The Politics of Living

The one about the Midterms and being politically active - yay!

Not a dog in a goofy Halloween costume to make politics less scary...

When I was a kid, there was one thing I always said I wanted to do when I was older: become president of the United States.

I mean, and become a cheerleader, but mostly, be president. I used to tell everyone that’s what I was going to be when I grew up, unfazed that at that point — the early ‘90s — I/we had no real frame of reference for what female leadership in the federal government looked like here in the U.S. I mean, obviously we only just got a female vice president two years ago. (We did it, Joe!)

I no longer maintain either of those career aspirations (and turned out I was not cheerleader material — I’m more Liz Lemon, you know?), but my interest in U.S. history and politics followed me into adulthood and has translated into working in the federal government’s orbit, and being very enthusiastic about civic engagement. I even gave tours of the Capitol building back when I was a Senate intern (at that time, it was every intern’s responsibility — not sure if that’s still the case). On a related note, I still vividly remember falling while running up the narrow steps inside the building at the start of my first tour, on my very first day, and trying to breezily continue on with a bloody knee whilst trying to not look totally embarrassed. (She is beauty, she is grace.)

Anyways, with the Midterms upon us and Election Day coming up in less than a week (this Tuesday, Nov. 8!), I thought it was a good time to use my note to you for something more than just an emotional cleanse.

I was ready to say I didn’t want to get political here, but honestly, that’s a big fat lie. It’s impossible not to, because politics are the undermining of…. everything. I think we are so frequently told that being political, or discussing or being interested in politics, is somehow uncouth. A bad thing. We’re taught that politics is a dirty word and sharing your political opinions out loud somehow makes you annoying or too aggressive or lacking class. Instead, discussions surrounding any topic that gets labeled political are treated like items to sweep under the rug, to leave for bombastic cable news commentators and D.C. politicos to deal with. And that’s kind of what I wanted to talk about, because personally, I think that’s the wrong approach. It doesn’t have to be negative, at all, and actually it’s a good thing to be interested in how your country is shaped. I don’t see anything wrong with having an opinion about something (particularly an educated one), or thinking critically about issues that potentially affect you and your life.

Over the last several years, my political views have further developed and I’ve become a lot more open about discussing “political” topics or just having an opinion at all about politics. I mean, that’s not necessarily the first thing I talk to random people on the street about, but if you follow me on social media or know me in real life, you probably know that I post frequently about issues that are important to me, and I care a lot about encouraging everyone (regardless of party or political leanings) to vote. My views have also changed quite a bit from what they were when I was growing up, and even from what they were in my 20s (I literally switched my political party a few years ago, and that’s after having worked for a Senator and Congressional committee who belonged to my previous party). I know it can be extremely uncomfortable and awkward to talk about topics that are seen as controversial or too political or that you may have differing points of view about than your family or community, but that’s a good reason to have them. We — as people and as a society and a democracy — can’t grow or become stronger if we’re not able to have hard conversations or stand up for what we believe in and vote to enable change.

Everything is political. Literally.

I’m not trying to be glib — I mean it. Politics are at the core of society. I recently read something that summed this up so eloquently and I had wanted to just share it here directly, but alas, I can’t find the source anymore… but in a nutshell, politics are what make the world function. The issues that are considered *so political* — like abortion and gun control and hate crimes and — perhaps in some circles — literally even if it’s, you know, cool to attempt a violent coup or deny fair and free elections results — are integral to our daily lives. How they shake out affect how our futures play out. They impact our basic needs, like access to healthcare and privacy and safety, not to mention the price of a loaf of bread and the types of books kids read in school and what battles we send our Service members into. It’s all politics, and to not talk about it? To not show up or let your voice be heard, and not acknowledge the reality — that your needs and opinions do indeed matter and can help facilitate change in your community? That feels like an enormous waste of an opportunity to me, as a citizen in a democracy.

And speaking of, the only way a democracy can survive and function successfully is for people to show up and let their voices be heard through voting. Democracy works best when we all participate, and voting is the most effective way to create meaningful change that can last.

If you’re unsure how to register to vote (or if you’re already registered) or how and when and where to cast a ballot, I get it… it can feel confusing and overwhelming when you’re first wading into being more civic engaged. There are a ton of wonderful resources out there (non-partisan), including/especially vote.org. I also always recommend I Am a Voter and Rock the Vote too. It’s absolutely not too late if you want to vote in this upcoming election — vote.org can help you figure out the deadline for registering if you’re not already, how to check your voter status, and to figure out if there’s early voting and/or vote by mail or official election drop-box in your state. I live in California, and all residents are mailed ballots that can be mailed in or dropped off in an official election drop-box. (I did the latter! So easy! And you still get an “I voted” sticker.😎) Your voice really does make and can make a difference (elections, particularly at the local and state level, are often won or lost on a small percentage!), and that’s even if you live in a state that already is predominately leaning a certain political direction. You have power via your vote — use it.

Anyways, that’s all I wanted to share this week! TLDR: voting is important, and having an informed opinion (and sharing it) is a good thing. A smart thing. A brave thing.

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Happy Thursday, and thanks for being open to a different sort of letter this week.💙 I am traveling to New Orleans this weekend for a friend’s wedding, and plan to eat my weight in beignets. I hope you all have a lovely weekend, and if you have any questions about how to vote, or even want to chat about certain issues, you can always send me an email or leave a comment.

Thanks for reading,

Joelle

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