Now Is The Time

Now is the time to look forward to the future and what it will hold. I will quote from a not-so-randomly placed sample of graffiti that was stenciled onto a concrete column at an underpass/intersection here in Seattle. It sums it up quite nicely I feel.

The quote reads, "Vote your hopes, Not your fears."

Try to vote early if you can. Refuse provisional ballots, and pay very close attention to your vote and that you mark your correct box carefully and thoroughly or that your electronic vote appears and registers the correct choice. There have already been numerous reports from several states that the electronic machines were flipping votes of Democratic voters to Republican candidates. PAY ATTENTION.

Progressives

Progressive- adj. 1 moving forward: going ahead by a series of steps [the progressive improvement of our city] 2 wanting, bringing, showing, or working for progress or improvement through social or political reform [progressive laws; a progressive senator]

—n. a person who is in favor of progress or reform, especially such a person who is involved in politics

More than ever, now is the time to teach our children the importance of this word. With all the crazy tumult, uncertain financial turmoil, fear, apprehension, anxiety; the young people around us, whether your own children, your students, your nieces, nephews, or whomever—these young people need understanding just as much as the adults do. We owe them as much. They don’t need to know the minutiae of economic collapse, of dwindling 401ks, of long lines at gas pumps, of panic stricken parents at the check out counter at your local grocery store. You want your children to feel safe—to know that things will be okay. That it isn’t something for them to worry about. But they do. And with our words of encouragement, we offer them hope. This little glimmer of something intangible that, overtime, manifests itself by the tangible things that we do . . . whether as an individual or as a community or, as we are experiencing now, as a nation.

And it is in this manifestation of hope that I am reminded of the true definition of the word progressive. What children need to understand is that this word, this idea, should not be something bad. It isn’t something to be ashamed of or scared of. It is that which nourishes hope for change, for a repairing of all the things that are terribly wrong with our society.

We should allow our children to dream of a better world for it is their world that we are ruining with our uncontrollable pollution, our deforestation, our poisoning of the air we breath and of the water that is the life source of this little bit of earth we call home.

We should allow our children to know that their ideas and their dreams may be just the thing that sustains us a little longer and that has the potential to guide us to a better world.

It is this idea of a larger dream, the potential for change that we can, and must make a choice to turn around our potential as a country and as a people and reclaim the respect and dignity we so richly deserve. We must take these steps, moving forward . . . progressing toward a common purpose of change . . . to do the right thing for not only those of us here now, but for all those who will come after us.

I had the opportunity to view pictures of a friend’s recent trip to Grand Tetons and Yellowstone Nat’l Park. There were no appropriate words to describe the beauty of some of those images. But what those images did for me was bolster my resolve, and renew my own hope that we won’t lose sight of what God or whomever or whatever higher power you might believe in has given us. I want my six month old nephew to have the opportunity to travel down a river in a canoe and see what has been wrought by nature. I want him to know what a polar bear is and not have to know this by only seeing it in a picture book. I want him to know that the sky is blue and not grey and smokey with pollution. I want him to be able to go outside and play in the sun feeling the warmth on his skin knowing that our atmosphere will still protect him from harmful UV radiation. And I want him to grow up knowing that no man or woman has the right to tell him when God or said higher power is about to destroy the world as we know.

I believe in the power of community to come together in times of adversity. I still get choked up watching “How The Grinch Stole Christmas” on television each year when the voices of the citizens of Who-ville rise up in song. I believe in hope. I believe in the potential of change . . . for the better.

In other words, I am a Progressive. I am proud of this fact. And I approve this message.

Post Script:

I encourage you to register to vote before the official deadline. Volunteer to work for your candidate of choice. Do your own homework when it comes to the facts. Please take advantage of early voting if necessary, or schedule time on November 4th to go to your local polling place. And please, be diligent about the documentation of your vote. Ask for a paper ballot when you can. Report abnormalities at your polling precinct--not only to the precinct captain, but to the press and to your local party headquarters. I stress all of this because of the outcome of the last two major elections and the proven discrepancies that occurred.