Dear Voter, we are so much better than this

As this election nears its inevitable but entirely not-too-soon end, it’s important to note how nasty it has grown to be.

Really, I just want to remind you — and perhaps implore upon you — the truth that we are so much better than this. We are more humble and yearn for deeper fellowship with others than this ugly political climate would suggest. If you’re turned off by what you’ve seen over the past year, vote.

When there is a nominee for president of a major political party who builds his political career on mocking differently abled journalists and attacking women and others for their appearances, it’s easy to lose hope in the political system entirely.

In the midst of arguing over how many years that same nominee has not paid taxes or how much money his businesses illegally spent in Cuba, what seems to have fallen out of fashion is the crucial notion that at the end of the day, we’re all in this together.

You deserve better than that, and your vote is the best way to demand a higher standard from your political leaders.

I’m not saying America is a perfect country, and statistics would prove me wrong if I were.

Whether we’re talking about the 28 people executed in 2015, the nearly $1 billion in outside money spent on the presidential election, or the unprecedented warming of our planet, it can feel daunting to think of all the challenges impacting the future of our communities and our country. Yet, still, the sum of all the challenges we face is not as great as the durability and humility of communities like yours and mine. We have a lot of work to do, and we can only do it together. That is why, in the face of such ugliness and division, it’s important to vote.

In 1960, my grandmother was volunteering to elect a young senator and war hero from Massachusetts as the 35th President, yet she did so five years before the equal right to vote was given to African Americans like her.

Somehow, when this country told her she was not worthy of a vote, she still believed in it enough to participate in its political process. In the heat of 1968, and still living in the midst of unyielding racism and oppression, she again volunteered for the presidential campaign of an anti-war and pro-civil rights candidate whose campaign would eventually be cut short in tragedy.

It says something about the greatness of America that people who were oppressed by it wanted to stay and make it better and more welcoming for all. Too many people have given their lives and livelihood in pursuit of making this country more perfect for us to now throw that away by not voting, or by voting for candidates like Donald Trump who so fundamentally threaten the legacy of those who came before us.

Despite what Donald Trump’s campaign may have you believe, America is already great, but that is not happenstance.

The continuous work of making America great, and of protecting and empowering communities like ours, is amplified by voting. Voting is the most significant chance we have to hold our political leaders accountable, and it is our most powerful tool in building a stronger, more open-minded country.

It’s true that the final decision of whether to vote and who to vote for is a private one. None of us can force you to vote. Yet, that private decision impacts all of us. This election, vote like your life and community depend on it. As it turns out, they do.

Sincerely,

Joseph