Every one of us
Has a sister, a brother, an aunt, a Mother, a Granddad, an oldest friend, a neighbor, a cousin, a long-time co-worker. SOMEONE.
Someone who is part of that 1/3rd of the American Electorate who sits out Election Day.
We all know at least one person like that in our own sphere of influence.
Someone who has always been convinced that their vote wouldn’t matter, so it’s not worth wasting the time and energy it takes to be an informed voter.
Someone who just doesn’t follow politics and doesn’t want to follow it, because to them it seems like all it is are a bunch of corrupt people who lie to everyone about everything.
Someone who offers up overly detailed reasons why they didn’t vote last election and probably won’t get it done this time, either.
Someone who was a Trump voter in 2016.
These are all arch-types but I know a few people like at least two of these types, and one lives next door to me and was married to my late ex-husband.
This weekend is my D-Day
It’s Get it DONE Day. Walk down the private road to the next house over; across what used to be my second lot and pasture, and today is the site of a house four times the size of mine and not at all what I imagined they would build when I sold them that lot. Ugh, but the silver lining of having to look at that house (who would choose babyshit-yellow for exterior house paint, on a brand new house?) is that I now have no mortgage or debt.
When Obama was still in Office, during the Obergefell v. Hodges case, she once told me (paraphrasing, it’s been five years now):
MSNBC tv is on in my living room, they are covering the Supreme Court and the Marriage Equality case is under consideration.
“I don’t understand why we need a law. Those people can get married today, anywhere in the country,” she said, hands on hips and jaw jutting just a bit the way Rush Limbaugh does when he’s making a point he thinks need more hyperbole.
My brain goes “warning Will Robinson”, in that 1960s robot voice, as I consider what, if anything, I should respond with to this statement. But I throw caution to the wind, and say, “Uh, okay, but tell me how that works.”
She says, in a very sincere tone which seldom has been heard from her over the past 25 years, “A gay man and a gay woman can marry each other. Done!”
Not sure that she wasn’t just having me on, you know, messing with me because she’s conservative and I’m a “far left liberal”, I say, only half in jest, “C’mon, you’re kidding right? That’s not an answer.”
She says, “I am serious. Marriage is only for one man and one woman, so that’s how they’d have to do it.”
That conversation didn’t last much after that, but it opened my eyes and ears to the reality that some of my fellow Americans were now willing to completely suspend their disbelief when it came to the bullshit coming out of the Republican Party and it’s members.
Seriously. Read that again. How the fuck could anyone with two working brain cells offer that up as a solution to LGBTQ people wanting official government recognition of their life-partnership(s)?
So I’m facing a tough conversation. Because in less than five days I’m gonna be trying to convince HER that this time around, she has to vote for the Democratic candidate, Joe Biden.
But I’m going to do it. Even if it ends the somewhat delightful truce which has been called since shortly after the Ex passed away in early July 2018. After nearly 30 years she and I get along, although that mostly consists of very short conversations about the grandkids (one lives at my house, one lives at her’s most of the time). Still, no snarky or dirty looks from her car as she creeps down the private road to her house. It’s been rather nice, to be honest.
But I have to do it. This year, I can’t just say, “I know what will happen, she’ll get pissed and say I have that Trump Derangement Syndrome (because I know she watches Fox, where do you think she heard that idiot solution to Gay Marriage?) and refuse to have a conversation with me,” and just pack it in and try with someone else.
I can’t. Because she the last one on my list. I’ve spoken to cousins who haven’t heard from me in decades this year, mostly via private message on Facebook. Most of them are former Trump voters who are discouraged and afraid of someone in the family locally dying from COVID19 (my mom had 9 brothers and sisters and only one of them had a single child. Some had six.) But a couple of them weren’t willing to discuss it at all. About half of them will be Biden voters though, even if it’s “just because he’s not evil” in relation to Trump, who is.
So my plan is suck it up and walk over and just ask her how she feels about Trump lately and go from there. Hopefully I can bring up the kids all having to home-schooled since early this spring and for what looks like another year, I know that’s been tough on her. Common-bonds are always the best way to start a tough subject.
Wish me luck — and ALL OF YOU?
Do the same. Knuckle down and get in touch with the someone you know who just doesn’t care and never votes and bring a tablet so you can help them Get Registered while you talk (under 5 mins online in most states now, with a State issued photo ID). Talk about the State of the Nation and how it’s impacted your family and theirs, too. Talk about the crazy in the country and how we need someone less crazy running the show, someone a whole lot of long time Republicans are urging everyone to vote for (the @RVAT2020 videos can be very persuasive, they are all Republican voters whom Trump is forcing to vote for Joe Biden in 2020):
Like these people:
Doug, 64 ”Here Is How You Should Think About This Election”
Hyla, 70, Nevada. Registered Republican since 1971, always voted GOP for POTUS. ”The President Is Incompetent”
Make a Plan
Just like Barack Obama has said about voting in 2020, this year, no matter how you will be voting, make a plan!
Like Michelle Obama has said, “Make a Plan to Vote” and cast it for Joe Biden & Kamala Harris
KEEP IN MIND THESE WORDS if the someone in your life says,”My vote doesn’t matter.”
IN CLOSING
Just your friends and family, that’s all I ask. Text or call them. Ask the question: “Are you voting this year?” Make the effort because that 1/3 of all of the eligible voters who never casts a ballot?
WE NEED THEM TO VOTE IN 2020
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