Did this year’s anniversary of 9/11 feel different to you? It did to me.
I think a big part of that was the reflection that many people had about who we were as a nation in the days following 9/11 — unified (in grief, shock, etc.) — versus who we are today as a nation — bitterly divided, unable to agree even on basic facts, etc.
I saw this everywhere — in articles, opinion pieces, social media posts, and editorial cartoons. We know our enemies strive to divide us and it’s hard to disagree, especially after January 6th, that we aren’t divided today. Perhaps it was foreign enemies who attacked us on 9/11, but it was our fellow Americans who are now regularly assaulting our democracy today.
So it was only natural that a tweet from author and lawyer Teri Kanefield caught my eye yesterday — she was addressing a reader who was concerned about Republican attacks on our democracy and asked, “I honestly can’t take it anymore. When will it end?”
Her answer came in the form of a short YouTube video, which you can watch here:
I encourage you to watch the video (it’s only 11 minutes long) because she puts our form of government in context and explains why the diverse voices in our democracy mean both that power is diffused throughout our society and also that this invites attacks. In other words, there will always be people who want to attack our democracy. Protecting it is lifelong work.
For me, this is why weaving civic engagement into our lives is so important. While some folks have the ability to dedicate their lives to activism, most of us can’t do that. But a little goes a long way. Paying attention to politics matters. Making quick calls to your elected representatives matters. Talking to friends and family about issues and elections matters. These small acts of civic engagement protect democracy.
That continues to be my mission here at Political Charge: To bring you important issues that affect our democracy, and whenever possible, give you ideas of how you can take action, even if it is in small ways.
Thank you all for caring, and for reading this.
California voters: This is your LAST CHANCE to vote NO on your recall ballot and hand it in! Election Day is Tuesday, September 14!
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I listened to Teri’s video too. She gave me the bigger, historical picture about our democracy which I found very helpful. I’ve been phone banking with Sister District for 1.5 years and have phone banked to Vote No On The Recall. Since I retired I’m making up for lost time where I wasn’t as actively engaged in supporting our democracy. I’ve learned so much from you and others.
Thank you.
Thank you so much for the comment, Nora. I’m glad you got something out of Teri’s video— I really found it helpful and wanted to share it.
“why weaving civic engagement into our lives is so important. While some folks have the ability to dedicate their lives to activism, most of us can’t do that. But a little goes a long way. Paying attention to politics matters. Making quick calls to your elected representatives matters. Talking to friends and family about issues and elections matters. These small acts of civic engagement protect democracy.”
Yes. Thanks for the encouragement!
Thank you for reading my post today!