#5SmartReads - November 8, 2022

Hitha on what's at stake this election

November 08, 2022

IT’S ELECTION DAY! Have you voted yet? Will you be voting today? Please vote. Please.

“The GOP has become so extremist that a substantial portion of its leaders and more prominent sympathizers make light of or deny political violence committed against Democrats. There is no corresponding such behavior by leading Democrats when Republicans are threatened or attacked—and yes, there have been some horrific instances—because Democrats don’t count violent insurrectionists as a political constituency they dare not alienate.”

I welcome a thoughtful debate on issues with people with different viewpoints. I learn quite a bit from these conversations, and they invite curiosity and a chance to listen. Do either of us change our minds? No. And that is fine.

Sadly, these kinds of people are not reflective of today’s Republican party. The party - which used to stand for minimal government intervention in folks’ lives - is pushing a radical vision under the premise of Christian values that are at odds with most Americans.

And this dangerous platform could very well claim power in this election - and by design, future elections and a Constitution to reflect this radical minority view.

This article is just one example of the danger posed by today’s Republican party. And while I’m firmly against extremism on both sides of the aisle (and recognize that the shooting that injured Representative Scalise was by a far-left extremist), only one side refuses to denounce these attacks when their opponents are the targets.

On a podcast interview I did yesterday, I was asked what gives me hope when it comes to politics.

I answered by sharing my family’s American story (which still brings me to tears when I think or talk about it). I didn’t have enough time to talk about the election of leaders who represent all of this country - especially indigenous leaders, and Representative Mary Peltola in particular.

Representative Peltola’s decision to wear piilugguqs when she was sworn in was a intentional and deeply meaningful one, and her words about these boots and what they mean to her is a beautiful story.

And an American one.

Critical race theory has never been taught in schools - nor will they ever be.The books being banned are incredibly important books for everyone - children and adults - to read.Porn is never shown in schools.Talking about how some people’s gender is different than the one assigned at birth, or that families may not have a father and a mother, is not grooming.

And yet, school board candidates are winning on a platform claiming that these things will be taught in school unless they are elected.

The endgame? The end of public education in this country - which is far from perfect, but is deeply important to society as a whole.

Simplistic messaging, repeated over and over again, will shift perception in even the most independent speakers. Winning a messaging war is easier than winning a policy one, and the conservative media juggernaut amplifies these messages to rally mass support.

This is a long read, but it’s a very important one to read and recap in your own way when you share it with others. And please, please, please study your school board candidates and vote in those elections.

Every election matter. Especially the local ones.

A lot of New Yorkers (especially those that live in the city) shrug off voting, assuming their vote doesn’t matter in what has been a reliably blue state.

And if enough of them sit this election out because of this narrative, we could have an election-denying, abortion-banning governor of this state.

There’s a lot I didn’t know about Governor Kathy Hochul (who is the first woman governor of New York, and is running to be elected to serve a full term). Emily Tisch Sussman’s interview with the governor is wide-ranging, honest, and incredibly inspiring.

New York - your options are an extremist who deny the validity of the 2020 election and wants to interfere in your healthcare choices and someone who wants to do more of this:

“I was able to combine federal and state money to now have a $7 billion investment in childcare. Half of the children in the state of New York are eligible for subsidized child care. That's extraordinary. I raised the income limits. I raised the per child contribution. I funded hundreds and hundreds more—almost 900 new facilities that have now been providing child care because they collapsed during the pandemic.

I’ve traditionally spent Election Night at home, glued to cable news watching the returns.

Tonight? I’m going out to dinner with some girlfriends, and will probably end my evening watching one of my favorite Thanksgiving episodes of an old show, and continue reading Storm’s Echo.

Why? Because we likely won’t know the results - especially in the tightest of races. And I’m choosing gathering and joy instead of stressing over Steve Kornacki’s analysis of returns and recalling all the obscure counties in Georgia, Arizona, and Pennsylvania that gripped our attention just two years ago.

I encourage you to do the same. Protect your peace, watch or read something that makes you happy, and get a good night’s sleep.

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