Election Day is tomorrow. Finally, and thank god, we have come to the end.
Except, of course, it’s also just the beginning – because whichever way this election goes I think we can all agree that regaining faith in our democracy is going to be a long process for a lot of people. And for all the bigotry and ignorance and intolerance that Donald Trump has brought onto the national stage, he has also thrown in our faces a fact that many of us may not have fully understood until now: there are a hell of a lot of angry people out there. A hell of a lot of people who feel like they are not being heard.
What this means is that no matter what happens at the polls tomorrow, there is work to be done. And the first step is acknowledging those who feel that they have been silenced, whether by misogyny, by racism, by the media, or by a political system that sidesteps their needs…and making sure that they have a voice.
But that comes later. Right now, let’s talk about tomorrow. I’m sure you’re as nauseated and exhausted – and, frankly, horrified – as I am by the complete and utter sideshow that this election season has been. At this point, just hearing the words “email server” makes me want to take a nap. And so when I see my Facebook feed filling up with status updates from friends saying that they’re so disgusted with how the season has played out that they’ve decided not to vote at all, or to do a write-in vote (John McCain, Michelle Obama, Paul Ryan, Elmer Fudd) I understand this feeling.
We’re over it. These past few months have been a national disgrace, and who wants to participate in a national disgrace?
Except non-participation isn’t an option. Not now.
Please, if there is one thing that you do tomorrow: vote. Offer your neighbor a ride to the polls if you can. Bring a friend with you if you can. Bring your whole family and your whole office with you if you can. And then be proud of yourself for having made a difference, because when you stand in that booth on Tuesday that is exactly what you will be doing. This is not a time to throw up our hands in frustration; it’s a time to remind ourselves that America is great – and that we have a say in whether reason and humanity triumph over ignorance and hate.
I know you’re tired of reading about the election, and I promise that Ramshackle Glam will return to its regular nonpartisan content schedule soon (OTK boots! parenting disasters! anxiety, wheeeeee!), but while I have you here and am busy telling you to vote, I also have to say this: a write-in vote, a vote for a third-party candidate, or no vote at all is a vote for Donald Trump. Even if you take personal issue with Hillary – even if you disagree with her so strongly on one point or another that you would never, ever choose to elect her President – now is the time to look at the bigger picture. The misogyny, racism, xenophobia and bigotry upon which Donald Trump has built his campaign are living, breathing forces in our society, and they feed on our silence. It’s time to wake up and start yelling.
So I’m going to take back what I said up there: it’s not just about showing up and voting. At this point, showing up should be a given. So when you do show up tomorrow, show up knowing that this is our chance to make history; to say that the hatred, the violence, and the intolerance that have been plastered across our front pages these past many months do not represent who we are.
No one said it better than the man himself: be the change you wish to see in the world. So no, don’t just “vote.” Vote with your heart, vote with your conscience, and vote with your reason. Vote like it’s your job.
Because tomorrow? It is.
