A couple of days ago I wrote a post about a day in the life of the 99%. I went through a fictitious day laying out what is happening as we go about our day. That was a very general day that many of us most likely don’t get to live, such as being able to eat breakfast, or walk the dog or working just one job.
This was a very middle class type of day. A day in which those of us in the middle class have the time to get involved and take action about things happening around us. Those of us in the middle class have no real excuse for not taking a moment to call our senators to ask for things such as witnesses in a trial. Those of us in the middle class have no excuse for not giving $5-10 dollars to a candidate. Those of us in the middle class have no excuse for not attending a protest, especially when they happen at the end of a work day. We really have no excuses to not be involved.
Most of us are no longer in the middle class as it has shrunk and continues to do so under Republican Presidents, who are doing their best to dismantle the middle class one day at a time.
Those of us not in the middle class have valid excuses to not be involved. Those of us not in the middle class are working multiple jobs trying not to lose our apartments, to make sure our children have food, to pay for the medication our sick children need, or deciding whether to pay the electric or the gas this month because we don’t earn a living wage.
For most of us in the 99%, we feel our voices are not heard because we can’t donate $1,000,000 just because. We feel justice is never served for our young sons. We feel politicians, or even society in general, don’t give us a second thought because they never interact or even try to understand what we are doing to survive.
I understand it isn’t easy to get involved. However, if we want to improve our lot in life, we MUST take action. Health care will never be provided if we don’t get involved. A living wage will never be provided if we don’t get involved. A new school building will not be provided for our children if we don’t get involved. Justice will not truly be possible if we don’t get involved.
How do we get involved when life is throwing curveballs at us non-stop? Here are a couple of examples:
- Complete the census form. Every single American needs to be counted as population affects so many things, such as state SNAP funding, Title I funding for students, and how much representation we get in Congress.
- While riding the bus to work, or during the drive between jobs, or while taking your child to school, call your State Senator, State Representative, US Senator, US Representative, School Board Member, Town Council Member, the Governor, or any other elected official to respectfully tell them how you feel about an issue.
- Make sure you are registered to vote and check often to ensure you are still on the active voter list. If not, make sure you get back on the active list.
- Vote, vote, vote. I can’t say that enough. VOTE! Registering is not enough, you must get to the polls. If there is early voting where you live, take advantage of it since the polls are usually open on Saturday’s during early voting. Vote via mail if needed—you will need to request the ballot be mailed to you, then make sure to MAIL IT BACK.
- If you happen to be off on Election Day, volunteer to drive people to the polls. If not, see if your local party needs help with sending postcards to new voters.
- E-mail or write to your elected officials (same ones as above for the same reasons mentioned above).
- Donate even just $1.00 to a candidate you like. Every little bit helps and that person just might win because of that extra $1.00.
If all of us, no matter how rich, or how poor, get active, even if only to vote, we can change the course our country is on and bring civility and rule of law back.
If we don’t, we continue following the wrong track we are on at a loss to us, and to our children, and to our grandchildren and so on for who knows how many generations.
That is not what I want! Do you?
Personal Reflections of a Middle-Aged Man 