take the time to follow the rules. Make the time to ensure your vote arrives in a timely fashion. And go the extra mile—literally or figuratively—to ensure your voice is heard.
Then, motivate one or more other people to do the same. Rinse and repeat with everyone in your tribe if possible. That’s a major contribution, and one that everyone can make.
Do you realize the ripple effect of that happening across the country?
And, in your moments of doubts, disbelief or disdain, look for bright spots to help you push past what Earhart calls the “paper tigers” of fear. Amid all the cacophony, disinformation and noise, there are some decidedly silver linings for voters. For example, do you know that most states are providing a way for you to check your ballot status online?
Businessinsider.com emphasizes: “According to an analysis by the National Vote at Home Institute, a nonpartisan group that advocates for states to make it easier for voters to cast ballots safely from home, 47 states and the District of Columbia now have online portals that allow voters to track the status of their ballots every step of the way. ‘Ballot tracking is very much similar to tracking a package that you order online, but for mail ballots,’ Amber McReynolds, the CEO of the Institute, told reporters…‘It utilizes different data entry points into the process to let a voter know what the status of their mail ballot is from the time it’s been printed and mailed, all the way through to when it’s been received by the election official at the end of the process.’ McReynolds played a role in creating the nation’s first-ever ballot tracking system, BallotTRACE, while serving as the elections director for Denver, Colorado.”
Not all tracking systems are created equal, however, as this medium.com article confirms: “The National Vote at Home Institute has identified four different levels of ballot tracking across the 50 states and the District of Columbia…we want to stress that the best place for information about a voter’s ballot is from their local election officials. If a voter does not have access to online ballot tracking, they can still call their local officials for more information.”
Focused follow-through on voting doesn’t exclude some appropriate, non-violent venting along the way. After all, frustration and anxiety have become our constant companions during this perfect storm of a pandemic, polluted politics and a hemorrhaging economy.
One famous example goes all the way back to the 1976 movie “Network.” Anchorman Howard Beale, fed up with a sick, depraved world, tells people to open their windows and yell, “I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore!” Channel this into positive determination to get your vote and votes of others to count.
Don’t let the bullies and bastards get you down.
Gray Flannel Head 