Quandry: Do We Silence Our Voices?

Today I watched the Ezra Klein Show on YouTube. He interviewed Tim Walz. I wish that everyone would watch this show as Tim Walz's insights helped me to understand the appeal of former President Trump for people who feel disenfranchised in our country.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fuS9PmV9hg

I have gone more public with my political beliefs on Facebook this election cycle. My reasoning was that I see our democracy as being in peril if we have four more years of former President Trump and well, J.D. Vance, totally scares the beejesus out of me. At least we could trust former Vice President Pence to do the legal and right thing in a crunch. I am a liberal and have friends that are conservative, liberal, and independent. I think each individual needs to vote for what they believe will make our country better.

I have also been responding to people who pose political questions on my Facebook feed. You would think I know better. Yet, a part of me feels like if we can just 'discuss' or write about our differences in a respectful way we can open the door to compassion for each other. As I have mentioned before, it is one reason I do not use slurs or nicknames for the candidates. I find former President Trump's words and actions offensive, and I refuse to become someone who acts like him by using name calling or mocking people with different beliefs.

I am not trying to persuade others to not support the candidate they have already declared they support. However, I do feel if they are asking a question, they may be open to hearing what I think. I am discovering that is faulty thinking on my part. Not always. Enough that I may start skipping over those questions. Yet, what if there is one person that reads the questioner’s feed that has not made up their own mind yet and is willing to collect information that helps them to vote with more confidence? Do I want to come across as argumentative or as making excuses? Is saying nothing at all really better? Better for whom? Better for me because I don’t want the angst of standing up for what I believe in?

My hope for our country is that Harris-Walz win the election, and they immediately are able to begin focusing on solutions to the problems in our country. Once former President Trump is no longer in the picture then the Republican party can begin to divest themselves of the MAGA extremism and heal. 

For now, I will continue to listen to my conservative and independent friends' concerns, try not to take their responses personal, and stay steadfast in supporting the Democrats as they are the party that reflect my own beliefs about what is best for our country.