the "louds" (the anti-vax, anti-mask, arm our teachers crowd) are the minority BUT they vote....it is time for those whining and wringing their hands about Roe v. Wade, etc. to STFU and ACT!
Showing up matters in just about everything I can think of. (None of the "stamp-your-Mary-Janes immature" business is acceptable. And I LOVE the line.) Go get another damn sword and raise it!
Although national politics left me disillusioned for some time I always kept up on local politics
That’s probably because I knew many people in politics from East Windsor and Enfield
Some were classmates some were teachers and some I knew from work or through my daughters going to school
Some were democrats some were republicans and now there are sons daughters and wives or husbands of schoolmates that are in local politics
It wasn’t uncommon for me to run into many of them at local events like fireman’s carnivals or holiday events or even grocery shopping
After my divorce however I have spent the better part of the last 20 years working 2 or more jobs which curtailed me from having interactions with many in local politics
Only in the last 6 years have I started paying more attention to those in local politics and It was sobering to hear how many of the republicans that I knew talked and acted
There's been a transition for some -- not all, but enough to pay attention to -- that takes them far afield from most of the Republicans I knew growing up. I have always believed there is room for conservative thought -- of course there is, just as there is room for liberal/progressive thought. It's the conservatism not backed by thought that leaves me cold.
I get angry at those people complaining about the Supreme Court but won’t get a out and vote in people who can do something about those reprehensible decisions. Quit your bellyaching!
I work with a woman of color that refuses to vote. She's tired of the lip service pols pay to people of color, and a part of me says I can't blame her. That being said, I'm proud to say that in the 40+ years that I've been allowed to vote (registered on my 18th birthday), and I have NEVER missed an opportunity vote. It could be an election for dog catcher... I'm there. It makes me sad that people have such a lackadaisical attitude about the importance of voting.
I find people who choose to check out on political activism somewhere on the sympathetic-exasperating scale, where that's the whole jam, depending on how they present that *as a personal choice*. And it's not really my business. Maybe.
But it so often doesn't rest at "personal choice" in their public representations. And most of the other ways it's showcased infuriate me.
There's "I'm so smart that I know it's useless" or "can't fool me and involved people are pitiful dupes". Useful how? Can't they feel justified and superior silently?
There's "no one should vote it's pointless"-- again, possibly productive for practitioners who want to feel justified and superior. But how does discouraging democratic participation help to solve the destruction of democracy?*
There's declamatory self-righteousness about checking out-- often greeted with congratulations ugh.
There are demands that no one should talk politics in public-- with "politics" usually defined as "something I don't want to acknowledge or think about."
And there are critiques of institutions on the grounds that they should somehow run smoothly to provide what the critic wants, regardless who wields them. And the critiques of elected officials for not being magic in the face of opposition** or for not being pure one way or other.
All along with a widespread surrender to the framing of politics as board game where wins and losses, not policy, is what Really Matters, and the electorate is implicitly treated as infallible judges of Good/Bad candidates.
* There's also the bad choice of presuming that everyone who criticizes the performance of elected officials is telling people not to vote, which is clearly untrue. Those are in two different dimensions. One does not imply the other. But there are don't-voters around.
** I think that critique of public servants for not making enough effort, for quitting too easily, for not exploring enough possible channels is entirely legit. I think that critique of public servants for not having *succeeded* in achieving results when institutions have been stacked against them is another matter.
When we treat politics as a horse race, yeah, I can see giving up, but we don't often talk about the long game. I think that's what gets Democrats in trouble. The Conservatives have been able to stay on task.
The only sport I've ever cared about is hockey, which is all a marathon of sprints. Each game. The regular season. The playoffs and each game in it. And where the small numbers and the importance of their teamwork means that recruitment and later trades are very consciously a balance between short-run victory and long-run quality and the victories that come from it.
So even people who frame politics as sports are well-advised to keep at it. Play on injuries* if it's an emergency. Keep going as hard as you can until the season's over. That's what the necessary heroes do.
* Bobby Baun famously went back on the ice on his just-broken leg in the sixth game of the 1964 Stanley Cup finals and instrumentally forced a seventh game. I don't actually recommend going that far, though.
the "louds" (the anti-vax, anti-mask, arm our teachers crowd) are the minority BUT they vote....it is time for those whining and wringing their hands about Roe v. Wade, etc. to STFU and ACT!
Give them that: They follow through. So we must as well.
Hell, yes SHOW UP!
Showing up matters in just about everything I can think of. (None of the "stamp-your-Mary-Janes immature" business is acceptable. And I LOVE the line.) Go get another damn sword and raise it!
And I love "go get another damn sword and raise it." I'm stealing it.
hahaha.
fair deal.
Although national politics left me disillusioned for some time I always kept up on local politics
That’s probably because I knew many people in politics from East Windsor and Enfield
Some were classmates some were teachers and some I knew from work or through my daughters going to school
Some were democrats some were republicans and now there are sons daughters and wives or husbands of schoolmates that are in local politics
It wasn’t uncommon for me to run into many of them at local events like fireman’s carnivals or holiday events or even grocery shopping
After my divorce however I have spent the better part of the last 20 years working 2 or more jobs which curtailed me from having interactions with many in local politics
Only in the last 6 years have I started paying more attention to those in local politics and It was sobering to hear how many of the republicans that I knew talked and acted
There's been a transition for some -- not all, but enough to pay attention to -- that takes them far afield from most of the Republicans I knew growing up. I have always believed there is room for conservative thought -- of course there is, just as there is room for liberal/progressive thought. It's the conservatism not backed by thought that leaves me cold.
What I find troubling is the acceptance of the fringe from many on the right
Precisely. What happened to discernment?
Apathy is really very ugly!
Fellow St. Louisan here! The upcoming elections scare the crap out of me. I’m afraid for our country, but no way I won’t vote!
THERE YOU GO!! (Sorry to shout.)
I get angry at those people complaining about the Supreme Court but won’t get a out and vote in people who can do something about those reprehensible decisions. Quit your bellyaching!
I work with a woman of color that refuses to vote. She's tired of the lip service pols pay to people of color, and a part of me says I can't blame her. That being said, I'm proud to say that in the 40+ years that I've been allowed to vote (registered on my 18th birthday), and I have NEVER missed an opportunity vote. It could be an election for dog catcher... I'm there. It makes me sad that people have such a lackadaisical attitude about the importance of voting.
I haven't miss, either, and I registered on my 18th birthday. Federal, municipal, I'm there.
I find people who choose to check out on political activism somewhere on the sympathetic-exasperating scale, where that's the whole jam, depending on how they present that *as a personal choice*. And it's not really my business. Maybe.
But it so often doesn't rest at "personal choice" in their public representations. And most of the other ways it's showcased infuriate me.
There's "I'm so smart that I know it's useless" or "can't fool me and involved people are pitiful dupes". Useful how? Can't they feel justified and superior silently?
There's "no one should vote it's pointless"-- again, possibly productive for practitioners who want to feel justified and superior. But how does discouraging democratic participation help to solve the destruction of democracy?*
There's declamatory self-righteousness about checking out-- often greeted with congratulations ugh.
There are demands that no one should talk politics in public-- with "politics" usually defined as "something I don't want to acknowledge or think about."
And there are critiques of institutions on the grounds that they should somehow run smoothly to provide what the critic wants, regardless who wields them. And the critiques of elected officials for not being magic in the face of opposition** or for not being pure one way or other.
All along with a widespread surrender to the framing of politics as board game where wins and losses, not policy, is what Really Matters, and the electorate is implicitly treated as infallible judges of Good/Bad candidates.
* There's also the bad choice of presuming that everyone who criticizes the performance of elected officials is telling people not to vote, which is clearly untrue. Those are in two different dimensions. One does not imply the other. But there are don't-voters around.
** I think that critique of public servants for not making enough effort, for quitting too easily, for not exploring enough possible channels is entirely legit. I think that critique of public servants for not having *succeeded* in achieving results when institutions have been stacked against them is another matter.
When we treat politics as a horse race, yeah, I can see giving up, but we don't often talk about the long game. I think that's what gets Democrats in trouble. The Conservatives have been able to stay on task.
The only sport I've ever cared about is hockey, which is all a marathon of sprints. Each game. The regular season. The playoffs and each game in it. And where the small numbers and the importance of their teamwork means that recruitment and later trades are very consciously a balance between short-run victory and long-run quality and the victories that come from it.
So even people who frame politics as sports are well-advised to keep at it. Play on injuries* if it's an emergency. Keep going as hard as you can until the season's over. That's what the necessary heroes do.
* Bobby Baun famously went back on the ice on his just-broken leg in the sixth game of the 1964 Stanley Cup finals and instrumentally forced a seventh game. I don't actually recommend going that far, though.
Wow. That's pretty hard-core but you're right: We have to stay on this, and take short breaks if necessary, but mostly stay on this.