What We'll Do vs. What We Won't
A call not to sit out the most important election of our lives
Every election year, I post one of my favorite passages from Bruce Springsteen’s catalog.
"Your flag flyin' over the courthouse
Means certain things are set in stone.
Who we are, what we'll do and what we won't"
This election is the most significant test of our lives regarding that last part: what we’ll do vs. what we won’t. Juxtaposed, yet equally as important as one another.
Are we a country willing to put our own legal citizens in internment camps based on where they’ve come from, something we’ve done before and offered reparations for knowing it was morally wrong? Are we willing to take away bodily autonomy from other individuals? Are we going to attack our freedom of the press, an ideology protected by so few countries but imperative to accountability for our institutions?
We are an imperfect union. That’s why the preamble of the Constitution strives to create a *more perfect* one. Our economy is thriving, yet it’s still extremely expensive to put food on the table. The unemployment rate is low, but finding a job is remarkably difficult. We have an international conflict that has split so many of us, with innocent people dying and others forced to pick sides to prove their humanity. We are far from perfect.
But the very core of the United States’ existence is inclusion. A melting pot of ethnicities, sexuality, cultures, religions, and backgrounds. There’s a beacon of opportunity to achieve something great, and when those around us face hurdles, we don’t kick them down, we help them up. At least, that’s who we’re supposed to be in principle.
So who are we now? What are we willing to do? What won’t we?
It’s a simple question to me: Is this country a society of “we,” or a society of “me” at the end of the day?
Politics aren’t supposed to be sporting events. No politician perfectly appeases what we want. Many are flawed. But they ultimately are supposed to be public servants, not superstar cults of personalities. Electing those whom we can challenge to be better serves us far better than those who believe they are the lone answer to everything.
That, after all, is the true essence of actual patriotism. Not blind loyalty to a person, a song, or a flag. It’s challenging our ideals. Pushing those around you to punch up, not down.
I won’t tell you what side to stand on. That’s your choice, and a protected one. But take advantage of one of the greatest freedoms we have in America and vote this election cycle. Never take for granted the opportunity to do so.