Principle #6 – MOVE to Action!
As American citizens, we have many civil freedoms. The United States is a democracy, and we have the right to vote for our government leaders. It’s our civic obligation to vote.
There has been a lot of noise about mail-in ballots being fraudulent. Most state’s Boards of Elections have worked hard to make sure all citizens can safely vote during a pandemic. They are working on ways to avoid voter suppression by offering mail-in ballots, in-person early voting, and in-person voting on election day.
It saddens me to hear about our top government official challenging the mail-in ballot process. This is a huge issue and can lead to voter suppression. No United States government should ever threaten to take away or limit our mail-in ballots during a pandemic. This threatens our democracy as American citizens by suppressing our voting rights. It’s in the constitution, it’s the law! It’s not a partisan thing…it’s an American citizen thing. Every citizen 18 years or older has the right to safely cast a ballot and make their vote count no matter their color, gender, or party affiliation! This subject really gets me going! Chill out, Deb!
“Voting is the most precious right of every citizen, and we have a moral obligation to ensure the integrity of our voting process.” – Hillary Clinton
We still have a pandemic that is not going away. But we don’t have a plan from the federal government of how we are going to get rid of it. There are many conflicting stories from the science, data, and our top Federal leaders. The scientists are working on a vaccine, and we may actually be close to having one approved. But do we have a plan of how everyone will get vaccinated?
Our healthcare is being challenged in the courts. We may lose our healthcare in the middle of a pandemic. And there isn’t yet a plan of what will replace it. Our pre-existing conditions are also at stake. There are millions of people that have pre-existing conditions. And people that have had COVID-19 are now considered as having pre-existing conditions. That’s a lot of people! I can’t even wrap my head around it!
We have climate change that is affecting the whole world. In the United States, there have been hot temperatures and wildfires in the west, hurricanes, flooding, and tornadoes in the south and east. Let’s do our part to save our planet by conserving water, recycling, and walking when we can.
We also have civil injustices that our American family and friends of color have been experiencing their whole life. Injustices of police brutality, education, housing, and unfair wages, just to name a few. Our country must have systemic changes so they can live the American dream. They are Americans too, and it’s their right!
“With effort we can protect the foundation of our democracy, for which so many marched across this bridge, the right to vote.” – Barack Obama
We have many issues on the table. The United States has faced BIG, BIG challenges every 50-60 years since the beginning of the nation. Challenges like World War I, World War II, The Great Depression, the civil unrest of the ‘60s, and the Viet Nam War. We are clearly in the middle of another BIG, BIG challenge right now! But the beautiful thing about our democracy is, we have a special power in deciding the future of our country…and that’s voting. And it’s up to us to choose how we vote and who we vote for. But we have to vote! So, take the time to plan your vote. Things come up, so have a back-up plan. And remember, only vote once!
Our nation is very divided. Now more than ever, our country needs us! Heck, our world needs us! Won’t you join me and cast your ballot? #vote2020
Freedom is possible!
Love,
Deb