…that it's time to speak.
My voice, though, might encourage another voice to be brave and share what they feel is right for America during this 2020 election.
My voice speaks the following with a deep breath, a little fear, and the desire to share what I have learned and how I have felt this year.
My voice says that I LOVE the Biden/Harris sign in my yard. It was my first step into political bravery and I have been pleasantly surprised at the aftermath.
I have had friends state that my sign gives them courage to also put up a sign. DO IT.
I’ve had strangers yell their encouragement from their cars as they pass by. THANK YOU.
It has sparked pleasant and thoughtful conversations with my children. SO GREAT.
I absolutely out loud cheer when I see a new Biden/Harris sign in my neighborhood. I SEE YOU.
Those who don’t agree have only talked to/complained to/questioned my husband. Honestly - it’s disappointing that my Biden/Harris sign now makes me so scary and unapproachable that you can’t have a conversation with me about my political thoughts/leanings. Is that your loss? Probably.
My voice says and my heart believes that Roe vs. Wade should stay intact and that the rhetoric that spews Pro-Choice = “baby killer” is both completely wrong and lacks fundamental critical thinking. I believe that both lives matter. The life of the baby is not MORE important than the life of the mother. I am not qualified to judge that woman’s life, nor should I dare say what she is capable of, nor should I burden her with my standards/understanding that she might not have. Education is the answer. Love, compassion, empathy, and education.
My voice speaks of integrity, compassion, empathy, character and respect. Leaders, who care about those they are guiding, will use these traits when leading, because they are found deep in their soul and they have taken a lifetime to learn and practice. Of course I’m not expecting perfection, but I do expect simple human kindness. I expect treating humanity humanely. It’s the lowest of expectations in a leader - simple human kindness. Donald Trump is unkind. He lacks integrity. He has shown very little respect to anyone he speaks about. Compassion and empathy are missing from his interviews, speeches, and Twitter comments. He has been spewing hate and divisive words for years. Why is that ok? Why are we accepting constant unkindness? I will not. I can not. Integrity, compassion, empathy, character and respect matter to me and without those I can not trust you.
My voice is angry at the Republican Party for hiding in their love for power and money. From my point of view, the money and power you thrive off of is more important than me. Where are you? Why aren’t you standing up for the people in whom you claim to serve. Where is your voice of human kindness? I have Andy Biggs and his anti-mask campaign trying to convince me that verified science is not important and we can just pick and choose who we expose literal death to. People will die if we don’t show simple kindness and wear a mask. I would love to see my party representatives stand up and truly represent me.
My voice is yelling from the rooftops - WE ARE IN A WORLDWIDE PANDEMIC FOLKS!!! It sucks and it’s really hard for everyone. Even with the hard, we need to stop expecting normalcy - it left us after the first 10,000 people died. Then 50,000 - and now 220,000+ people have died and their families and friends are suffering. We shouldn’t normalize suffering. We have the capability to adjust our lives. We have the strength to endure. We can look hard straight in the eye and say - I’ve got this! We have or should find the “love your neighbor as yourself” commandment and actually use it to love our neighbor. So, love your neighbor and wear your mask.
My voice could speak of so many more societal issues that are causing so much pain to our fellow humans - Black Lives Matter, police brutality, LGBTQ+ inequality, systemic racism, white supremacy.
Why use my voice at all? If my solitary voice won’t really do any good nor will it move mountains or change anyone’s mind - why speak? Why share? Why be brave? For this IS brave.
Because this moment requires me to use my voice to speak for myself. To stand up for what I know and what I have learned and how my thoughts and opinions have morphed and changed as I have listened to the voices of others. I want my position and my opinion to be known.
My voice matters and that is enough for me to find the courage to share. Love is always the answer.
