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Michael Steele's avatar

“Losing the hope that things can get better, and that desire to push to make them so, isn’t clever or wise. It’s just self-destructive.”

Amen.

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Virginia McLaren's avatar

Wonderful piece today.

I moved to Georgia in 2005 and, when Obama was the Dems nominee for President, I volunteered to work on getting out the vote. It was fun. One day, my husband hurt himself badly enough working on our house to require a trip to the ER. I waited in the waiting room and struck up a conversation with a Black family. One of the young women suddenly asked me who I was voting for. I put on my get out the vote hat and said “Obama”. I asked who she was voting for. She said she never voted because they’d never let Black people vote here. I said that I was working for the campaign and would help all of them register to vote, find their polling place and get them there on election day. They all just laughed. You’re not used to the South yet. You’ll learn, she said. I gave her my name and phone number and asked all of them to reconsider. Never heard from any of them. Obama lost Georgia. I hope they all voted the next time around.

Years later when I was volunteering at the UGA Botanical Garden two women one Black, one white, came into the shop and started talking about the upcoming election. The Black lady said she’d gone to her polling place in Oconee County and was told that she could no longer vote because, at 90 your voting privileges expired. It wasn’t my conversation so I just observed but, here’s the wonderful part, the White lady was outraged. She said voting is a right that never expires. They left to go up to that polling place to “fix that” said the white woman.

I’ve been depressed since Hillary won the popular vote but not the electoral college and Donald Trump became president. He’s such a perfect example of true evil. That a convicted felon could actually be running to be president simply to stay out of jail blows my mind. And that it is a close election is kind of unbelievable.

I did watch just about all of the DNC convention. It was so inspiring and hopeful. Watching Gus Walz exuberantly yell “that’s my Dad” tears streaming down his face brought me to tears. And, when, Michelle Obama said “hope is making a comeback”, I was already feeling it. Will Kamala win? Will the joy last? I guess that’s up to how many people get up and out and get it done. I hope so for all of us who love this country and want better for everyone.

But for right now, I’ll take joy and enjoy it!

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