Tag Archives: vote

Your Voice is Your Power: Standing Up for Democracy in a Divisive Election Season

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As we go about our daily work and home life, who can forget that there is an election going on? Even if you are not watching or reading the news you can’t escape it. Nor should you. This is probably the most consequential presidential election of our lifetime. We all must ask ourselves what kind of world we want for our children and grandchildren. Who speaks to our values? Who can we trust with our future and our democracy?

If you know me or are a regular reader of my blog, you know my answer. Yes, I have a button that says, “We are not going back”. And I have my “I voted early” sticker. With this consequential election a week away, I can’t be silent.

I proudly display my RBG art in my home workspace where she is visible over my shoulder on all my zoom calls and podcast interviews. It is often a conversation starter with both men and women when they see it for the first time.

While we may want to shy away from speaking out and openly supporting the candidate of our choice, I have great respect for people who are willing to publicly state their support for Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz as our next President and Vice President. This includes a growing list of business leaders. And not to be ignored, many long-standing Republican leaders and former Trump administration officials are warning us based on their first-hand knowledge and experience that he is unfit to lead and a danger to our democracy.

I am encouraged to see healthcare leaders willing to post their very insightful support for the Harris/Walz ticket on LinkedIn which is supposed to be a professional network and not political. Continue reading →

Remember what our parents taught us – civility and respect

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Last week I wrote about exercising our right to vote. With the mid-term election dominating the news it’s hard to think about much else. With the brutal attack on Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul, the threat of political violence during this election season is heightened. The amount of disinformation and baseless conspiracies are contributing to the situation. And bullying behavior that you wouldn’t tolerate from your boss or co-worker, or from your kid’s teacher or coach is somehow acceptable coming from elected officials and candidates for office.

As we approach Election Day, I go back to civility and respect. Basics that seem to be lost in the recent years. Civility and respect are important and necessary in our everyday lives and discourse, be it with family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, or people we know only as a name and social media account online.

With no new novel message on this, I’m asking you to revisit two of my posts in recent years that highlighted the need for civility and decency drawing on comments from well-known healthcare leader, Michael Dowling, President & CEO of Northwell Health – “Towards a more civil society” and “The healing power of humanity”.

Be kind, be respectful, and be sure to vote your values!

Time to exercise your right to vote

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It is less than two weeks to election day. I voted early yesterday at my city hall since I will be at the CHIME Fall Forum in San Antonio on election day, November 8. I hope my colleagues who are attending and everyone else reading this who can’t vote in person on election day has a plan to vote early in-person or will mail-in their ballot.

Voter intimidation is real. Already we hear candidates saying the election is rigged – their way of saying they won’t accept a loss. Voting is your fundamental right as a citizen. Voting rights were fought for by our ancestors. We can’t take this right for granted. And we can’t be intimidated.

It is encouraging to see long lines for early voting in swing states with tight races. And it is more encouraging to know that early voting is outpacing 2018 levels by one million. As of last night, 13.6 million people have voted compared to 12.6 million in 2018.

What is at stake in the midterm elections? A lot! I’ve commented in previous posts on reproductive care and a woman’s right to choose (A step backwards), same sex marriage (Marriage equality, it’s personal), and common-sense gun control (When is enough enough?). It should be no surprise that I voted a straight Democratic ticket up and down the ballot.

I won’t tell you how to vote. But I encourage you to exercise your right to vote and to vote your values. Your vote matters!

Resources:

I will vote – website where you can select your state, make sure you’re registered to vote, then choose how you’re going to vote this year. Also has a hotline number to call with questions.

When we all vote – is a leading national, nonpartisan initiative on a mission to change the culture around voting and to increase participation in each and every election by helping to close the race and age gap. Website has useful information on your voting rights and provides an Election Protection Hotline to report voting issues.

Related posts:

Make your voice heard, your vote counts!

Vote your values

A step backwards

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“The decision whether or not to bear a child is central to a woman’s life, to her wellbeing and dignity. It’s a decision she must make for herself”. Ruth Bader Ginsburg

I was both angry and sad last Friday when the Supreme Court ruling was announced. There is no question that we are going backwards. My granddaughters will have less rights than me.

How did we get here? The Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v Wade should come as no surprise. I’m not just talking about the leaked opinion in May. I’m talking about the state level restrictions that have been enacted over the past decade leading to Friday’s ruling.

A piece in the New York Times on June 25, “How Did Roe Fall? Before a Decisive Ruling, a Powerful Red Wave”, by Kate Zernike laid it out clearly starting back with the 2010 elections. The fact that 1380 state level restrictions were enacted in the 50 years since Roe v Wade was decided and that 46% of them were since 2011 tells the story. It is a long article but worth reading.

Aside from understanding the recent history covered in this article, the takeaway is clear – your vote matters. It matters at every level from local elections to the national election for president. While more Americans voted in 2020 than in any other presidential election in 120 years, 80 million people didn’t vote. Local candidates and state legislators win elections oftentimes with only a small percentage of voters bothering to vote.

The health equity issues of this ruling are significant. The ruling puts the health and safety of women at risk with a disproportionate impact on women of color and the financially disadvantaged. Many leaders have recognized this in their statements of support for reproductive rights and the actions they are taking to provide services. Continue reading →

Make your voice heard, your vote counts!

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Like more than 75 million people, I have already cast my vote. My husband and I were there on the first day of early voting in our state. Millions of voters are willing to stand in long lines to vote. And at a time when new COVID-19 cases are averaging over 72,000 a day.

We are on track for record voter turnout before the election is over. In 2016, about 60% of eligible voters actually voted. Given early voting numbers, the projected 2020 total votes could be record breaking at over 150 million compared to about 135 million in 2016. Voter suppression is real and has taken many forms in this election cycle. It is already too late for mail-in ballots in many states – you will have to take it to a dropbox. And yet, early voting is at a record high.

Yes, I voted for Biden. That should be no surprise if you know me or have read many of my blog posts. I do believe this is the most consequential election in our lifetime. When the votes are counted, it will be either Biden or Trump.

The number of undecided voters is at a record low. If you are one of those undecided voters or leaning towards Trump despite all your concerns, I offer up a few statements for your consideration from some unlikely sources on why they also support Biden:

  • Former Republican Party Chairman, Michael Steele has endorsed Biden. He clearly and thoughtfully articulates his position as a longtime Republican in a recent podcast “My Country Matters: Why I am Endorsing Biden”. In the last few minutes of it, he talks about leadership, decency, and character. He quotes Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in saying “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
  • A conservative New Hampshire newspaper, The Union Leader, has not endorsed a Democrat for President in a 100 years. Their editorial “Our Choice is Joe Biden” says “We have found Mr. Biden to be a caring, compassionate and professional public servant. He has repeatedly expressed his desire to be a president for all of America, and we take him at his word. Joe Biden may not be the president we want, but in 2020 he is the president we desperately need. He will be a president to bring people together and right the ship of state.”
  • The CEO of Expensify, David Barrett, has publicly endorsed Biden in an email to 10M customers entitled “Protect democracy, vote for Biden”. In his opening he says, “That’s right, I’m saying a vote for Trump, a vote for a third-party candidate, or simply not voting at all — they’re all the same, and they all mean — I care more about my favorite issue than democracy. I believe Trump winning is more important than democracy. I am comfortable standing aside and allowing democracy to be methodically dismantled, in plain sight.” His full email is included in this Business News article.

I saw a story of a 102-year-old woman born before women had the right to vote who said this is the most consequential election in her life as she cast her vote. If she can get out and vote, so can you.

Don’t sit this one out. Make a plan to vote and help your family and friends make a plan. Make your voice heard. Every vote matters. This election must be decided at the ballot box by your vote, not the courts.

Resources and Related Posts:

I Will Vote

When We All Vote

Fair Fight

Vote your values

Forward together

12 more days – forward together

12 more days – forward together

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Pipe bombs sent via U.S. mail to critics of the president have dominated the news cycle for two days. These targets include former presidents, a former vice president, a former secretary of state and acanstockphoto5429849 (1) vote congresswoman. The person or group behind this domestic terrorism is still unknown. But we all know we are living in an ugly, divisive time in the history of our country. What have we become?

As the midterms approach, the divisiveness of the past several years has increased. Can we ever come together again?

We all can make a choice on who we want to represent us. The right to vote is fundamental to our democracy yet women and black people did not have this right until many years later. And we know that gaining that right was a hard fight. Fast forward to 2018 and voter suppression is rampant in several states. This makes your vote all that more critical.

If you live in an early voting state, you can exercise your right to vote any day through November 6th. If you do not, then you need to make time to cast your vote on November 6th.

There are many organizations and initiatives focused on getting people out to vote. When We All Vote is a new, non-partisan not-for-profit organization bringing together people to focus on our rights and responsibilities to shape our democracy. As they say, when we all vote, we can change the world. The good news is that early voting states are showing very high turnouts compared to previous elections.

Remember that the presidential election in 2016 was decided by less than half of the eligible voters. There is no electoral college at play in the midterms. Every vote counts!

Two years ago, I was filled with optimism leading up to the presidential election yet disappointed beyond words with the results. But I wanted to be optimistic in the following days. I wanted to believe the divisiveness would end and our president would try to be a president for all people.

I reread my post “Forward together” from November 11, 2016 this week. My optimism has waned and for good reason in the past two years. But I will vote again in 11 days and continue to look to the future. I encourage you to do the same.

Related Posts and Resources:

When We All Vote

Forward together

Build bridges, not walls

Who do we want to be?