US Voters & Residents Have the Power to Mold the Future & Create Justice

I have started settling back down to Earth, having returned from a trip to California for a combo vacation and business trip of MIchi's. We went to Worldcon 76, where Michi and the rest of the Uncanny Magazine crew won and received their third Hugo Award.

Since returning, however, I haven't had much patience for the usual politics and social philosophy stuff that I would normally post here and on social media. Trying to get more into that stuff by trying to catch up with podcasts hasn't had a ton of success, either. Maybe my busyness with catching up on stuff neglected while on vacation has a bit to do with it. Overall, though, I've come to enjoy this momentary peace that has come with getting out of my normal milieu and relaxing a little. Even in war, soldiers need to get away for some R&R, so do aspiring activists.

In the time, since I've come back, a couple interesting points have come to my attention:

• Gun owners are more politically active, study finds - Phys.org
  
  
• Per some point in the NPR Politics Podcast last Thursday, the Left in the US still doesn't appreciate the importance of the courts. For the sake of the US, the courts legalized women's reproductive rights, same-sex marriage, desegregation, and other social human progress that has been made in the United States, THE COURTS SUPER IMPORTANT!!!
  
  

We need to stop letting the legacy of Paul Manafort's lobby institutions dissuade us from voting. Manafort & the GOP, by causing disaffection through funding dictators for decades and advising political candidates from both of the big parties then lobbying them once they get into office, have done so much to

• Ssuppress turnout
  
  
• Suppress activism
  
  
• Suppress institutions that care about the country and the ground levels and underground levels of people that make up the United States (or feel disenfranchised by the United States)

Us on the ground and even under the ground have voices and the ability to affect change, from the local to the state to the national to even the international. Maybe we don't get involved in the nitty gritty wonky everyday governance & legislation, but we get to choose who enter elected positions, and we can bother those people to influence them. We can even create our own interest groups and donate to such groups and candidates. Whether through activity or disaffection, we have put our elected officials into office. We have the power to keep them in there or kick them out.

We also need better politicians and candidates with vision and plans to make things reality. We need to fight the hate and the suppression through disaffection, which is even worse because it manipulates our minds. We also need to overturn the "legal" voter suppression, too. We have the power, now we need to work to use it.

Start by learning about the power we have then move forward by supporting our power, like

• The Power to vote
  
  
• The power to donate to campaigns and causes
  
  
• The power to communicate with your elected officials
  
  
• The power of social media
  
  
• The vast power of the courts that we need to value (from the local judges we vote into office to voting for the President and Senators who appoint these important and powerful individuals for a lifetime) -- though our disaffection and of appreciating the courts may have weakened our power here
  
  
• The value of elected officials from the bottom to the top who can determine the laws and regulations that
  
  
  
  • Help save lives
  • Help increase the body count in years to come
    
    
  • Can help enable us get to places we want to reach and help us accomplish the goals we want
    
    
  • Help block us from our goals or block us from the places we want to reach
    
    
  • Help level the playing field
    
    
  • Add bumps and hills to some of our playing fields while adding downhills for other people
    
    
  • Protect the environment and climate, so the Earth doesn't become even more dangrous, inhospitable, and hostile
    
    
  • Aggravate the environment and climate even, causing even more avoidable body count increase

The list goes beyond my conception and beyond the time I have to list. We have the power and ability to make the world better, us people on the ground and even below the ground level. We do it by choosing our elected officials, bothering them, and participating in the political and daily dialogue.

And we need to help the people who should be able to participate but can't because our current elected officials do everything in their power to suppress their vote. Us with power to vote NEED to do what we can to put good elected officials in office, elected officials who will do everything they can to empower the people in their districts as much possible. We need elected officials who will make it easier for unjustly disempowered people to use that power to bring and create justice.

Developing this power requires us who can to use that power. We need to vote, we need to campaign, we need to communicate. Even if you feel disaffected, that your one vote doesn't count: your voting, your campaigning, your communicating ends up bolstering people unjustifiably disenfranchised and all those other votes are the summed up total of many one votes. Our participating, our discussing, our activism, our voting, can fight back disaffection in others and encourage others to get out there to make a difference.

Single votes these days take on even more importance as the margin of winning between the two big parties becomes smaller and smaller. The last Ohio special election came down to about 1,500 votes, about a 1.56% margin. I don't know the turnout vs total voting eligible population, but I'm willing to bet that if more people had come out to vote, they could have turned the tide toward the losing or drastically strengthened the lead for the Republican. After that close election, though, I have to wonder how many people decided not to vote and helped decide the election by not taking action.

Come November 6, your one vote might actually change the course of history. Each of our votes will change the course of history. If we don't vote, we just let the course of history trample us.

So yes, my fellow Citizens and eligible voters of the United States, we have the power to make this country better. If you care about gun control, if you care about who sits in our courts, if you care about justice, if you care about the climate, nature, and the survival of the human race, you need to get out there and:

• Vote
  
  
• Campaign
  
  
• Donate
  
  
• Get yourself educated
  
  
• Listen to the news and commentary (podcasts are a great way to stay apprised while occupied with household chores
  
  
• Read the news
  
  
• Sign petitions
  
  
• Bother your elected officials
  
  
• And so much more! (feel free to add to the list in the comments)

So get your ass out there and participate in the Democracy of the United States. You have the power to help mold the social and political fabric. Don't just toss it aside, especially if you find yourself complaining. You can do it! You can help this country and become a better place. All it takes is participating civically (but not necessarily civilly).
You've got the power! Now go out and use it.

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