We Are In That Moment Now: A Reason to Vote

(A Plea to Facebook Friends)

Last month, I read a post from a FB friend Jason which I thought was a powerful personal statement about this moment in US history from the perspective of a Jewish American. His post brings up certain things I’d been thinking about and trying to put words to myself… namely that we are in a similar moment today that Nazi Germany was in some 90 years ago, and that we all must take this moment seriously by doing what we can to stand against the hatred and division of this administration. For many of us that means voting.

Jason’s full post is here and I encourage you to read it. I am not Jewish, but what he said really spoke to me, especially this part:

“Many people have contemplated what they might have done if they were in Germany as Hitler rose to power. Would I go along with the hatred? Would I stand by while it happened because it wasn’t happening to me? Would I do the right thing in the face of a hard decision and potential catastrophic consequences? If you haven’t noticed, we are standing in that moment now.”

I think Jason is right: we are in that moment now. And so much hinges on us doing our part and voting in this election. And I’m just going to go a step further and say specifically: voting for Joe Biden. I say that not because I’m a Democrat or a Progressive. I say it simply as somebody who (like many of us) is deeply concerned for his country, has been for some time, and is concerned for the lives of many Americans whose rights are being infringed upon, especially women, minorities, and the LGTBQ community.

Voting for Biden should not be seen as a vote for a “Democrat,” really, but more a vote for democratic principals, for Democracy and freedom itself. While it may seem I’m directing this at my Republican friends, I’m really not. I don’t think the majority of Republicans I know actually agree with much of what Trump says or does and I don’t think many of them are voting for Trump. But if they are, I can’t change that. I’m really directing this toward my liberal friends, progressives, and agnostics who dislike or otherwise just can’t get behind Biden. The importance of this election is much bigger than Biden or Harris.