Politics is a Verb

Are you concerned about climate change? How about women's healthcare, public education, voting rights and accessibility, civil rights, the 2nd amendment and/or any other issues subject to federal or state regulations? If you are, are you interested in being able to do something about it? Excellent, then please read on.

Politics is also a verb as it calls for action, doing something about it by engaging in political activities. And there are a number of meaningful political activities in which anyone and everyone can participate in. Starting with the most important, as well as the easiest one … Voting!

All citizens who are 18 years old by or before any Election Day are eligible to register to vote and cast their ballot and we can help folks get registered. As citizens of this nation we have both the right and the responsibility to vote. The more our us who do vote the more likely we are to get the best people in office. All elections are important too, not just our President but also our state, county, city and township offices as well as our local schools boards as it is our statue and local officials who deliver the political decisions handed down to us and apply them where we live and work.

While voting is our most critically important action we can take it is far from the only one. So, but wait there’s more!

We all have State and Federal Representatives and Senators who are supposed to represent us and our interests. Are they reflecting your interests and values? If not, why not? Maybe they don’t really know what our interests actually are.

Our State and Federal representatives ca all be contacted in a number of ways; we can contact them by phone, email, through online petitions and we can visit our State Representative and Senator in person at the Capital in Topeka or our Federal Representative or Senators through their field offices in Topeka. Occasionally there might be a Town Hall held by a Federal Representative or Senator.

You then can create your own opportunity to directly ask them what their position is on issues you care about, explain your views on what needs to be done and why that’s important. Not very many people take the time and minimal effort to contact them, so when we do our voices are amplified and this is one way we can be the ‘squeaky wheel that gets the grease’.

Online petitions abound as an indirect way to voice our concerns alongside many others who share those same concerns. Often they include a space for adding your own personal comments too.

And yes we can talk about politics with our family, friend and others we associate with, in my opinion we should as politics affects most everything in our day lives either directly or indirectly. This is best done conversationally, not confrontationally. A dialogue does not have to become anything argument, this is doable too.

We can also join with others in campaigning. Usually organized campaigning is set up by candidates for Governor or Federal Representatives and Senators in order to Get Out The Vote (GOTV). These involve walking knee neighborhoods, knocking on doors known supporters distributing campaign flyers, encouraging them to vote, assisting them to register or re-register to vote if needed.

In 2016 Jefferson County gave a majority of our vote to the Democratic candidate for Governor Paul Davis after he organized an effective GOTV right here in Jefferson County! It can be done, when we Vote!

You can attend our JeffCoDems monthly meetings, held the 2nd Thursday of each month (except December) and share your thoughts and concerns with us. Maybe become a Precinct Committee-person to represent your township. We have some openings and each township gets both a male and a female to represent them. Here we decide what issues seem most important for our county, we meet with candidates, help select and then support them as well as help determine the platform for the State Democratic Party.

And You, you can run for office, any office Federally, State, or local! Locally many city, county and township offices are uncontested by Democrat challengers and with only one candidate on the ballot guess who wins! You can enter and we will do all we can to help you win, also these local races don’t cost much beyond a filing fee in order to run a successful campaign.

Lastly this coming year, 2024, is perhaps the most important election year since 1930 and I don’t believe any of us were voters then. Our President, all Federal and State Representatives and State Senators are up for election. Also a full spectrum of other State and local office holders will be on the ballot as well. Many think our state and nation are at a tipping point on whether or not our genuinely representative democracy will survive for our children and grandchildren who are not yet able to vote.

Join with us!

Let’s protect American Democracy!