Not What I Was Promised But I Remain Ever Hopeful

Democracy is defined as government by the people. As I was growing up, I was promised this. I was promised a country where anyone could be anything, have anything they worked hard for, and could feel safe going out into the community. A country where people could find compromise and participate in civil discourse. A country were we assumed good intent. From my calculation, this significantly turned after the election of 2012. 

I have had the honor of voting in 15 national elections since I turned 18 and none is more important than the one we are about to have. Never in my lifetime has a midterm election been so important. Regardless of the predictions, which in the past we know can swing, I remain ever hopeful that people will vote for democracy. 

For me, it is not whether red or blue wins. In fact, I think we are a strong country when people with different ideas come to the table and find a compromise everyone can live with. For me, I am hopeful the majority of the country will vote for democracy. I am hopeful people will reject individuals who do not accept the rules of democracy. I am hopeful people will reject individuals who lie without remorse and promote division over unity. 

What makes me most sad is the amount of time we are spending fighting each other rather than working to solve our issues, which there are plenty of.  I have been reflecting on random thoughts over the past few weeks as the political ads ramp up and the debates have taken place. When I was little, my Nana had a milkman. He delivered dairy products every day in a box on the porch. We never worried about anyone stealing it. We retrieved the goods every time. Now, every time I order food or goods to be delivered, I wonder if I will get what I ordered. Growing up there was always a belief that politicians lied but it was different than it seems to be now. There are candidates who lies are so blatant, support conspiracy theories, and represent a hypocrisy I have not seen to this level before. When I was little, people who disagreed would yell. Now, I watch or read story after story of shootings, stabbings, and beatings. Violence is never the answer. To me, it seems politics has become an exercise in blindly following a philosophy without question. While this is not new to have people on the fringe but now the fringe is a large portion of the country. We have always had conspiracy theorists but they typically were not the people making our laws and leading our country. The hate for others is strong in this country. People are rejecting others who do not look like them, act like them, or behave the way they think they should. There is a shift to tell people what to do or say rather than provide choices for people to select from. This shift in accepting this scares me but I remain hopeful. 

I see the potential in candidates in both parties to return to the America I was promised. People who believe in country over party, in constituent desires over personal reward, and understand the requirement to compromise in order to ensure an America for everyone. People who are willing to stand up and say "No" to the things breaking us apart. They are doing it knowing that it may have negative consequences on themselves personally but they believe in democracy. Halloween was this past week and the only trick-or-treaters I had were three very polite teenagers. There were videos of children who put candy into empty candy buckets. One friend of mine had a little one who skipped going out because their brother was sick. This gives me hope. Hope that our future is in good hands. It is in the hands of caring individuals with empathy and respect for other people. I hear conversations about including people of all genders, races, sexual orientation, religions, and abilities. November 8, 2022 will tell us if our country still believes in democracy or if we have failed ourselves. I am hopeful democracy will win.

The one thing I do know is that I will be well supported as I watch the election results role in with three of the cutest fur babies and my mom:

For tonight . . . I'm just sayin' XOXO (and please vote for Democracy)