Welcome back! I hope you missed us this summer. We missed you and hope you had a chance to rest and regroup, because now it’s time to gear up for another election—a very consequential election.
Don’t we always say that? Probably because it’s true. If you have been following the news as avidly as I have, you know that our Union is on shaky ground. The people we elect to office this November will have the power to further destabilize us or steer us on a path to greater stability.
I always believed that a sense of fair play, adherence to the rule of law, and the belief in our democracy were woven into the very fabric of our collective American identity. Today I’m not so sure that all Americans share these values, because they seem to mean something different to each of us. For example, the word freedom is tossed about by everyone, and most of us used to believe that it meant our freedom to exercise our human rights, civil rights, and civil liberties as enshrined in our Constitution. However, to some freedom increasingly means the free exercise of their will regardless of the consequences or infringement on others’ rights and freedoms. By the same token, many are increasingly seeing others as infringing on their own freedoms—and thus seeing themselves as victims of this intrusive exercise of “freedom.” “Why,” they wonder, “should I have to curtail my freedoms for yours?” It makes me think that we are suffering from a case of cognitive dissonance—the state of having inconsistent thoughts, beliefs, or attitudes, especially as relating to behavioral decisions and attitude change.
When our freedoms and beliefs are in direct conflict, where do we draw the line? Imposing your will through physical intimidation or the use of force, through setting your own religious beliefs above others’ (often in the name of religious freedom), or through misinformation as opposed to fact—to the detriment of other persons’ rights and freedoms—does not result in a society that protects freedom for all. In fact, that is the definition of suppression, not democracy.
Yet this is the world, the America, in which we seem to be living, one in which a few are fighting our federalist government while, ostensibly, demanding strict adherence to the Constitution that established it. Head scratching is in order. Of course, head scratching is not a sufficient response.
The League today is called upon to exemplify (indeed, personify) our mission to create a more perfect democracy through voter education and outreach. During the months of September, October, and November—and well beyond the November 8 General Election—we must redouble our efforts to register voters, educate the public about their rights and obligations as voters, and get out the vote for each and every election. We play a vital and ever more consequential role as nonpartisan activists, advancing the rights of all citizens to vote in free and fair elections. In the words of Carrie Chapman Catt, “We do not fear issues, and we do not fear the future.” We need your help with Candidate Forums (contact Katherine Gavzy at forums [at] lwv-pa.org), Pros & Cons presentations (Robbie Davis at robbiedav [at] aol.com), and more. Go to our website, complete our Volunteer Contact Form, and volunteer today to help turn the tide!
Onward,
—Martha Y. Zavala
