This is a rare (somewhat) political post. The intent of this blog is to share my personal thoughts & ramblings and this is where my heart is right now…
As election day approaches, my thoughts keep returning to my daughters and the day after the 2016 election. My oldest was a sophomore in college and talking to her that morning was so heartbreaking. She described friends & classmates crying in disappointment and distress. She and her peers felt let down by the rest of America. Not just because we failed to elect as President an extremely qualified woman but because of who we did elect.
I recall rationalizing the outcome and trying to be reassuring (both very typical of me) that we can survive 4 years of anyone. He doesn’t have unlimited power, there are processes that can restrain his worse instincts. Well….I can admit when I am wrong. As disappointed and appalled as I was (am) by Trump and his administration, I voted for Clinton out of desperation, not excitement. And I had very good friends make rational arguments for their Trump vote. So many people were voting for the “lesser of two evils” – we just had different views on who was lesser. And I hoped that Trump would rise to the occasion.
I’m not going to lay out a case for my Biden vote…lets just say emphatically that my vote for him is unreserved and with confidence that he will be a better leader and president than his opponent.
My ‘thoughts and ramblings’ here started with my daughters. Even if they are Settling for Biden (check out their instagram page), young adults are very engaged and concerned. This engagement is a great outcome of the last four years. It took me until I was over 45 to really get engaged in national issues: gun violence, institutional racism, climate change, etc. They are doing this in their 20’s.
Hopefully, we will be crying for joy rather despair next Wednesday. I will always be hopefully and try to remember that American ideals have persisted through trying times. Regardless of the outcome, Americans have a lot to do as we strive to become a “more perfect union.” Let’s get going!
Yes, I have some reading ideas:
These last four years have changed me into a more active, more educated citizen. I have read more about social justice issues, racial issues, and politics in the last four years that in my entire life. When I get enraged about injustice, my first instinct is to understand and educate myself which led to books like Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption, The Fifth Risk, We Were Eight Years in Power, The Coddling of the American Mind, and Caste. I still have a lot of work to do, reading isn’t the same as experiencing and learning from others. There is an organization, Telos, that sponsors trips and dinner ‘tables’ across communities to foster understanding and peacemaking. That sounds amazing! In the meantime, if you are looking for some books on these issues, here are a few suggestions:
Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehsi Coates
We Were Eight Years in Power by Ta-Nehsi Coates
The Fifth Risk by Michael Lewis
The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas are Setting Up a Generation for Failure by Jonathan Haidt
Janesville: An American Story by Amy Goldstein
White Fragility: Why Its So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo
Caste: The Origins of our Discontent by Isabel Wilkerson
Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in American by Ibram X. Kendi
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