Enough. Over the weekend I decided that I had had enough. Enough of my complaining about Donald Trump. Enough of my whining about Hillary Clinton. Enough of my saying that if Elizabeth Warren were running, I would sprint to the voting booth. Enough.
I said to myself, “Self, either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton is going to be the next president of the United States. Period. So, what is your preference?”
Need I ask.
And so I went out and got a “Hillary for President” bumper sticker and put it on my car. Done. I realized that I no longer had the luxury of whining about the state of the political landscape this year. What we have is what we have. And it is way past time to take “what we have” very, very seriously.
The time has come for each of us to figure out what we CAN do. Can we actively join the Hillary for President effort? Can we financially support, through Emily’s List or another route, Democratic candidates for Congress particularly in swing or contested states? Can we make phone calls to all the people we know urging them to vote no matter how they are feeling about the whole thing? If we were a Bernie supporter, can we contact others we know who also were and talk to them about the importance of ensuring that Trump not become our next president because some of us refuse to climb down from our principles? For those of you who know me, you know I am all for principles. In this case I think our principles should be standing up for the rights and treatment of women, for the rights and treatment of immigrants, for the rights and treatment of people of color, for the rights and treatment of those in the LBGT community, and you can add your own. Our principles also include voting for someone who is more likely to take responsible action, like negotiation, restraint, and diplomacy in a world where violence clearly will invite even more violence.
I “got” my Sign of Enough moment this weekend. What will be your sign that things have gone far enough now and you must step up and take some specific even if small action in the world? It is time.
