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Politics and Activism

There's More To Political Change Than Just Voting

We've got a long way to go, and casting your vote on Election Day is just one stop on the way.

Maggie Joyce

Oct 23, 2018

Illinois State University

491

There's More To Political Change Than Just Voting

Maggie Joyce

I told myself that I would write on something else this week. Perhaps on a more lighthearted topic, I thought, but my heart is telling me otherwise.

We celebrated a small victory with the guilty verdict of Jason Van Dyke in the fatal shooting of Laquan McDonald. Hours later, we suffered a great loss with the confirmed nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to be the next Supreme Court Justice.

I have to say, I was surprised and delighted by the guilty verdict of Van Dyke. It gave me hope that perhaps this one black man out of so many that get slaughtered daily, did not die in vain. I was not surprised by the Kavanaugh decision.

Despite its unpredictability, it still made my stomach churn.

It made me wonder how long we will continue taking one step forward and ten steps back as a country. It made me overwhelmed, thinking of how much we have yet to fix in this country. It made me sad, knowing I am only one voice that feels so small against the many greedy, sexist, and racist pigs that run our country.

One thing to remember, however, is that although one voice may be small, 125.9 million female voices are not. 37.1 million black voices are not. 52 million Hispanic and Latino voices are not. 313.9 LGBT voices are not.

So, why are we letting such a small number of prejudiced and privileged voices make the decisions for us?

They let us believe that we have no voice. They have tried to make us believe that they have silenced Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, as they have countless other women, women of color, men of color, and LGBT folks. But they haven't.

Being a woman in America right now, as it has been for centuries, is scary. More than that, being a person of color or LGBT is and has been terrifying, more notably recently. We think we have moved forward, but something always seems to slap us right in the face with the reality that we may have moved forward, but we have a long, long journey awaiting us.

How do we shorten that journey? How do we make it more bearable?

The easiest option is, of course, to vote. I'm sure your newsfeeds have been flooded with articles and posts begging you to register, and to get out there and vote.

If only it were that easy.

More than voting, the most important thing you can do with your voice is using it for those who can't. Volunteer at shelters. Advocate for issues that matter to you. Call your local and state representatives. Campaign. Read up on different candidates, and find ways to best support them in the upcoming election. And most important of all – educate yourself. Fact check. Don't believe everything you read on the Internet – especially when reading opinionated pieces, like this one.

Your vote matters. But more than that, you matter. Your power as a United States citizen is vastly understated. It's time that we understand just how powerful we can be when we choose to take action.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.

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