Our job’s not over

Must fight disinformation, division

This memory from my Dec. 10, 2017, post came up on my Facebook page Thursday morning: I am thankful for the people in life who are paying attention to the threats to the health of our democracy, educating themselves about the facts and looking beyond narrow self-interest to consider the kind of country and world we are leaving to our children and grandchildren.

We live busy lives, filled with moments of both pleasure and pain that can consume our attention and energy. It’s normal to want to focus on the positive and the personal and fail to see that inch by inch we may be giving away what we most value. I am putting my trust in those who take nothing for granted. Revisiting this post three years later, I am grateful to those who showed up for the November election. Those who took the time to listen to the debates, volunteer, make a small donation, or simply vote. If we have learned anything in the last four years, it is that elections have consequences and we must never take an election for granted.

We are all exhausted. The temptation now, driven by a desire to return to normalcy, is to care for ourselves and our families, find comfort in small pleasures, and shut out the political chaos and incivility by escaping into a world of Hallmark movies and ESPN.

But our job is not over. There are partisan forces at work spreading disinformation and division. There are efforts underway in Congress to challenge the electors and continued court challenges to disenfranchise us. Many of us exist in partisan news bubbles and distrust facts that do not fit with our ideological leanings. More than ever we count on our elected officials to provide the honesty and leadership we need to navigate the political waters. But too many are wrapped up in their own self-interests and have failed us. We deserve better.

Decades ago I worked for a state legislature. Part of my job was to listen to callers and answer their letters. Generally, they were unhappy about something. While the responses they received were often not what they wanted to hear, their voices were heard. The fact they had taken the effort made an impact and was not forgotten.

Now is not the time to check out. If you believe the means we use to achieve our ends are important and that democratic values are more important than partisan wins, pay attention. Look wide and deep for the truth.

The people have spoken through their votes. The courts have validated the results. Even the U.S. attorney general has said there is no evidence of fraud. The states are certifying the results.

In the future we will need to consider what reforms may be needed. But right now is the time to let our elected officials in Congress know that when a candidate receives a 7 million-vote majority, and claims of fraud have been discredited, it is time to unite, accept the legitimacy of the election, and get back to work serving the American people.

Put your senators and representatives on speed dial. No matter what your beliefs, they need you to pay attention and provide feedback.