Photo Credit: Lynsey Weatherspoon for The New York Times
In movies, right before they have the big battle going into the third act, there’s a huge speech. Braveheart had one. Independence Day had one. I wouldn’t say that this post is a campfire installation of enthusiasm. This year has been trying and that may even be an understatement. It’s been hard on all of us. Many have lost someone. Most of us are still mourning the pre-pandemic skin that we are shedding. Add tomorrow into the mix. I wouldn’t lie to you if it doesn’t feel like the powder keg that is the year 2020 is set to bust tomorrow.
I remember the election night of 2016 and I had gone to the barbershop for a haircut right before I went to the polls. CNN’s ticket was up and somebody said, “you know, he might actually have a shot at winning this.” I tried to shrug this off. How could a man who called Mexican people rapists and caught on camera saying you can grab women by their genitalia win the highest position in the United States? Living in New Jersey, you know of Atlantic City and the bankruptcies. Or his comments on the Central Park Five. We knew who this man was. He had never even held public office before - and yet…you know what happened.
The next day, it was cloudy and rainy. I walked into work the next day and it was dead silent. There were even some tears as Hillary Clinton conceded on the big TV screen in the kitchen. I’m not saying there was a synchronicity to all this - looking at the forecast tomorrow, it will be sunny in the northeast.
As I type this on November 2nd, 2020, can you honestly look around you and say things are better than we were four years ago? Due to the pandemic response, the virus is worse than never as we near 100,000 cases a day. We are more polarized. Many people have lost jobs and face poverty with no stimulus coming with the holidays coming up. Our president can’t even unfathomably condemn white supremacists and his administration is working overtime to undercut the election process. Just a plethora of issues that we have gone over before.
Now I know, some people have stated that they are unenthusiastic about the candidates which have echoes of 2016. However, isn’t that what got us here? Lethargy? I know that our electorate process as a whole needs an overhaul. But you have to take a step in that direction first. Movements don’t implement themselves overnight. I’m afraid as Americans, we’ve fallen in love with getting everything at an instant. Do you need food? There’s an app for that. Television show? One search and you can pull up everything.
Uprooting a rotten system that doesn’t benefit the mass populace takes time - and we’re going to have to roll up our sleeves for the long haul. Yes, Biden may not be the best candidate., but he’s a starting point. We’ll have our first woman vice president who is also a woman of color which frankly was long overdue. Long-lasting change happens at an incremental pace, but you have to take the first step. Remember the travel ban that threw airports into chaos and all the lawyers that went there to work on people’s cases pro-bono to help them? Movements start with everyday people like you and me.
Biden’s Lift Every Voice plan for Black Americans? 43 Pages.
Trump’s Platinum Plan sounds like a credit card with 300% ARP? Barely two pages. He’s more concerned with getting support from rappers to make it appear substantial.
Biden has a plan to strengthen health care. We’re still waiting for Trump’s, however, he is fighting in court to strike down the current law that would take it away for 20 million Americans. Given the status of COVID-19 and what we know about potential long-term afflictions, there will be people with more pre-existing conditions than ever. These are just a couple of examples, but the contrast is stark. You watched the debates just like I did.
Biden even stated in a town hall that he is running to hand the power over to younger generations. That’s the way it should be. Issues such as abortion rights and climate change shouldn’t be left in the hands of one generation of people who may not see the long-term effects of choices.
The fact that 94 million Americans have cast a vote already is encouraging. The long lines and litigation that is trying to invalidate mail-in-ballots aren’t. We should not support an administration who is game for rigging things in their favor. For those who haven’t voted yet - understand that your potential vote is bigger than you. I know, America values individualism so much, but if COVID-19 has taught is anything, it’s the value of community.
If you have texted your minority friends that you’d be there for them and you will try to do better concerning privilege. If you were out in the streets in the summer holding signs with slogans, sharing black squares, and social media posts claiming that you’re an ally - don’t sit on the sidelines. If you care about the condition of the planet and the right of LGBTQ people to love whom they want to love freely - make that choice to exercise your right to vote.
In the event Biden wins, the key is to stay engaged in the process and not take it for granted. The job isn’t finished, and quite frankly, it may never be in our lifetimes. However, things can be better. Things will get better. They can also get worse if we don’t fight back. Even in the fight, allow yourself some grace. Take a breath. Speak to somebody you love.
Thanksgiving is a short time away, and we don’t know if we can safely spend time with our families during the holidays. Much of the country sits in nervousness about the results and the response if a certain one isn’t obtained. Ask yourself this honest question. Do you want four more years of this? Can your emotional state endure four more years of this? We’ll all gone through a lot in four years. Hell, just this year. It’s time for us to start the healing.
I’ll leave this with some lyrics from Lauryn Hill that have been echoing in my head for the past couple of weeks:
“Everything is everything. What is meant to be will be. After winter, must come spring. Change, it comes eventually.”