Nov 4 2018
There’s a tension in the air here in America, and for good reason. Citizens are waiting to see what their fellow Americans will decide is the future of their country, and who gets to lead them into that future.
It’s had me thinking, studying, and distilling even more about the state of US politics and democracy. And I’ve learned more about myself, and my own voice, along the way.
As The World Turns
Fear vs hope
American politics are a complex, and often exhausting, game. Years of negative advertising, tribalism, and win-at-all-cost tactics are alive and well, and have been taken to new levels. Traditional Republicans want to run on strong economic indicators, but because the bases of both parties respond to narrower, less-inclusive issues, something as broad and “boring” as the economy can’t whip up voting fervor.
And so, each political party is (re)turning to the playbook it has found to work best. For the Republicans, this has meant amplifying the fear around illegal immigration at the Southern border. For the Democrats, this translates to Hollywood celebrities endorsing candidates, and hosting a 2-hour online telethon on Monday Nov 5. It has also seen President Obama reprising his hope and change message in the final stretch of campaign rallies.
Does it really boil down to this, a choice between fear and hope? If so, which road better reflects the content and character of America? There’s ample evidence on both sides e.g. the military industrial complex of fear versus the diplomacy of hope, the hate crimes born of fear versus the refugee aid born of hope, the fever-pitch shouting matches of fear versus the quieter-but-lasting peacemaking efforts of hope.
The peacemaker in me knows which path I’d choose. Let’s see what America decides.
Om Is Where The Heart Is
10 years on, ever strong
I woke up this morning with a niggling sense that Nov 4 was a significant date. It bugged me all day, until…I saw this tweet from presidential historian Michael Beschloss:
Barack Obama was elected President ten years ago today: pic.twitter.com/YBd0pvfzij
— Michael Beschloss (@BeschlossDC) November 4, 2018
Yes, of course. And thank goodness for historians who rid us of our niggling senses. 🙂
I had only been in America for a few months at that time. I was busy settling in, figuring out a thousand different things, and adjusting to a thousand more. Politics and elections were the furthest thing from my mind. So I watched the election news coverage with a heightened sense of curiosity, and not much more. I didn’t know how historic it was, what it symbolized for the African-American community, and why it would trigger such anger and backlash from President Obama’s political and ideological opponents.
10 years on, I understand the majesty of the moment so much more. No wonder I wanted to remember Nov 4, so that I might look back on it, in appreciation for what I’ve learned about America since then – the good, the bad and the ugly. Despite these troubling and ever-more tribal times, may the desire to build a more perfect union be ever strong in the souls of Americans far and wide.
News and Views
What are you doing #afteryouvote ?
Last week, I asked what you’re doing to exercise your citizenship.
As the Nov 6 midterm elections are top of mind for Americans, voting is clearly one important and powerful act of citizenship. No matter the color of your skin, your station in life, or the God you worship, your vote counts as much as the next person’s.
But citizenship doesn’t start and end at the ballot box. And, when I first started paying attention to US politics, one thing that puzzled and frustrated me was low voter turnout. Where I grew up in Asia, the phrase “your vote is secret, voting is compulsory” would blare from our TV set each voting season. It’s taken me a while to wrap my head around all the reasons why so many Americans don’t vote. (Spoiler alert: it’s not typically because nonvoters are lazy or irresponsible. The landscape is much more nuanced and complex than that.)
So, when I think about what it means to be and take action as an American citizen, I now see it more holistically. I understand how civic duty shows up in many ways. And I feel more certain about my own role in guiding that sense of citizenship. Civic-mindedness is in my blood – it’s a central principle of my leadership style, and I wouldn’t live my life any other way.
This November, I’m sharing what I’ve learned about cultivating and sustaining that sense of civic duty, far beyond one election. I’ve designed a workshop experience that invites you to explore that civic-mindedness from a deeper part of yourself, that stillness within you that wants to do more and be more for your fellow (wo)man.
If you’ve already signed up for an upcoming “How to Find – and Use – Your Voice to Do More Good” workshop – welcome! If not, I invite you to click on the link below for more information and workshop dates.
Click here to sign up for the workshop(s), and step into your next act of citizenship.
In the next issue:
Some post-election reflections, and perhaps a book review or two. Stay tuned!
Till then…
Live well and lead large – Maya
(featured image of a 2008 Barack Obama rally from Michael Beschloss’ Twitter feed)