Whether you voted or not, here’s what you can do next

Published November 19, 2022, Herald Forum

With Halloween and the elections behind us, it is easy to think of the political cauldron of division, boil boil, toil and trouble. Now with Thanksgiving on the horizon, I would like to strive for a cornucopia of communication, curiosity and compassion when it comes to political areas and civic engagement. Throw in some conscience, competence and common good and I think we have an alliterative political Shangri-La.

I have been proud to walk a nonpartisan line these past years. Mostly as a requirement for my work. Now, it is a choice. A choice to fully inform myself and not come from a place of immediate judgment. I work to seek understanding and ask questions.

One of the favorite tips I received long ago was to listen as if someone I disagreed with was right and I was wrong. Oh my. This does not mean that I change my mind. It often means I gain understanding and get to entertain grace and the embracing of common humanity now and then.

This article was written before the election results with a full belief that the results will be an accurate representation of those who voted. In the same way that those elected represent those in their districts. So often these days, it feels as if those simple foundations of our government structure are questioned and that individuals elected often act just like that: individuals.

I always wished I had been a better student of history. It felt about as relevant as the Pythagorean theorem when I was in school. Note that I have no desire to embrace anything having to do with the hypotenuse of a triangle these days, but history, that is another story. I know that over time, the balance between left and right has been a pendulum.

This awareness came to me years ago when reading Richard Rohr’s “A Lever and A Place to Stand.” He spoke of a primary task of life or what he called building the container and the second task of filling the container. Each of those tasks depend on a healthy interdependence to optimally exist. He then tied it to the balances and imbalances of right and left.

The political pendulum swings back and forth between two poles, right and left. One emphasizes continuity and authority of a culture (conservative) and the other holds up change and reform in that culture (progressive). To build the container takes order, clarity and a solid plan. That is considered more a strength on the conservative or right side. If that pendulum stays to the right too long, I see history step in and notice that the law and order and rules are too much and a reaction takes place coming from the other end of the pendulum.

When it comes to filling the container, we examine where the systems are and are not serving us. When there is a question on how to serve the people, this tends to be more a progressive or left stance. When some have all the power, those who don’t have power ask very different questions, and the pendulum eventually swings back again. This seems to be the history of our country, of revolutions as well as judgment, misrepresentation and disunity.

It is interesting that two different powers went to French history to gain association for right and left. In the summer of 1789, a mob stormed the Bastille. They had concerns over how much power the king should have. Then we come to where the varied individuals seated themselves. Those who thought the king should have absolute power sat on the right. There were nobility and clergy. On the left? Those who wanted more change, and wanted their voices to be heard: the poor, laborers and the president of the assembly. Without some form of “right,” there was lack of status quo, stability and continuity. Without the presence of the “left,” there was little voice for justice, ideologies and reform.

The pendulum has always swung. Yet, we act surprised. Like we are unusual and that there has never been such polarity and disagreement around political views. I recently read a fiction book set in the early 1970s and had to stop and give myself a history lesson as it sounded as if they were talking about our current political divide. I do know that we have never had access to so much information at our fingertips. I also know that few of us know how to judge accurate reporting as opposed to inflated and biased information. That is true for the majority of us, no matter your political affiliation.

I spoke with my friend and colleague Erika Olson of Perc Marketing and asked her how to relate to this divide and apathy. (A little about Erika: Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Erika is a versatile communications partner for startups, small businesses, and nonprofits. She serves as a Citizen University Civic Fellow, City of Bothell Library Advisory Board member, Lake Forest Park Farmers Market volunteer, and Mount Rainier National Park volunteer.)

She gave me some ideas about how we can plug in and here are her thoughts:

It’s easy to see why people choose to give up and just opt out.

Every week, every day, every hour we hear about horrible things happening in the world. Climate change. Extreme flooding in Pakistan. Wildfires and historic drought in California. We hear about corruption. A Halloween disaster in South Korea. A sheriff’s department. A federal judge. We hear about terrible violence and poverty and undrinkable water and so much more.

It’s overwhelming.

Despite it all, I choose to remember that we created these problems. And we can change things, if we decide to. We can be honest about how we got here, face the reality of what we are up against, and get to work. That means putting our values into action, recognizing and leveraging our power and encouraging others to join us.

It’s living like a citizen, and we all have a role to play. In fact, we won’t get very far if we keep focusing just on our individual rights and ignoring our collective responsibilities. This system is for the people, of the people, and by the people. And we’re the people, folks.

If you’re brand new to this kind of thinking, start by making sure you’re registered to vote. Find and follow your elected representatives. Pay attention to what they talk about and actively support (or don’t).

Ready for more? Try joining (or at least following) a group that’s doing work that interests you; think League of Education Voters, or Washington Wild, or Habitat for Humanity. Do something tangible, like donating blood or cleaning up a local park. Tune in to what’s happening in your local area. Go to a city council meeting; many have online options! Join a Snohomish County Citizen Advisory Committee. Get to know your neighbors in a way that’s not political. Check out Sno-Isle Libraries’ book clubs. Join a hiking group.

The best way to get started is to get started. One thing will lead to another, believe me.

Thanks Erika! If you are unhappy with election results, follow some of these suggestions. Just like backseat drivers and armchair quarterbacks inability to truly have impact, affecting change requires more direct action. If you are happy with election results, do the same thing. Take a chance to be curious. Assume someone else may be right. I know I cannot fix the country, or county or city. I know that I can take individual action that can ripple out and possibly have an impact on all of those.